Our Skin Cells Offer A Pathway For Breakthrough Anti-Aging Treatments

For centuries, man has sought to defy the process of aging in order to preserve the youthful look. A major scientific discovery has recently come to light in which scientists have stumbled across a key factor that is responsible for aging and harnessing its power can help devise better anti-aging solutions.

How Skin Cells Age: Secrets Unraveled

The research team was led by Mark Birch-Machin, Professor of Molecular Dermatology at Newcastle University and the results of this study were published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. During the course of this research, trials were carried out on the skin cells (fibroblasts) obtained from 27 donors between the ages of six to 72 years. These skin cells were obtained from areas of skin that are normally not exposed to sunlight, both from the upper layer of skin (epidermis) and the lower layer (dermis).

Various techniques were employed to measure the level and activity of the enzyme called succinate dehydrogenase complex located within the mitochondrial complex II of the skin cells. Mitochondria are basically the batteries of cells and are responsible for the production of energy to drive various cellular processes.

 The enzyme plays an important role in energy production. As explained by Professor Mark Birch-Machin, “As our bodies age we see that the batteries in our cells run down, known as decreased bio-energy, and harmful free radicals increase . This process is easily seen in our skin as increased fine lines, wrinkles and sagging appears.”

The scientists found that the level of this enzyme per unit of the mitochondria was significantly reduced in the skin cells obtained from older people. This decline was found to be more in the skin cells obtained from lower layer as compared to the top layer. Another significant point of interest was that these changes were present only in the skin cells that had stop dividing further.

The Future Implications

This study has paved way for better and innovative anti-aging therapies that will specifically target this enzyme to reverse the aging process. Since the enzyme plays an important role in the electron transport chain (the energy production mechanism) within the mitochondria, the reduction in its concentration, coupled with increase in the level of free radicals within the skin cells accelerates the aging mechanism.

The future remedies of aging are expected to be tailored specifically to counteract the decrease in the level of this enzyme and to revive its activity. This way, it will be possible to combat the telltale signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles on the skin.

These cosmetic innovations will be more effective and will help control the anxiety of the consumers using the presently available anti-aging therapies that the signs of aging will return and render the therapy ineffective.

READ A 5-Step Anti-Aging Beauty Routine for Mature Skin

This study has brought the scientists one step closer to understanding the exact process of aging and to delve into the role that mitochondria plays in aging. Following this breakthrough, it is expected that more powerful anti-aging interventions and cosmetic products will be developed which will be more beneficial and lasting than the conventional anti-aging therapies available today.

Your Skin Shows What You Eat: 5 Foods That Cause Skin Aging

Every morsel that you put in your mouth becomes a part of you and for better or worse, it makes you who you are. Eating healthy foods keeps your skin fresh, aglow and youthful whereas bad foods contribute towards skin aging.

While indulging in culinary pleasures doesn’t make wrinkles and lines pop up on your skin within a few days, chronic consumption of low-quality foods can have a detrimental effect on your skin besides posing other health risks. Compiled below is a list of five foods that accelerate the process of aging and their long-term consumption must be avoided.

1. Sweets

Eating too many sweets directly contributes towards aging of skin. The concept behind it is quite simple. Excess sugar, which is left over after being utilized for energy consumption, combines with proteins to form substances known as "advanced glycation end products". These products cause intense damage to collagen, the basic structural component of skin, making the skin lose its vigor and youthful radiance.

2. Alcohol

Consumption of excess amounts of alcohol indirectly makes your skin age prematurely. Alcohol damages the liver, the most important organ responsible for removal of toxins and chemicals accumulated within the body. As a result, the toxins build up causing skin breakouts, abnormal skin pigmentation, sallowness and wrinkles which make you look older than you actually are.

3. Salty Foods

Salt lurks in the most unlikely of foods and even though your intake of table salt is low, the ingestion of salt from various salty foods, like canned foods, causes the level of salt in your body to build up. Salt retention within the skin cells causes water to accumulate too, resulting in a puffy appearance that makes you look positively ancient.

4. Processed Meats

Processed meats add a delectable delight to your daily dietary regime. What you don’t know is that prolonged intake of processed meats like sausages, deli meat and bacon etc., cause your skin to mature at an alarming rate. The basic reason why the processed meats harm the skin is that they contain various preservatives including sulfites. These chemicals trigger inflammatory processes within the skin with resultant destruction of the collagen fibers forming the skin. As a result, your skin starts showing the signs of aging like wrinkles.

5. Caffeinated Drinks

Like it or not, the caffeinated drinks that give you an instant energy boost and help you get through the day, are making you age prematurely. Being a diuretic, caffeine strips the body cells of their moisture (mouth goes dry after having tea or coffee, yeah?). Dehydration caused by caffeine affects the skin cells too. The result is abnormally dry skin with reduced elasticity and laxity which is prone to lines and wrinkle formation.

READ Depression Foods: Good Vs. Bad

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water keep your skin young, healthy and lustrous and are your best shields against dry, dull skin which makes you look older than your years. Making healthy choices can make your skin retain its vitality and make you look younger.