RAPID CITY, S.D. – Aging is a part of life, and the signs that we are growing older can be easily seen on the face. While some of the symptoms, such as dryness or age spots, can be prevented by moisturizing and applying sunscreen regularly, often the reason for our aging appearance is deeper than surface level. The primary structure of your face changes with age; thinner skin and loss of muscle tone can cause your face to droop. Your skin dries out and loses the underlying layer of fat that makes your face plump and smooth. All these factors result in an older-looking appearance.
Nic Yost, CNP Fnp-Bc, owner and operator of BeautyMed explains that as we age our faces lose two important proteins, collagen and elastin. Collagen is made of tightly constructed fibers that give the face structure and firmness, while elastin gives the skin the elasticity to bounce back into place when stretched. “As the dermis loses these proteins with age, the skin develops wrinkles and begins to sag,” said Yost. Some wrinkles you may notice as you get older include bunny lines, wrinkles that appear when you scrunch up your nose, and a wrinkly or cobblestone chin, which is caused by the excessive flexing of chin muscles.
The solution for these wrinkles can be found in Botox injections. Botox works by delivering a neurotoxin into a specific area of the muscle. The substance then prevents chemical signaling between muscle cells and nerves, temporarily reducing contractions. According to Yost, “When Botox is injected into a muscle, depending on which muscle and how it works, a relaxing effect occurs.” With the muscle relaxed, the skin over top becomes smoother.
Another common sign of aging is the development of laugh lines. These are the folds in the skin that form around the outer corners of the mouth and the eyes. Folds appear due to the fat pad below the skin. Over time these fat pads shift, lower, and deplete, causing creases.
A little different than the treatment for wrinkles, lines in the face can be alleviated with fillers. Fillers do exactly as the name implies, they fill a space under your skin. “As we lose fat pads in our face due to age, fillers are used to replace volume,” said Yost. The filler goes right where the diminishing fat pad used to be, lifting the face and smoothing out the forming creases. “I typically use fillers that contain hyaluronic acid, I’d say that’s the most common out there,” said Yost. Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the body to help retain moisture, and it diminishes as we age. Hyaluronic acid is a popular filler because of how it gives the skin a plump and hydrated look and replenishes your body’s natural production of the substance.
Ultimately, Yost suggests simple changes to overall lifestyle to reduce the effects of aging. This includes reducing sun exposure and minimizing stress. After having a conversation about lifestyle and diet Yost can help her patients in lessening the appearance of aging.