When we are babies, our skin looks flawless. It feels incredibly soft and it looks pleasantly plump, but the skin ages as the years go by and its appearance changes for a variety of reasons. Neglect and abuse is one cause of aging skin, as is the aging process. Diet and poor psychological health also play a part in skin aging. When all this works against the condition of your skin, your skin starts to look old. Learn how to identify aging skin, and then take steps to slow down the process if you want younger-looking skin.
Step 1
Observe the color of your skin and look for changes. Aging skin will sometimes appear yellow and speckled with brown spots. Brown spots (also called age spots and liver spots) usually appear after years of excess exposure to the sun. These spots can be as large as a kidney bean and they mostly appear on the face. They may also show up on the hands, arms, feet and back.
Step 2
Notice if you have very tiny finger-like projections of skin on your body. These skin projections are commonly called skin tags, and they often develop in areas such as the eyelids, neck, armpits, chest and pubic area when the skin starts to age. Skin growths such as skin tags are benign and can easily be eliminated by a dermatologist.
Step 3
Feel your skin to see if it feels rough. People with aging skin often have dry skin because the aging process makes the oil glands slower at producing oils that lubricate the skin. The production of new skin cells also slows down with age, giving the skin a coarse texture.
Step 4
Test your skin to see if it has lost its elasticity. Young skin is resilient and tight like a rubber band. Aging skin, on the other hand, is more like an old and stretched out rubber band. Gently pinch your skin to see if it snaps back into shape quickly. If it does not, it could be a sign your skin is aging and has lost some of its elasticity.
Step 5
Look in the mirror to see if you have lines on your skin. Wrinkles, whether they are fine lines or deep ones, are a sure sign of aging skin. Areas where wrinkles usually appear are
Step 6
See if your skin appears to be sagging. Over the years collagen production will slow down. If your skin is lacking collagen, it will not hold its shape. A little over two-thirds of the dermis is made of collagen.
Step 7
Identify skin aging with other visible signs. Notice if your skin looks thinner. Aging skin often loses a cushion of fat beneath the skin's surface. See if your veins or bones appear to be more noticeable. Notice if skin abrasions heal at a slower pace.
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