The Melbury Clinic

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player
  • Open Events
  • Saturday 17th March 2012

    Date:            Saturday 17th March

    Time:           10.00am

    Venue:        The Casterbridge Room, Kings Arms Hotel, High East Street, Dorchester, DT1 1HF

     

    • Come along on your own or with a partner or friend and meet Dr Gajraj in person
    • Our events are informative yet informal and refreshments are provided
    • Learn about the latest non-surgical treatments for varicose veins and thread veins
    • Ask your own questions about vein problems and vein treatments
    • Each event lasts approx. 1 hour with plenty of additional time to ask questions about your own particular concerns
    • Special Offers and discounts available to those who atttend

     

    view all events

News

7 Signs of Skin Ageing

26th November 2010

Young, healthy skin is smooth, clear, wrinkle-free and firm. It renews itself every 5 to 6 weeks through a process called "cellular turnover". During cellular turnover, the top layer of dead skins (the stratum corneum) is constantly sloughing off and being replaced by new healthy skin cells. So what happens during the ageing process and what are the so-called 7 signs of skin ageing?

Sun exposure, intrinsic ageing, stress, trauma, pollution and hormonal changes damage skin cells. They actually change the way in which your skin cells function and they slow the process of cellular turnover. The 7 Common Signs of damaged skin are:

  • Wrinkles and fine lines
  • Brown spots, freckles,"age spots"
  • Uneven skin tone with variation in pigmentation
  • Uneven and rough texture
  • Dryness of the skin
  • Laxity and loss of firmness
  • Appearance of pores

The Science

   The Healthy Epidermis

The skin you see in the mirror, the epidermis, is your protection from the environment and toxins. The epidermis is actually very thin, only 3 to 4 sheets of paper thick. Cells called keratinocytes make up to 90% of the epidermis.  During cellular turnover, keratinocytes migrate from the bottom layer of the epidermis to the top. Melanocytes protect the body from UV radiation by making a substance called melanin, which gives the skin its natural colour. Dark skin has more active melanocytes and more melanin. Melanocytes are found in the bottom layer of the epidermis where they attach to keratinocytes and migrate upwards with them.

 

In young, healthy skin, keratinocytes and melanocytes work together to produce skin cells that are well organized and uniform in size, shape, pigmentation, and structure. The skin appears even in texture and colour. 

 

   Epidermis in need of repair

Repeated exposure to radiation from sunlight, along with environmental toxins, cause cells to function improperly.  Abnormal keratinocytes are produced, causing the structure of the epidermis to become disorganized.  Melanocytes become overactive, which leads to brown spots, age spots, and freckling. Cellular turnover slows down, causing a thick buildup of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface (stratum corneum). This gives your skin an uneven texture and makes fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable.

 

   The healthy dermis

The dermis is up to 10 times thicker than the epidermis.  If you think of the healthy epidermis as a smooth, fresh top sheet, the healthy dermis is the firm mattress that it supports.   The dermis provides collagen and elastin which give the skin suppleness, firmness, and elasticity.  It also provides nutrients and moisture to the epidermis.

 

   Sagging, dull skin

In the normal course of ageing and during periods of stress, trauma, or hormonal changes, collagen and elastin production decreases. Collagen and elastin fibers become damaged and this damage weakens the tissue of the dermis turning it into a flat, worn-out mattress. The dermis can no longer support the epidermis and that smooth, fresh “sheet” on top becomes wrinkled. What you see is sagging skin that has lost its “snap back” quality and has fine lines and wrinkles.

 

Treatments for Ageing Skin 

Treatments for the ageing skin are directed at increasing cellular turnover in the epidermis, increasing the activity of the dermis in producing elastin and collagen and are directed to reducing melanocyte activity.  Treatments that achieve these goals are physical treatments such as exfoliation, chemical peels and Dermaroller® and pharmacological topical agents such as creams that contain tretinoin and melanocyte suppressors. Sculptra® is a novel treatment which stimulates collagen and elastin production when injected into the dermis. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a natural component in the dermis that holds moisture and gives the skin its smooth texture. Injections of HA (found in dermal fillers such as Restylane®) can restore the volume and hydration of the dermis resulting in a more youthful appearance. In addition, anti-oxidant treatments (such as vitamin C) and UV protection creams are very important in minimising the damaging effects of the sun and the environment.  

 

Prevention

We are all getting older and many of the changes described above are to a certain extent inevitable. However, sun damage is one of the major preventable factors for skin ageing. Avoiding sunbathing, tanning salons and not smoking are the best life style choices you can make to minimise the ageing of your skin. Read more>>

 

We will be covering many of these issues in future postings on this site, but if you would like a personal assessment of your needs, please call to make appointment. ...read more>>