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Tampa, Florida 33609.
Phone 813.877.6000
Fax 813.877.6002

Skin Care Tips

Skin Care

Aging and Your Skin

Have you ever noticed that some people age gracefully while others just... age? How well your skin holds up to the passing years depends on a variety of factors, some of which are beyond our control. Understanding how and why your skin shows signs of aging can help you take the right steps to maintain a more youthful appearance for longer.

What Causes Your Skin to Change with Age?

There's very little we can do to combat gravity and genetics, two factors that lead to visible signs of aging. However, there are steps we can take to prevent or reduce the effects of things like sun exposure and smoking on our skin.

Sun Exposure: Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays causes the elastin fibers in the skin to break down over time. As this happens, skin begins to sag, stretch, and bruise more easily. You can protect your skin from these aging signs by staying out of the sun or wearing sunscreen every day, even in the winter months.
Smoking: People who smoke tend to have more wrinkles than non-smokers, especially around the eyes and mouth. Smoking can also replace the healthy glow of youthful skin with a yellowish-gray cast. While never smoking in the first place is the best thing you can do for your skin, quitting smoking can help prevent further damage to your skin.
Dryness: As we age, our skin tends to become more dry. The loss of oil glands as we age may contribute to this excessively dry skin. Avoiding harsh soaps and hot baths can help combat over-drying of the skin. The best weapon against dry skin is applying a quality moisturizer to your skin twice a day.

Our skin is often the bearer of the first signs of aging. Maintaining a more youthful appearance means overcoming the skin's natural response to factors like sun, diet, and lifestyle. Learn how skin is affected by aging and what you can do to fight back.

The Effects of Aging on Skin

Our skin changes as we get older. Some of the visible changes that occur with age include:

rougher skin
development of lesions on the skin, including benign tumors
loss of elastic tissue that causes sagging skin
more transparent skin
more fragile skin
easily bruised skin

In addition to these visible changes, there are signs of aging that occur beneath the surface. The effects of aging that happen below the skin include:

Loss of fat in the cheeks, temples, chin, nose, and eye area, resulting in loosening skin and sunken eyes
Bone loss, especially around the mouth and chin, which can cause skin puckering
Cartilage loss in the nose that leads to a drooping nasal tip and accentuation of the nose's bony structures

How soon these changes appear depends on how well you care for your skin and your body. Environmental and hereditary factors also play a role in how skin will respond to aging.