There are many things in life that we shouldn’t take for granted. Our health, our relationships, our beauty . . . these are all aspects that aren’t a given; they are not guaranteed to last or thrive as well as they could. To make something a given, we must put effort into it. When it comes to our skin, we often forget this. We get stuck in the rut of using the same cleanser and moisturizer every day. Even when the signs of aging appear, we may stick to our routine. It isn’t that we don’t care, it’s often that we just don’t know what is needed to keep our skin looking radiant, smooth, and firm.
We Know What It Takes, and We’re Going to Tell You
Beautiful skin is not something we have to think about when we’re young. As children, we don’t give our skin a second thought. As teens and young adults, we may do this when we experience a breakout or chronic acne. Then, most people don’t give their skin much attention until they begin to see fine lines, discoloration, and jowls at their jawline. This may not be the best approach. Here’s why.
When we are young, our skin is resilient. It is firm and plump and it has stretch to it. These characteristics come from the collagen and elastin that are produced by fibroblast cells. Fibroblasts don’t live on the surface of the skin. Therefore, none of the traditional ways of caring for the skin will affect these cells. To affect fibroblasts, we must reach into the dermis where they live. And believe, us, you want to do this.
We typically start to notice signs of aging around age 40. These early signs may include mild crow’s feet or lines around the nose and mouth. Frown lines may start to become etched between the eyebrows. Nothing too bad, just a touch of age on the face. This happens because, around age 30, the skin has to start drawing from its reserves of collagen and elastin; fibroblasts are no longer in the “making-game.” Once these cells go to sleep, they are only woken up by our ongoing efforts to do so.
How to Wake Up Fibroblasts
Many of the professional treatments available today have been developed to wake up sleeping fibroblasts. Examples include microneedling and radiofrequency treatments. These techniques affect the dermis and stimulate cells to produce more collagen and elastin. Depending on the extent of cosmetic aging that has occurred, a patient may need multiple treatments to reset the baseline of their skin. After that point, treatments may be repeated every 4 to 6 months to keep fibroblasts in a working state.
Are you ready to revive your skin? We can help. Call (203) 226-3600 to schedule a visit to Westport Dermatology.