bjones
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Wrinkles are one of the most despised symptoms of aging. A multi-million dollar industry has been built up around preventing and getting rid of wrinkles in order to make us look younger than our years. Creams, oils, injections, diets, and surgery are all ways people use to try to get rid of them. For years, the cause of wrinkles has been a mystery, but scientists believe they have that mystery licked.
As we get older, our skin is not as elastic as when we are young. If you’ve ever seen a very old rubber band, you know that it easily breaks if you stretch it too far. Our skin is very similar. Underneath the top layer of skin, the epidermis, we have other layers that contain elastin and collagen. These two substances are what give skin its elasticity. If you stretch your skin, poke at it, or squeeze it, it always snaps back into place due to the elastin and collagen. As we get older, the levels of elastin and collagen drop because the body doesn’t replenish it as fast as it used to, and when it does, it doesn’t always replenish back to the same level. This creates gaps underneath the surface of the skin. Because of this, our outer layer of skin sags into the gaps and becomes dry.
Also, as we age, our outer skin doesn’t repair itself as fast as it used to and damage builds up, contributing to the wrinkles. Exposure to sunlight, wind, rain, heat, and cold, all play havoc on our skin, but, when we are younger, it repairs this damage quickly and easily. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun, eating unhealthy foods, drinking alcohol, and smoking all contribute to the breakdown of the skin as well, causing more wrinkles and deepening ones that already exist.
 Posted 5157 day ago
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