The severity of skin problems after 40 depends in large part on lifestyle and general health. While the skin begins showing signs of aging for everyone after 40, those who have made healthy choices throughout their lives can prolong a youthful look, say doctors at the Cleveland Clinic. In addition to lifestyle choices, heredity and diet also play a large role in the level of skin changes in older adults.
Thinning
Levels of elastin and collagen begin to recede as the body ages, causing skin to become thin and loose. The top layer of skin becomes slack and may hang loose in people who are thin or who have lost weight. The less fatty tissue there is to support the skin, the more pronounced the thinning appears. The top layer of the skin becomes more transparent as it loosens, and veins become more pronounced. The loose skin becomes more fragile and easily damaged or bruised as the elastin and collagen disappear. Thin skin is particularly evident in the face, giving many older people a sunken, skeletal look.
Photoaging
The sun is one of the most damaging factors that affect skin in people over 40. While sun exposure is important to receive healthy vitamin D benefits, over time the ultraviolet rays reduce the level of elastin in the skin drastically, causing premature wrinkles that are especially evident in 40-somethings. The breakdown of the fibers of elastin causes the skin to sag and stretch. The skin loses its ability to snap back into place when stretched.
Lines
Personal habits, such as frowning or raising the eyebrows, begin to take their toll around the age of 40. As the skin's elasticity begins to wane, lines in the forehead become more permanent, and laugh lines around the eyes become more pronounced. Vertical frown lines become permanently etched between the eyes, and smile lines on the sides of the mouth remain constant. Sleep creases last longer after waking. People who sleep in the same position every night eventually develop permanent creases, typically on the temples and cheeks. Smokers develop vertical lines above the upper lip and tend to begin showing more lines and wrinkles earlier than non-smokers.
Dry skin
Oil glands tend to dry up during the aging process that begins after the age of 40, and the drying worsens with time. Sweat glands also produce less moisture. Combined, the skin becomes drier and reacts more severely to dry air, such as indoor heated air in the winter. Cleaning and hygiene products, such as harsh soap, alcohol-based cleansers and hot baths, add to dry skin problems.
