Library · Physiology
Skin aging
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Beneath the most superficial layer of the skin lies the dermis, and its defining feature is that it is fibrous: it is made mostly of collagen, which gives it strength, and of elastic fibers, which let it recover its shape. Two things can weaken it over the years: time itself and chronic sun exposure.
Ultraviolet radiation, when it builds up year after year, damages precisely those elastic fibers. That accumulated damage has a name: solar elastosis. It is like a rope hammock that stretches over the years and never goes taut again.
That same radiation also causes photoaging, which shows up on the outside as lax, wrinkled skin.
There is something else time takes away. When the dermis loses connective tissue, it no longer properly supports the blood vessels running through it. That is called actinic purpura, or senile purpura: the purple marks that show up on the skin over the years.
In brief
The dermis is mostly fibrous, made of collagen and elastic fibers, and aging and chronic sun exposure can weaken it.
Chronic ultraviolet radiation damages the elastic fibers of the dermis and produces solar elastosis.
A rope hammock that stretches over the years and never pulls taut again.
That same radiation causes photoaging, which shows up as sagging and wrinkles.
With less connective tissue, the dermis can no longer support its vessels: that is actinic purpura.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingHistology, Dermis, StatPearlsPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingSunscreens and Photoprotection, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated