Although our environmental conditions play a significant role in determining the aging process of our skin; we also have to look at the genetic side in the process of skin aging. Our individual genetics may ultimately determine how quickly our skin ages, becomes thinner and is damaged. The following list shows what the genetic factors are that can determine how our skin will age, throughout time:
Collagen – The protein that gives our skin structure and strength is collagen. A humans skin is comprised of almost 80% collagen. As we progress in age we tend to lose collagen and which results in a deterioration in the firmness of our skin.
Elastin – The elasticity in our skin is from our elastin. As we progress in age our elasticity is reduced and lost. The most affected area on the skin is generally our face. The reasoning being that the face area generally receives more sun exposure than what the rest of our bodies might experience. With both a loss and reduction of collagen and elastin, our skin will naturally start to become fragile and thinner.
New Cell Turnover – Human skin is constantly in a state of renewing new skin cells. As skin cells are renewed, the shedding of old, dead skin cells occur. The process of creating new cell turnover slows as we age, causing our skin to become thinner and drier.
Loss of Subcutaneous (Hypodermis Layer) Fat – Our skin has a protective fat of the hypodermis layer. This layer helps give the body structure and it is lost over time as we progress in age. This loss can also be cause of the appearance of thinning skin.