|
December 2006
Underneath is the main part of the newsletter that was sent out, excluding special offers or items that were being promoted during that month. To access any previous newsletters, please click here, or if you want to sign up for our free newsletter, please click here.
In this issue:
General
In this month’s newsletter we are going to discuss wrinkles – the dreaded telltale signs of aging.
We will also look at:
- How they are formed
- What contributes to their formation and
- How to prevent wrinkles from forming
To start with, lets have a look at how wrinkles are formed
The Formation of Wrinkles
As the years go by, and particularly after the age of 30, changes start to occur in the nature of the skin as well as your body – with your body secreting less Human Growth Hormones which helps in keeping your skin looking young through a complex system of action.
The skin starts to age more rapidly as the skin cells die faster than the body can produce new ones and the quality and quantity of collagen – the supporting foundation of the skin starts waning.
The cellular structure of the skin changes and the connective tissue and the elastic fibers (that help keep the skin supple) in the skin begin to deteriorate.
These changes make the skin less supple and reduce the tone of the skin.
The support (the dermis), underneath the epidermis (surface skin), becomes like an old mattress: it loses its firmness, as new cells do not replace old cells fast enough, folds start to form, and the epidermis collapses into the fold - forming a dreaded wrinkle!
Usually these folds start to form in places on the skin where there is constant and repetitive movement of the muscles; e.g. in crows’ feet around the eyes or a permanent ‘frown’ mark in between the eyes.
A person can also compare this process to a sponge that is folded repetitively in the same spot. The sponge will start forming a ‘wrinkle’ in that area, and every time the sponge is squeezed, it will ‘wrinkle’ in the same area.
Wrinkles form naturally as we age, due to the deterioration in body processes, but there are also a number of external factors that contribute to the formation of wrinkles
Contributing Factors to the Formation of Wrinkles 
Bad Skincare Regimen
We were all born with a perfect, smooth skin, free of wrinkles, but due to disregard for skincare, or a non-care lifestyles, we stress our skin and cause excessive oxidative stress and are then left with an uneven looking complexion with wrinkles and lines.
A youthful looking skin can be achieved with consistent care, and nourishing the dermis and epidermis will boost the elasticity of the skin, preventing and retarding the formation of wrinkles and promoting a blemish-free skin.
It has been proven that good skincare can retard and help rejuvenate mature and tired looking skin.
Although make-up and covering-up-type of cosmetics may be useful, they can never replace an essentially healthy skin, which glows with vitality.
While wrinkles form easier on a dry skin, hereditary factors also play a part in this process. To have a youthful, vital and radiant complexion several factors must be in sync.
But, a skin can never look its best without proper skincare.
A good skin care regimen includes the following:
- Cleansing
- Toning
- Moisturizing and nourishing
- Exfoliation (to remove dead cells)
- Sun protection
- Skin treatments
And then also a lifestyle that will promote a youthful looking skin.
To have a look at a line of superb natural herbal skin-care products, please follow this link: http://www.ageless.co.za/products.htm or if you are looking for more sophisticated skin care with hi-tech peptides etc look at www.Dermaxime.com
Exposure to the Sun or Sun-beds
Exposure to ultra violet light, UVA, UVB or UVC, from the sun or sun beds accounts for up to 80% of skin aging.
The ultra violet rays negatively effect the working of the DNA in skin cells, promote free radical activity in the skin - which destroys cells, and speeds up the process whereby collagen is broken down (collagen is a protein chemical substance that is the main support of skin, tendon, bone, cartilage and connective tissue).
All the above-mentioned factors destroy the balance of cell formation and structure deep down in the dermis, which is supposed to form a healthy structure for the epidermis to lie on, which causes the premature formation of indentations or wrinkles.
It must also be noted that UV rays are also scientifically proven to cause skin cancer.
The application of a good sun block is essential to promote unlined and wrinkle free skin and it is strongly suggested by many medical authorities to rather stay out of the sun.
Smoking
It has been proven that smoking is dangerous for your health, but a little known fact is that smoking also severely damages your skin.
Akimichi Morita and his colleagues at the Nagoya City University Medical School have shown that cigarette smoking may upset the body's mechanism in skin rejuvenation.
What is the important factor here is that the collagen, which forms the connective tissue, is damaged.
What Morita shows in his research is that cigarette smoke causes an increase of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) - which is the enzyme that breaks down old skin to make place for the new - yet it causes less collagen to be formed in the skin.
Popular belief also proclaims that smoking destroys vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and this could also be indicated to promote wrinkle formation, since collagen cannot be formed in the skin if there is a shortage of vitamin C. Without collagen, the skin does not have all the required elements to form connective tissue for a healthy wrinkle free skin.
The amount of vitamin C destroyed per cigarette smoked varies, depending on whom you talk to, but general consensus seems to be that one cigarette destroys about 50 mg of vitamin C.
Decades ago, Adelle Davis, the very popular nutritionist, advocated an increase of dietary vitamin C intake to counteract the toxic effects that smoking and environmental pollution have on the body.
Therefore – never mind the dangers of smoking - smoking also damages the structure necessary for a smooth unlined skin.
Nutrition
A well balanced diet, including all the necessary vitamins, fatty acids, protein and carbohydrates is necessary for ultimate skin health.
Your skin, as a major organ of the body, reflects the state of your health, which is influenced by the type of food that you eat.
For the collagen and various other structures in the skin to maintain optimum health, an adequate supply of vitamins, protein, fatty acids and trace elements is necessary.
These include vitamin A, D, B and E, vitamin C for collagen formation, zinc, selenium and silica.
Vitamin A, C, D and E are also very effective anti-oxidants, which fight free radicals and therefore prevent the destruction of skin cells, which promotes a wrinkle free skin.
To read more about adequate skin nutrition, please visit our sister site: www.cremedevie.com/nutition_and_your_skin.htm
How to eradicate Wrinkles
There are various procedures and treatments available, which eradicate or decrease the appearance of wrinkles.
The injection of botulism into the area where wrinkles are formed is found to be effective, although there are side effects that have to be taken into account before such a procedure is done.
The effects differ from one individual to another and depend on your own metabolism.
Your metabolism also plays a large role in the period of effectiveness, and the wrinkles in the area treated may appear again within 8 to 20 weeks.
Botulism, also known under the trade name BOTOX™, works by paralyzing the muscles surrounding the wrinkle and this causes the skin to pull tight, eliminating the wrinkle.
Cosmetic surgery is a costly and major step taken to eradicate wrinkles and obtain a more youthful appearance. A face-lift, including a forehead and brow lift can be done, or a person could look at a facial peel or laser, which is also effective in reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
If you decide to have cosmetic surgery, a laser treatment or peel, we advise that you have this done by a registered dermatologist or plastic surgeon.
Many cosmetic manufacturers develop anti-wrinkle creams, which are touted to provide miracle results in a matter of days and this is normally not found to be the case.
Our research has found that Argireline™, developed in Spain by Lipotec ®, is a truly effective active molecule that dramatically improves the appearance of wrinkles within 30 days, if included in a cosmetic cream at a 10% inclusion rate.
These claims are based on laboratory tests, as well as controlled case studies by the University of Milan.
To view more on an anti-wrinkle product that includes the correct percentage of Argireline™, as well as documentation that supports these claims, please follow this link: www.cremedevie.com
Summary
To promote and achieve a wrinkle free appearance, it is essential to look at the body as a whole and to remember to follow a healthy lifestyle, which includes a healthy diet and a good skin care regimen.
Also remember to stay out of the sun and not to smoke.
Other articles of interest
| 
