Humans are always concerned with stopping the march of time. Think about that — other animals don’t spend a lot of time worrying about their aging skin. But from Ponce de Leon to dudes taking roids at 60 years old, we’re pretty concerned with getting older.
Most of us don’t need anything drastic, just a little help here and there. Fortunately, the signs of aging, while unstoppable, can be delayed or their appearance lessened with various procedures offered by Dr. Lipton. At our practice we sometimes have people ask us when we’ll know if it’s time to do something. Usually visual cues are all you need, but here’s a little background on what is happening and why.
- Volume loss— After you turn 20, collagen (the basic support system for your skin) production decreases one additional percent every year. That seems young to give up on something other than maybe those deep-fried Twinkies at the Texas State Fair, but there you go. Elastin, the protein responsible for keeping your skin supple and malleable, production also decreases. The result is volume loss in areas across the face. The areas under the eyes, around the mouth, and below the cheekbones become hollow with volume loss.
- Skin laxity— Gravity may keep us from flying off into space, but it’s still not a friend to our skin. As you age, your skin is particularly susceptible to the force of gravity. Also, facial muscles tend to weaken with age. What results are issues such as drooping brows, jowls, sagging cheeks, descending eyelids, and much more.
- Changes in skin tone and texture— Where the skin was taut, plump, and smooth, as we age it becomes dull, dry, and leathery. This is usually the result of reduced collagen production combined with sun exposure, environmental damage, and lifestyle choices. The skin also becomes thinner with time, again due to decreasing collagen, making it more prone to wrinkling.
What to do
You have options for addressing these issues, both surgical and non-surgical. Volume loss and changes in skin tone and texture can all be addressed non-surgically. Injectables (Botox and dermal fillers), chemical peels, and Pixel laser resurfacing treatments all work to improve these areas. Skin laxity, especially if more extreme, can best be addressed with surgery: a facelift, brow lift, or eyelid surgery.
And don’t stop with just the face
Dr. Lipton believes that steps to slow down the aging process should also look beyond just the face and should include the neck, chest, décolleté, and hands. These areas are often overlooked.
While we may be older and wiser, who cares when we’re a saggy, wrinkly mess?! Let’s do something about it. Call Dr. Lipton at (972) 420-0023 and set up a consultation to see how we can turn back the clock just a bit.
