In life, to proceed with greater awareness, as best as possible at all times and at all ages, constant and daily self-care is needed. Knowing how the physical process of aging develops at the tissue level and knowing which factors aggravate its progress offers the possibility of consciously limiting the damage.
The speed of progression is also related to events outside of us as well as natural physiological effects over the years.
Anti-aging prevention originates from respect for oneself, one's body and the meaning of one's existence.
These are medical therapies, lifestyle, nutrition, physical exercise, hours dedicated to rest and beauty treatments. The latter should be considered as an integral element and not as a starting point.
In reality, for each of us there are 3 types of age, not strictly connected to the passage of linear time.
Biological age: it is a personal heritage and expresses the processes of biological maturation of each individual together with external environmental influences on genetically determined foundations (Galimberti 2006). It is the real age expressed which does not necessarily correspond to the chronological years. Research conducted at the University of Leicester and King's College London has discovered a gene that influences biological age (Marchetti, 2010). It has been shown that people with a specific genetic variant on chromosome 3 have shorter telomeres therefore , given the same chronological age, they appear much older, even by 10 years.
Psychological age: it is the age that everyone perceives themselves to be, it depends on our perception of ourselves and how young or old we feel.
Functional age includes chronological, biological and psychological age. It is a dynamic age that relates structural genetic quality to lifestyle and inner maturation. It cannot be measured with any analytical parameter and is not a linear process associated with the passage of time. Functional age expresses not only a physical state but also an internal state.
A recent theory of aging based on telomere loss
Interview by Claudia Dreifus and Elisabeth H. Blackbum from la Repubblica 16 July 2007
Elisabeth H. Blackbum studies the aging processes and biochemical changes in cells linked to geriatric pathologies.
- What are telomeres and telomerase?
- Telomeres are protective capsules found at the ends of chromosomes in cells. Chromosomes contain genetic information. Telomeres are a bit like the tips of shoelaces that prevent the laces from fraying. Telomerase is an enzyme that intervenes when telomeres wear out and shorten, rebuilding them. As the years go by, man's telomeres slowly wear out, and there has always been a question as to whether this phenomenon plays a role. Now it seems more and more possible.
- Is there a link between telomere length and stress?
- Our laboratory research shows that psychological stress actually ages cells, a phenomenon that is highlighted by measuring the length of the ends of chromosomes, namely telomeres. A few years ago, Dr. Elissa Eppel, psychologist and chronic stress expert, wondered whether stress influences the aging of cells. A "worn out" appearance has always been found in subjects subjected to severe stress. So, on Elissa's idea, we observed 2 groups of mothers. One group had normal, healthy children. The mothers in the other group had a child suffering from a chronic disease. Each subject was subjected to physiological and psychological analyses. In the group of mothers subjected to stress we detected a reduction in telomeres and telomerase proportional to the period of time dedicated to caring for the sick child. For the first time, cause-and-effect relationships relating to a non-genetic element have been clearly highlighted. Genes play a role in telomerase levels, but this isn't about genes. The body suffered an external impact that affected its ability to self-repair.
- Would this demonstrate a mind-body link?
- This is a test. She's not the only one. Researchers have found that the brain sends nerve impulses directly to the organs of the immune system, not just the heart and intestines. Among other things, the study conducted on mothers found the existence of a link between low telomerase levels and pathologies associated with stress.
We took into account cardiovascular diseases, altered lipid profile and obesity. The women in whom these values were rediscovered had low telomerase.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SKIN OVER TIME?
20-25 years
Normally in this young age group wrinkles are not visible except with some expressions such as smiling.
However, there are cases in which wrinkles appear at this age regardless of facial expressive muscle movement. They are generally linked to a strong hereditary influence or due to excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays in previous years.
25-35 years
Already around the age of 25 the first visible signs of aging can appear, small wrinkles are highlighted mainly around the eyes where the skin is particularly thin and delicate and is continually subjected to contractions and stretching due to the movement of the facial muscles.
The wrinkles begin to deepen and become evident in other areas of the face, particularly on the sides of the mouth and on the forehead. If the skin has not been protected and cared for adequately over the years, numerous permanent wrinkles may appear by the age of 30, unrelated to muscle movement.
35-45 years
From the age of 35 to 40, expression lines become more numerous and deeper. Many signs remain permanent.
The first wrinkles from tissue aging also appear, not related to the signs of facial expression. If the skin has been well cared for, the latter do not become visible before the age of 40. However, if there is extrinsic aging or excessive exposure to the sun or tanning lamps, injury wrinkles can also be very early. After the age of 40, the skin ages, losing tone and firmness not only on the face but also on the neck and décolleté area, the first horizontal lines are formed that mark the neck and the skin is less luminous.
45-55 years
In this decade of life the contour of the face is no longer defined. The hormonal decline negatively influences the dermal-epidermal thickness and the skin overall becomes thinner, losing elasticity and tone. Hydration decreases. Epidermal turnover slows down, superficial layers of keratin-rich dead cells accumulate, giving the complexion a duller, duller tone. The microcirculation also slows down, consequently metabolic waste is drained with greater difficulty and accumulates in the tissues; correspondingly, oxygen and nutrients reach the skin cells with greater difficulty.
From age 55 onwards
Due to the hormonal changes linked to menopause, the adipocytes (cells of the hypodermis) lose volume, consequently the adipose tissue of the hypodermis decreases in thickness and density. In addition to the reduction in skin tone and elasticity, due to the profound modification of the dermis, the decrease in adipose tissue in the areas most subject to the force of gravity (cheeks, neck, inner arms, thighs and buttocks) leads to the phenomenon defined as sagging skin. downward. In the face, this phenomenon clearly alters the contour, which appears less and less defined.
In these years, the skin's immune defenses decrease: the skin becomes more delicate and sensitive to infections. Furthermore, given that skin immune cells are related to regenerative processes, the ability to repair damage caused by extrinsic aging (for example stress or exposure to the sun) is reduced.
Anti-aging cosmetics today are increasingly effective because research has made giant strides in testing new generation active substances. We will obtain the best action for the prevention of skin aging if we make constant and regular use of cosmetic products.
We will analyze together (also in the next articles) one at a time the functions that an anti-aging cosmetic must perform...
FUNCTIONS OF AN ANTI-AGE COSMETIC
- Maintain optimal skin hydration
- Protect your skin from solar radiation
- Stimulate the redensification of the dermis
- Relax the facial muscles to reduce the visibility of expression lines
- Promote skin exfoliation and epidermal turnover
- Increase the penetration of functional substances
- Stimulate cellular metabolism
- Reduce oxidation
- Inhibit the natural degradation of hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin
- Increase immune defenses
- Improve microcirculation
- Induce hormone-like action
- Increase the thickness of localized adipose tissue Lighten hyperchromia
- Maintain optimal skin hydration
From a very young age the first rule is to keep your skin hydrated
Dry skin is less protected and therefore more exposed to environmental damage, more sensitive and subject to redness.
It is also thinner and therefore ages more quickly than a normal-mixed one, therefore it must be protected and treated from childhood
What are moisturizing cosmetic substances?
There are a vast number of hydrating molecules that act on the skin with three different mechanisms of action:
- create occlusiveness
- integrate the hydrolipidic film
- chemically modify the water content in the epidermis
- create occlusiveness: many use mineral oils derived from petroleum such as silicones, vaseline oil and paraffin, we use vegetable oils which have the same function and are natural but cost more... very important in this case are the masks to be kept on by 20 to 35 minutes.
- integrate the hydrolipidic film: vegetable oils, butters, waxes, sterols and ceramides (we are working on it, a specific cream for this purpose will be released soon).
- chemically modify the water content in the epidermis. alpha hydroxy acids AHA lactic glycolic malic tartaric acid
All our products contain vegetable oils
MISS J is our hyaluronic acid line with 5 molecular weights and NMF formulated specifically for:
- create occlusiveness so as not to minimize the natural loss of hydration of the epidermis
- the serum and cream are daily treatments while the mask with a strong occlusive effect is a strong treatment to quickly restore deep hydration to the epidermis.
- Snail slime naturally contains glycolic acid in serum and lactic acid is contained in Probiotics cream.
…see you soon from the JMJ Blog
