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Education, Beauty

Unexpected Ways Your Face, Ears, and Hands Change with Age

Why and how we age is based on a variety of factors. Genetics, lifestyle, nutrition, DNA damage, and disease all play a part. The good news is that research shows older Americans are experiencing “delayed aging,” meaning they are living longer in better health than preceding generations. When researchers test for biological age, they factor your metabolism, inflammation, organ function and more—environmental, behavioral and genetic factors that show up as “age” include sun exposure, pollution, obesity, gravity, sleep position, loss of fatty tissue and muscle, daily facial movements and even stress. Structural changes related to aging can be surprising. A face cream, no matter how potent, is not enough to reverse weakened bone, connective tissue, and cartilage. Knowledge is power. Here are a few things to know before you head into your doctor’s office so you can look as young on the outside as you feel on the inside.

How Your Nose Ages

Your nose never stops changing. Indeed, it can look as if it’s larger, fatter and continually growing—kind of like Pinocchio, except it starts to droop slightly in an odd-sounding process called “tip ptosis.” The bones that support the nose underneath begin to break down with age, as do the supportive collagen and elastin. The skin thickens in the lower portion of the nose while thinning in the upper areas. In short, gravity starts winning the battle.

As for lifestyle changes to slow sagging skin in general, of course, limit UV rays, eat a healthy diet and don’t smoke. Skin care products that contain a retinoid, such as retinol, can help your body make more collagen. These solutions alone won’t reverse the more extreme changes that can happen with a changing nose.

Ask us: Lasers can address age-related broken capillaries on the nose. Non-surgical options to regain the perkier nose of your youth include dermal fillers.

How Your Hands Age

Hands can become weaker and less flexible due to arthritis and other ailments as we age. There are also myriad of cosmetic differences. “Liver spots” and discoloration become more common as we get older; we also lose collagen, elastin and a lot of the subcutaneous fat as we age. This causes the anatomy of the back of the hand, the veins and the tendons to become more visible.

Lifestyle changes include limiting harsh soaps with antibacterial lather. Exfoliate to eliminate the build-up of dead skin cells, then moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Shield your hands from the sun and extreme weather by wearing gloves; wear sunscreen to shield from damaging UV rays.

Ask us: about hand rejuvenation options including LED light therapy and glycolic and acid peels to reduce dark spots. Microneedling can restore collagen. Fillers such as Restylane Lyft and have been FDA approved for hands.

How Your Ears Age

Ears, like the nose, also droop with age. The tissue on ear lobes thins out. For most people, this isn’t as much of a worry as other areas of the face, although patients may turn to surgery to repair stretched-out or torn earring holes from years of wearing heavy earrings. Indeed, Vogue reported that injecting your ears with Restylane or other hyaluronic acid fillers is a trend and reinforces piercing holes.

As for lifestyle changes to help keep the skin on your ears looking taut and smooth, consider extending your skin care routine to your ears. This includes algae extracts and hyaluronic acid that stimulate collagen and plump the skin. Also, remember your sunscreen!

Ask us: about lasers, retinol, and fillers.

How Skin on Your Knees Ages

Ugh, the dreaded saggy-knee skin! To make matters worse, all those years of wearing short-shorts and miniskirts can result in discolorations from UV-ray exposure.

The best rejuvenating skin care products for sagging knee skin depend on your individual needs. Pampering your skin with collagen-stimulating retinol, for example, could be a good beginning. Adding or losing lots of weight can also affect the appearance of your knee skin.

Ask us: minimally invasive radio frequency and light energy treatments to increase collagen production and tighten tissue; microneedling with radio frequency; and ultrasound treatments such as Ultherapy. Emsculpt and CoolSculpting treatments are most often used to target fat, rather than just target sagging skin.

Aging naturally is beautiful—and sometimes a little help can restore you to your best self. Come see our experts at OrangeTwist for a complimentary consultation.

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