Chapter One
In the Beginning
Riddle me this: What is the largest organ in the body? It regulates body temperature, protects us from dehydration and injury, and can have many sensations, including pain, heat, and cold? Need another clue? Its flawless, radiant appearance can make the difference between a good day and a fantastic day. Funny, isn’t it, how the answer suddenly seems so clear.
The condition of the skin is a national obsession, and understandably so. Think back to the great beauties of our time (Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor spring to mind); and while they may have differed in coloring, hairstyles, physique, and fashion sense, they all had a common trait. You guessed it -- they all possessed a complexion so awe-inspiring that the heart aches just looking at their photographs. We have our share of celebrated beauties today, and once again the common denominator is their smooth complexion, even skin tone, full lips
Chapter One
In the Beginning
Riddle me this: What is the largest organ in the body? It regulates body temperature, protects us from dehydration and injury, and can have many sensations, including pain, heat, and cold? Need another clue? Its flawless, radiant appearance can make the difference between a good day and a fantastic day. Funny, isn’t it, how the answer suddenly seems so clear.
The condition of the skin is a national obsession, and understandably so. Think back to the great beauties of our time (Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor spring to mind); and while they may have differed in coloring, hairstyles, physique, and fashion sense, they all had a common trait. You guessed it -- they all possessed a complexion so awe-inspiring that the heart aches just looking at their photographs. We have our share of celebrated beauties today, and once again the common denominator is their smooth complexion, even skin tone, full lips, radiant glow, and utter lack of wrinkles. Beautiful skin is a valuable commodity and, better yet, one that is within reach.
Aiming for beautiful skin is a worthy goal, and we will be discussing the many ways to achieve it, but I also want to emphasize that just like any other organ in the body, the skin needs to be protected and cared for. When you tend to your skin -- by shielding it from the sun's damaging rays, eating nutrient-rich foods, sleeping adequately, using superior skin care products, and entrusting its care to a dermatologist -- it will reward you with an enviously healthy appearance.
Believe it or not, the skin has many other purposes besides its appearance. It:
- serves as an environmental barrier
- protects us from water loss and wounds
- has specialized pigment cells to protect us from the sun's rays
- helps regulate body temperature through the sweat glands
- involved in the production of vitamin D
The Living Skin
At first glance the skin seems pretty unremarkable, just a thin, flesh-toned covering for the body. But if you could peek inside, the sophisticated network within would amaze you. Generally speaking, the skin is divided into two layers: the epidermis and the dermis.
Epidermis
Whenever you study your skin or run your hands over it, you're touching the top layer, known as the epidermis. The epidermis partially is responsible for the skin's color, texture, and overall appearance. It also helps the skin stay moist by retaining water and acting as a barrier against the sun. Have you ever wondered how we're able to keep from getting waterlogged in the rain, or when we swim? You can thank the epidermis, which is impermeable to water.
Topping the epidermis is the stratum corneum, and that is what we see when we're undergoing our weekly sessions with the magnifying mirror. This coating is made up of flattened epidermal cells, which lie on the surface of the skin in a basketweave pattern. These cells were once baby cells that, in a process called cell renewal, migrated to the top. In healthy adults, this process happens over a fifteen- to thirty-day period, but as we age, the process slows down considerably.
Further below in the epidermis are the three other layers: the transitional layer, the suprabasal layers, and the basal layer. In some ways, all are responsible for the overall health and beauty of the skin.
Dermis
In the world of beauty, the dermis is a virtual treasure trove, especially since it is where our precious collagen and elastin fibers reside. In fact, almost 70 percent of the dermis consists of collagen, with the remainder consisting of elastin, blood vessels, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, hair follicles, and immune system cells. This layer of skin is also incredibly resilient and can absorb a great amount of pressure.
But more important, let's discuss collagen and the role that it plays in the way your skin looks and behaves.
The Collagen Connection
When your collagen is plentiful and healthy, you will know it by what you see in the mirror. Think of collagen as your skin's mattress, and elastin as the coils that hold it together. Like everything else related to the aging process, our collagen is at its most abundant during the early childhood years; anyone who has admired a toddler's velvety skin can attest to that. Collagen production slows down in puberty, levels off in your twenties and thirties, and -- you guessed it -- grinds to a halt in your later years.
The beauty world is obsessed with keeping collagen safe and sound; and considering what a fundamental role it plays in beautiful skin, this fascination is totally warranted. Just as important, collagen helps to heal wounds and scars. Many creams claim to protect it, repair it, and regenerate it, but there is scant evidence that any of them actually follow through on these promises. (The only exception is the vitamin A derivative tretinoin, which studies have shown to have a positive effect on collagen.) Years ago, when antiaging skin care was in its infancy, there was an onslaught of "collagen" creams that claimed to boost natural collagen. Pretty soon, most people lost faith in them, realizing that the collagen molecule, which for those creams was derived from bovine, was too large to penetrate the skin's barrier. In other words, try, try again.
The fibroblast skin cells produce collagen, and it is the degeneration of collagen, through excessive exposure to the sun as well as extreme environmental conditions, that eventually leads to wrinkles and sagging skin. Once collagen is destroyed, it is very difficult to restore. Some of the latest nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, like collagen injections and lasers, help repair the harm, but nothing will ever bring collagen back to its virgin state.
The Fatty Layer
Composed mostly of fat cells, the fatty layer lies beneath the dermis and works to insulate us and shield our inner organs from harm. This layer varies in thickness depending on where it is on our skin. Not surprisingly, it's pretty thick in the abdominal area, but almost nonexistent on the eyelids. Throughout the rest of the body, the fatty layer is also where cellulite, that universally dreaded condition, appears.
Continues...
Excerpted from Age-Less by Brandt, Frederic S. Copyright © 2004 by Fredric Brandt. Excerpted by permission.
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