Lifestyle-related Factors effecting on Skin Aging

Many of us are concerned about physical aging. Regardless of age, having a positive self-image is essential for our general well-being and mental health. Yet, by understanding how specific lifestyle factors contribute to aging, we can make wiser decisions and ultimately take better care of our skin as we age.

1. Diet and Nutrition:    

Rhytides, skin that sags, and loss of elasticity are all caused by changes in the skin's collagen and elastic fibers, which are in turn affected by what you eat. Especially eating sugar can speed up these signs of aging because it makes collagen fibers cross-link. This happens faster when you have high blood sugar. Researchers have found that once these cross-links are made, the body can't fix them. When advanced glycation end products (AGEs) build up in the skin, structural changes can happen that make the skin stiffer and less flexible. Grilling, frying, and roasting are all ways to cook that increase the amount of AGEs. AGEs can't be made by herbs and spices like oregano, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and garlic, as well as by things like lipoic acid that are naturally found in some fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants like carotenoids, tocophenols, and flavonoids, as well as vitamins A, C, D, and E, essential omega-3-fatty acids, some proteins, and lactobacilli, have been studied a lot and mentioned as things that can help keep skin healthy and beautiful. According to reports from the WHO and Food and Agriculture of the UN, adults should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, excluding starchy vegetables. From 2007 to 2010, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys found that 75% of the US population ate less fruit and 87% ate less vegetables than was recommended. Glycation products like carboxymethyl lysine (CML) and pentosidine build up in collagen in the skin, which speeds up the aging process. Higher amounts of vitamin C and linoleic acid and lower amounts of fats and carbohydrates are linked to better signs of aging skin.

2. Sleep: 

People are less likely to want to hang out with someone who doesn't get enough sleep because their face looks bad and they don't get enough rest. 50–70 million American adults have one or more sleep disorders, according to estimates (Walia et.al, 2016). Sleep is important for the growth and repair of many parts of the body. Sleep deprivation is linked to more signs of aging in the skin, like fine lines, uneven pigmentation, and less elasticity. It also makes it take longer for the skin to heal after its barrier is broken, and people are less happy with how they look. People who didn't get enough sleep had droopy eyelids, swollen eyes, darker circles under their eyes, and droopier corners of their mouths. Skin that is getting older gets lines that look like cracks. These cracks could be caused by the way your face moves, or they could be caused by the way your skin is pushed together while you sleep. Expression wrinkles and sleep wrinkles are caused by different things, happen in different places, and look different. When you sleep on your side or on your back, compression, shear, and stress forces act on your face (Anson et.al, 2016). 

 

3. Unsuitable or harsh soaps: 

Dry skin is common in older people, and it tends to get worse when they take hot baths or use standard alkaline bar soaps. Skin that is dry, flaky, and rough can be caused by lipid solvents like acetone, alcohols, and even nonionic surfactants. Even water from the tap has an effect on the surface of the skin. When the skin's pH goes up, it irritates the protective "acid mantle" and changes the makeup of the skin's bacterial flora and the way enzymes in the upper epidermis work, which work best at an acid pH. When fat dissolves from the skin's surface, it may change how much water is in the skin, leading to dry, scaly skin. So, to reduce skin damage, cleansers with a pH close to 5.5 or neutral are recommended.
 

4. Smoking: 

It is now well known that smoking speeds up the aging process of the skin. Even being around cigarette smoke from the outside (called secondhand smoke) makes the skin age faster (Addor et.al, 2018). Especially because of nicotine, smoking hurts the tiny blood vessels in the skin and slows down the healing process. It is also harmful to keratinocytes and fibroblasts because it makes them make more metalloproteins and tropoelastin. Also, smoking makes small proteoglycans more active and slows down the production of procollagen. Skin that is pale and wrinkled is a sign of these things. DNA mutations can also be caused by oxidative effects or direct damage from toxins. Because nicotine narrows blood vessels, smoking causes elastosis, telangiectasia, rough skin, and early wrinkles on the face. Researchers have found that the more you smoke, the more wrinkles you get. Damage to the skin caused by smoking can't be fixed, but more damage can be stopped if you quit. Tobacco extracts applied in vitro to skin and oral fibroblasts caused several signs of senescence, such as premature cell cycle arrest, oxidative DNA damage, secretion of inflammatory cytokines and MMPs, and downregulation of cell junction proteins E-cadherin and Zonula occludens-1. 

References: 

Addor, F., Vieira, J. and Melo, C. (2018). Improvement of dermal parameters in aged skin after oral use of a nutrient supplement. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 11, 195-201.  

Anson  G.,  Kane  M.,  Lambros  V.  (2016).  Sleep  Wrinkles:  Facial  Aging  and  Facial  Distortion  During  Sleep. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 36(8), 931-940.

Mohiuddin, A. (2019). Skin Aging & Modern Anti-aging Strategies. PharmaTutor, 7(8), 22-70.