Thinning Skin & Aging
Older skin becomes drier and more fragile. Because of the frailty of the skin, it can be damaged more easily. When skin is thin and delicate, it takes more time for it to heal from damage. Moisturizing older skin helps keep it hydrated and better able to recuperate from damage or injury. People with thinning skin should also eat foods containing antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and use skin cream with retinoids (vitamin A derivatives), according to MedicineNet.com. These vitamins will help older, thin skin cells regenerate more quickly.
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Loss of Hormones
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Aging skin thins and sags because older women no longer have certain important sex hormones, such as estrogen, in their bodies in adequate amounts. Loss of estrogen results in dryness and dull, lifeless skin, notes StayHot Skin Care. Estrogen enables skin to look healthy.
Effects
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When an individual ages, the fat layer in the skin begins to shrink and does not regenerate as it did when the person was younger. Alterations in the muscular activity in the face occur over time, as does soft tissue aging, skeletal remodeling, gravity and sun damage. Old, thin skin becomes saggy skin.
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Features
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As skin thins, loss of volume results, which causes sagging. The dermis, or the skin, can become so thin that the tiny vessels in the skin become visible. Collagen, which is a protein that keeps the skin plump and youthful looking, declines over the years, and this is why skin loses its volume.
Expert Insight
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According to Dr. Lawrence Gibson of the Mayo Clinic, years of sun exposure contribute to the breaking down of elastin fibers in the skin, as well as collagen. Certain medications, such as steroids, blood thinners and corticosteroids, can also thin the skin, weakening the skin as well as blood vessels.
Considerations
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When skin becomes thin due to age and other factors, bleeding and bruising may occur because the top layer of skin loses strength. This layer is referred to as the dermis. The layer below the dermis is the subcutaneous layer, and it too becomes thin with age.
As you age, you sweat less and your sebaceous glands and sweat glands are less active, which makes your skin more dry. Dry, thin skin is at peril of tearing easily. Drinking a lot of water can help replenish the moisture that you tend to lose in your body as well as in your skin when you are older.
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