|
The Source...
Below,
you'll find extensive information on leading makeup stretch marks tattoos
articles and products to help you on your way to success.
2 books
How to Raise a Super Kid and
S.H.E. Self Healing Energy and for ebooks
starting at $3.00 click
Causes Of Facial Wrinkles
By Dean Brown, Thu Dec 8th
Americans spend billions of dollars each year on skin careproducts that promise to erase wrinkles, lighten age spots, andeliminate itching, flaking, or redness. But the simplest andcheapest way to keep your skin healthy and young looking is tostay out of the sun. Sunlight is a major cause of the skin changes we think of asaging changes such as wrinkles, dryness, and age spots. Yourskin does change with age. For example, you sweat less, leadingto increased dryness. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner andloses fat, so it looks less plump and smooth. Underlyingstructures veins and bones in particular become more prominent.Your skin can take longer to heal when injured. You can delay these changes by staying out of the sun. Althoughnothing can completely undo sun damage, the skin sometimes canrepair itself. So, it's never too late to protect yourself fromthe harmful effects of the sun.
Wrinkles Over time, the sun's ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibersin the skin called elastin. The breakdown of these fibers causesthe skin to lose its ability to snap back after stretching. As aresult, wrinkles form. Gravity also is at work, pulling at theskin and causing it to sag, most noticeably on the face, neck,and upper arms. Cigarette smoking also contributes to wrinkles. People who smoketend to have more wrinkles than nonsmokers of the same age,complexion, and history of sun exposure. The reason for thisdifference is not clear. It may be because smoking also plays arole in damaging elastin. Facial wrinkling increases with theamount of cigarettes and number of years a person has smoked. Many products currently on the market claim to ?revitalize agingskin.? According to the American Academy of Dermatology,over-the-counter ?wrinkle? creams and lotions may soothe dryskin, but they do little or nothing to reverse wrinkles. At thistime, the only products that have been studied for safety andeffectiveness and approved by the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) to treat signs of sun-damaged or aging skin are tretinoincream and carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium (Er:YAG) lasers. Tretinoin cream (Renova), a vitamin A derivative available byprescription only, is approved for reducing the appearance offine wrinkles, mottled darkened spots, and roughness in peoplewhose skin doesn?t improve with regular skin care and use of sunprotection. However, it doesn't eliminate wrinkles, repairsun-damaged skin, or restore skin to its healthier, youngerstructure. It hasn't been studied in people 50 and older or inpeople with moderately or darkly pigmented skin. The CO2 and Er:YAG lasers are approved to treat wrinkles. Thedoctor uses the laser to remove skin one layer at a time. Lasertherapy is performed under anesthesia in an outpatient surgicalsetting. The FDA currently is studying the safety of alpha hydroxy acids(AHAs), which are widely promoted to reduce wrinkles, spots, andother signs of aging, sun-damaged skin. Some studies suggestthat they may work, but there is concern about adverse reactionsand long-term effects of their use. Because people who use AHAproducts have greater sensitivity to the sun, the FDA advisesconsumers to protect themselves from sun exposure by usingsunscreen, wearing a hat, or avoiding mid-day sun. If you areinterested in treatment for wrinkles, you should discusstreatment options with a dermatologist. Dry Skin and Itching Many older people suffer from dry skin, particularly on theirlower legs, elbows, and forearms. The skin feels rough and scalyand often is accompanied by a distressing, intense itchiness.Low humidity ? caused by overheating during the winter and airconditioning during the summer ? contributes to dryness anditching. The loss of sweat and oil glands as you age also mayworsen dry skin. Anything that further dries your skin ? such asoveruse of soaps, antiperspirants, perfumes, or hot baths ? willmake the problem worse. Dehydration, sun exposure, smoking, andstress also may cause dry skin. Dry skin itches because it is irritated easily. If your skin isvery dry and itchy, see a doctor. Dry skin and itching canaffect your sleep, cause irritability, or be a symptom of adisease. For example, diabetes and kidney disease can causeitching. Some medicines make the itchiness worse. The most common treatment for dry skin is the use ofmoisturizers to reduce water loss and soothe the skin.Moisturizers come in several forms ? ointments, creams, andlotions. Ointments are mixtures of water in oil, usually eitherlanolin or petrolatum. Creams are preparations of oil in water,which is the main ingredient. Creams must be applied more oftenthan ointments to be most effective. Lotions contain powdercrystals dissolved in water, again the main ingredient. Becauseof their high water content, they feel cool on the skin anddon?t leave the skin feeling greasy. Although they are easy toapply and may be more pleasing than ointments and creams,lotions don?t have the same protective qualities. You may needto apply them frequently to relieve the signs and symptoms ofdryness. Moisturizers should be used indefinitely to preventrecurrence of dry skin. A humidifier can add moisture to the air. Bathing less often andusing milder soaps also can help relieve dry skin. Warm water isless irritating to dry skin than hot water. Skin Cancer Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UnitedStates. According to current estimates, 40 to 50 percent ofAmericans who live to age 65 will have skin cancer at leastonce. Although anyone can get skin cancer, the risk is greatestfor people who have fair skin that freckles easily. UV radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. Inaddition, artificial sources of UV radiation ? such as sunlampsand tanning booths ? can cause skin cancer. People who live inareas of the U.S. that get high levels of UV radiation from thesun are more likely to get skin cancer. For example, skin canceris more common in Texas and Florida than in Minnesota, where thesun is not as strong. There are three common types of skin cancers. Basal cellcarcinomas are the most common, accounting for more than 90percent of all skin cancers in the United States. They areslow-growing cancers that seldom spread to other parts of thebody. Squamous cell carcinomas also rarely spread, but they doso more often than basal cell carcinomas. The most dangerous ofall cancers that occur in the skin is melanoma. Melanoma
canspread to other organs, and when it does, it often is fatal. Both basal and squamous cell cancers are found mainly on areasof the skin exposed to the sun ? the head, face, neck, hands,and arms. However, skin cancer can occur anywhere. Changes inthe skin are not sure signs of cancer; however, it?s importantto see a doctor if any symptom lasts longer than 2 weeks. Don?twait for the area to hurt ? skin cancers seldom cause pain. All skin cancers could be cured if they were discovered andbrought to a doctor?s attention before they had a chance tospread. Therefore, you should check your skin regularly. Themost common warning sign of skin cancer is a change on the skin,especially a new growth or a sore that doesn?t heal. Skincancers don?t all look the same. For example, skin cancer canstart as a small, smooth, shiny, pale, or waxy lump. Or it canappear as a firm red lump. Sometimes, the lump bleeds ordevelops a crust. Skin cancer also can start as a flat, red spotthat is rough, dry, or scaly. In treating skin cancer, the doctor?s main goal is to remove ordestroy cancer completely, leaving as small scar as possible. Toplan the best treatment for each person, the doctor considersthe type of skin cancer, its location and size, and the person?sgeneral health and medical history. Treatment for skin cancerusually involves some type of surgery. In some cases, radiationtherapy or chemotherapy (anticancer drugs) or a combination ofthese treatments may be necessary. Age Spots Age spots, or ?liver spots? as they?re often called, havenothing to do with the liver. Rather, these flat, brown spotsare caused by years of sun exposure. They are bigger thanfreckles and appear in fair-skinned people on sun-exposed areassuch as the face, hands, arms, back, and feet. The medical namefor them is solar lentigo. They may be accompanied by wrinkling,dryness, thinning of the skin, and rough spots. A number of treatments are available, including skin-lightening,or ?fade? creams; cryotherapy (freezing); and laser therapy.Tretinoin cream is approved for reducing the appearance ofdarkened spots. A sunscreen or sun block should be used toprevent further damage. Shingles Shingles is an outbreak of a rash or blisters on the skin thatmay cause severe pain. Shingles is caused by thevaricella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.After an attack of chickenpox, the virus lies silent in thenerve tissue. Years later, the virus can reappear in the form ofshingles. Although it is most common in people over age 50,anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles. It also iscommon in people with weakened immune systems due to HIVinfection, chemotherapy or radiation treatment, transplantoperations, and stress. Early signs of shingles include burning or shooting pain andtingling or itching, generally on one side of the body or face.A rash appears as a band or patch of raised dots on the side ofthe trunk or face. The rash develops into small, fluid-filledblisters, which begin to dry out and crust over within severaldays. When the rash is at its peak, symptoms can range from milditching to intense pain. Most people with shingles have only onebout with the disease in their lifetime. However, those withimpaired immune systems ? for example, people with AIDS orcancer ? may suffer repeated episodes. If you suspect you have shingles, see a doctor right away. Theseverity and duration of an attack of shingles can be reducedsignificantly by immediate treatment with antiviral drugs. Thesedrugs also may help prevent the painful aftereffects of shinglesknown as postherpetic neuralgia. The National Institute ofAllergy and Infectious Diseases currently is testing a shinglesvaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda,Maryland. The vaccine they are testing is similar to the oneused to immunize against chickenpox. After the shot, some peoplehave had some discomfort around the area of the injection. Inaddition, a few people have had a low-grade fever. For moreinformation about this study, call 1-800-411-1222. Bruising Many older people notice an increased number of bruises,especially on their arms and legs. The skin becomes thinner withage and sun damage. Loss of fat and connective tissue weakensthe support around blood vessels, making them more susceptibleto injury. The skin bruises and tears more easily and takeslonger to heal. Sometimes bruising is caused by medications or illness. Ifbruising occurs in areas always covered by clothing, see adoctor. Keep Your Skin Healthy The best way to keep your skin healthy is to avoid sun exposure.# Stay out of the sun. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.This is when the sun's UV rays are strongest. Don't be fooled bycloudy skies. Harmful rays pass through clouds. UV radiationalso can pass through water, so don't assume you're safe ifyou're in the water and feeling cool. # Use sunscreen. Sunscreens are rated in strength according to asun protection factor (SPF), which ranges from 2 to 30 orhigher. A higher number means longer protection. Buy productswith an SPF number of 15 or higher. Also look for products whoselabel says: broad spectrum (meaning they protect against bothtypes of harmful sun rays ? UVA and UVB) and water resistant(meaning they stay on your skin longer, even if you get wet orsweat a lot). Remember to reapply the lotion as needed. # Wear protective clothing. A hat with a wide brim shades yourneck, ears, eyes, and head. Look for sunglasses with a labelsaying the glasses block 99 to 100 percent of the sun?s rays.Wear loose, lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and long pants orlong skirts when in the sun. # Avoid artificial tanning. Don't use sunlamps and tanning beds,as well as tanning pills and tanning makeup. Tanning pills havea color additive that turns your skin orange after you takethem. The FDA has approved this color additive for coloringfoods but not for tanning the skin. The large amount of coloradditive in tanning pills may be harmful. Tanning make-upproducts are not suntan lotions and will not protect your skinfrom the sun. # Check your skin often. Look for changes in the size, shape,color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. If you find anychanges that worry you, see a doctor. The American Academy ofDermatology suggests that older, fair-skinned people have ayearly skin check by a doctor as part of a regular physical exam.
About the author:Dean Brown's website can be found at http://nowrinkles.babymyskin.com
|
