The Three Culprits of Facial Aging and How to Stop Them

A select group of people is lucky enough to be born with genetics that keep them looking young and energetic well into their third, fourth, and even fifth decade of life. Their bodies naturally produce everything they need despite growing a little older every day. Other less fortunate people, who make up the large majority of the population, just don’t have that kind of luck.

If you happen to be anything like the vast majority of the world, the signs of aging will begin to set in as early as your mid-twenties. The signs won’t be severe; a tiny bit of skin laxity beneath the brow, a few small, faint lines beginning to form around the lips, or even the early makings of deep creases on the forehead. Regardless of how your body handles aging, you will, unfortunately, begin to develop more significant signs in the near future.

There are a few preventative measures you can take to delay them for a little while, but even the best preemptive steps can’t completely negate the aging process. So, the question most people begin to have at this point is: what can I do about it?

There are three primary causes of facial aging that affect everyone, whether you are in your twenties or eighties. Those factors are volume loss, collagen loss, and sun damage. The good news is this: You can take more than one step to correct these facial developments, but if you aren’t overly familiar with them, it can be hard to figure out how to address them.

1. Volume Loss

When someone asks you to imagine an elderly person, one of the key features most of us tend to include is a sunken appearance, specifically in the facial tissue. As we age, our body naturally begins to shift fat away from our faces. Even if your skin would otherwise be taut and smooth, this loss of fullness can create an aged appearance.

Volume loss is often one of the first and most impactful signs of facial aging to develop. Aside from aging, there are various other factors like environmental exposure, decreased protein production, and weight loss that can throw facial volume out of order. Volume loss alone is enough to create significant folding and wrinkling throughout the face, exacerbating what could be an already compromised appearance.

How to Stop It

There are plenty of procedures on the market that specialize in replacing the volume loss that occurs with age. One of the most effective and popular methods on the market right now is the Silhouette InstaLift, a thread lift procedure that provides both long- and short-term improvements to the volume quantity in the lower face and jowls.

The InstaLift is a relatively simple procedure that involves a medical professional using a needle to insert the barbed thread into your cheek. By tightening the threads inside your facial tissue, an immediate lifting effect is achieved. The thread will slowly deteriorate into the skin and be replaced by natural proteins, restoring volume.

The other option is setting up a dermal filler treatment plan. Products like Juvéderm and Radiesse excel at replacing the volume lost in areas throughout the entire face. Each product has a unique blend of filling components that work better in different patients.

2. Collagen Loss

Remember earlier when we mentioned proteins in the face that provided volume? Well, as it turns out, collagen is one of the most important proteins we have in our bodies in regards to facial aging. In addition to playing a role in facial fullness, collagen provides necessary structural support to the facial tissue, preventing it from sagging or wrinkling.

The unfortunate part is that after the age of 20, our bodies produce 1% less collagen every year. While it may seem insignificant over the course of one year, after a decade or two, missing that much collagen in your skin will begin to reveal serious aging effects. Your body needs these supportive proteins to remain taut, but how do you replace something your body is responsible for producing?

How to Stop It

When it comes to making your body increase its production of collagen production, two methods have both proven to be effective options: microneedling and laser resurfacing. The general idea behind both of these procedures is simple: cause minor, controlled “damage” to the underlying layers of skin to trigger your body’s healing process, including boosting collagen production.

The difference between these two procedures is the manner in which they inflict this damage. Laser resurfacing uses fractionated laser energy to penetrate the different layers of the skin, whereas microneedling uses a series of needles equipped with a rolling device to achieve a similar effect.

3. Sun Damage

To some extent, sun damage is the only one of the three that you might be able to see a significant impact using precautionary measures. Using sunscreen and avoiding harsh UV exposure during outings can reduce the impact sun damage will have on the color and texture of your skin. But that does not mean that it can fully prevent it. Eventually, you should expect to see some adverse effects like wrinkling, discoloration, and other textural issues develop.

How to Stop It

HydraFacials are non-surgical, non-invasive procedures designed to treat conditions that have developed on the surface layer of the skin. By using a fast-moving serum delivery system equipped with suction, old layers of skin full of dead skin cells can be gently removed and replaced with fresh, healthy underlying layers of skin.

A Micro Laser Peel is another skin resurfacing treatment that can easily address some of the conditions caused by excessive sun exposure. By precisely ablating the skin, a Micro Laser Peel can achieve similar effects to HydraFacials and even microneedling. Unlike the HydraFacial, however, this method utilizes laser technology to remove old, damaged skin.

Reverse Your Facial Aging in Wayzata, MN

If you would like to learn more about the treatments that can help you correct signs of facial aging and help you restore a rejuvenated, youthful appearance, give our office a call at (952) 460-1970 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation today. We look forward to being your ally throughout the entire process!