Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
The relationship between the sun and wrinkles
It is a fact that exposure to ultraviolet light, whether UVA or UVB, that is derived from sunlight, accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging.
Since most of the photoaging effects occur by the age of 20, the amount of damage to the skin caused by the sun is determined by the total lifetime amount of radiation exposure and the pigment protection.
Among the changes in the epidermis caused by continued exposure to the sun include, many harmful, thinning of the epidermis and the growth of skin lesions such as actinic keratoses, squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas,
Prolonged exposure to the sun cause collagen in the dermis to break down at a higher rate than just chronologic aging.
Collagen fibers get damaged by sunlight and causes the accumulation of abnormal elastin and when this sun-induced elastin accumulates, enzymes called metalloproteinases are produced in large quantities.
Under normal conditions, metalloproteinases are responsible for fixing sun-injured skin by manufacturing and reforming collagen.
However, this process does not always work well and some of the metalloproteinases actually break down collagen, resulting to the formation of disorganized collagen fibers known as solar scars.
And when the skin repeats this flawed rebuilding process, wrinkles develop.
As the sun continues to be the principal suspect in causing wrinkles, the most important skin-care product available to prevent wrinkles is sunscreen, but most people do not use sunscreen correctly.
It would be best to consider the important factors with sunscreen use, especially with the spectrum of UV radiation absorbed, the amount of sunscreen applied, and the frequency of application.
As mentioned earlier, the sun gives off ultraviolet (UV) rays that can be divided into categories based on the wavelength.
UVC radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and does not cause skin damage, while UVB radiation affects the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, and is the primary agent responsible for sunburns.
UVB does not penetrate glass and the intensity of UVB radiation depends on the time of day and season.
UVA radiation, on the other hand, penetrates deep into the skin and works more efficiently and cannot also be filtered by glass, but overexposure to UVA can also be dangerous.
The intensity of UVA radiation is more constant than UVB without the variations during the day and throughout the year.
Regardless of their wavelengths, both UVA and UVB radiation can cause wrinkles as it breaks down collagen, creating free radicals, and inhibiting natural repair mechanisms of the skin.
A classification system of sun-sensitivity is the Skin Phototype (SPT) classification, which is being used to determine the potency and spectrum of protection that sunscreen formulations help protect from these radiation, as well as inhibit, if not minimize, wrinkles.
People with skin types I and II are at the highest risk for photoaging effects including wrinkles and skin cancer, thus the proper use of sunscreen to block both UVA and UVB radiation is an important in the battle against wrinkles.
As promised, the relationship between the sun and wrinkles has been established and the age old agae still holds true that says, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
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Smoking Causes Wrinkles
Smoking is ranked only second to sun exposure as the leading cause of wrinkles. It interferes with the absorption of Vitamin A and C both of which provide us with skin protection. This is because nicotine the main ingredient in cigarettes promotes dehydration.
It also narrows the blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin. THIs impairs blood flow depleting it of oxygen and important nutrients such as Vitamin A. It also damages collagen and elastin. These are both fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity making it sag and wrinkle prematurely.
The heat from the cigarette causes irritation around the eyes and forces the smoker to squint more. This leads to increased wrinkles especially around the eyes. You will also develop hollowed cheeks around the mouth from many years of dragging this in between your lips.
This has also led doctors to believe that there is a relationship between wrinkles in the mouth and COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as this may to airflow obstruction.
Aside from the wrinkles forming on your face, this will also be evident in other parts of the body including the inner arms even if these areas are covered by your clothes.
If you have been smoking for a very long time, someone who is in their 30’s may have similar wrinkles to a nonsmoker who is already in his or her 50’s.
So what is the morale of the story? Well, naturally quit smoking because no amount of anti-aging cream in the market will remove the wrinkles caused by cigarette smoking. Given that this vice is a habit, this is easier said than done so a lot of experts suggest that this should be done gradually.
If you fail to do so, you are just wasting time buying creams and moisturizers or even undergoing treatment with the help of a dermatologist because this will soon come back. What is worse is that these are very pricey.
If you are able to quit smoking, it also has other health benefits such as adding a few more years to your life and prevents you from being diagnosed with lung cancer and smoke related diseases in the future.
Aside from giving up this habit, you should also start by focusing on a healthy diet and exercise regularly. This will help bring blood to the surface of the skin and begin to replenish the capillaries with oxygen. You should also avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine as this also dehydrates the skin. To make sure you get your daily dose of Vitamin A and C, go take some food supplements.
Smoking causes wrinkles and other health related problems the longer you stick to this vice. Why should you wait before it is too late when you can look your age? If you can, quit right now because there are worse things than can happen aside from having wrinkles and your skin sag.
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