Stopping the march of time has been a fixation with humans since the first days of civilization. People like Ponce de Leon and that Nazi sympathizer dude in Indiana Jones took this mindset to the extreme, searching for ways to literally stop time.
For the rest of us, simply delaying time’s inexorable trajectory would be nice. Fortunately, the signs of aging, while unstoppable, can be delayed or their appearance lessened with various procedures offered by Dr. Perron. At our practice we sometimes have people ask us when we’ll know if it’s time to do something. Usually visual cues are all you need, but here’s a little background on what is happening and why.
- Skin laxity — Gravity never sleeps, never calls in sick, and is ever diligent. While, that’s nice to keep us from flying off into space, it’s not nice to your skin. As you age, your skin is particularly susceptible to the force of gravity. Also, facial muscles tend to weaken with age. What results are issues such as drooping brows, jowls, sagging cheeks, descending eyelids, and much more.
- Volume loss — After you turn 20, collagen (the basic support system for your skin) production decreases one percent each year. That seems young to give up on something other than maybe Twinkies, but there you go. Elastin, the protein responsible for keeping your skin supple and malleable, production also decreases. The result is volume loss in areas across the face. The areas under the eyes and below the cheekbones both become hollow with volume loss.
- Changes in skin tone and texture — Where the skin was taut, plump, and smooth, as we age it becomes dull, dry, and leathery. This is usually the result of reduced collagen production combined with sun exposure, environmental damage, and lifestyle choices. The skin also becomes thinner with time, again due to decreasing collagen, making it more prone to wrinkling.
What to do
You have options for addressing these issues, both surgical and non-surgical. Volume loss and changes in skin tone and texture can all be addressed non-surgically. Injectables (Botox and dermal fillers), chemical peels, and laser resurfacing treatments all work to improve these areas. Skin laxity, especially if more extreme, can best be addressed with surgery: a facelift, brow lift, or eyelid surgery.
And don’t stop with just the face
Dr. Perron believes that steps to slow down the aging process should also look beyond just the face and should include the neck, chest, décolleté, and hands. These areas are often overlooked.
Getting older and wiser has its pluses, except on your skin. Let us help you turn back the clock just a bit. Call Dr. Perron at 403-228-7076 for a consultation.
