How Aging Affects the Skin
1. Collagen and Elastin Breakdown: Collagen, which provides skin firmness, naturally breaks down over time, with your skin producing 1% less collagen per year after the age of 20. Elastin, responsible for skin flexibility, also starts to break down in your twenties. Later in life, women can lose a staggering 30% of their remaining dermal collagen in the first five years of menopause.
2. Oestrogen Deficient Skin: After menopause, skin loses oestrogen, leading to dryness, wrinkling, thinness, and itching. Oestrogen is responsible for plumping the skin, improving hydration, and stimulating new collagen and elastin. The loss of this interaction results in clinical signs of dryness and wrinkling.
3. External Factors: Sun damage, exposure to air pollutants, tobacco use, and other external forces affect your skin as you age. Over time, your skin may appear duller, less elastic, and unfortunately, have more wrinkles.