Facial Ageing Process

Lifestyle factors

Skin aging process is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. While degradation of collagen and elastin fibers as well as the reduced quality of the body's own hyaluronic acid are mainly genetically encoded, there are extrinsic or lifestyle factors which we all can control to a certain degree to reduce skin ageing.

Smoking and drinking, excessive sun exposure and stress, can all speed-up the biological clock. However, of all these aging factors sun damage by UVR poses the greatest threat.

Restylane products cannot turn back the passage of time. However, they can restore skin hydrobalance and improve the skin structure and elasticity, as well as fill out wrinkles and folds and restore facial volume.

Facial aging

Facial aging is due to changes in several types of tissue, including skin, fat, muscle, and bone. Changes in any one of these structural layers affects the other layers.

 

Skin 

As skin ages, the middle layer of skin (dermis) thins due to collagen loss. The skin’s ability to retain elasticity (from elastin) and moisture (from hyaluronic acid) also reduces with age.

Due to this loss of elastin and hyaluronic acid, the skin becomes:

  • Drier
  • Less elastic
  • Less supple
  • Thinner

 

Fat

In the face, fat is organized into fat pads. As we age, the fat is lost or redistributed, and the fat pads shift relative to each other. Over time, bony features, lines, and wrinkles become more visible.

Age 35
Age 35
Age 45
Age 45
Age 55
Age 55

Bone

There is a significant loss of facial bone with age. Aging of the craniofacial skeleton may be due to changes in the relative dynamics of bone expansion and bone resorption.

Bone recession leads to thinner bone, removing structural support for the overlying tissues. This loss of support contributes to sagging and droopiness and noticeable changes in the other layers of overlying soft tissue and skin.

Age 35
Age 35
Age 45
Age 45
Age 55
Age 55