Why Does Skin Lose Elasticity with Age? Causes Revealed

16 Aug Why Does Skin Lose Elasticity with Age? Causes Revealed

Does skin really lose elasticity with age or are there other environmental factors at play?

Skin is one of the most voluminous organs of our body that reads and expresses aging on its own terms.

While some of the signs could be wrinkles, fine lines, dryness, and itching, the major problem behind these aging signs remains the same!

Yes, it’s the loss of skin elasticity.

Skin elasticity, according to dermatologists, is the first parameter that indicates you’re finally aging.

But why does your skin lose elasticity with age? And is it reversible?

That’s what we’re here to find out in today’s skin edition on elasticity and age.

Why Does Skin Lose Elasticity with Age?

The strongest structural and functional attribute of the skin is its elasticity and strength which act as a shield for the underlying organs.

But, as we age, the parallel contributions of both external and internal factors affect the skin’s structural integrity.

This further leads to changes in the three main layers of the skin causing a loss of skin elasticity as you age.

Hence, to understand the biological processes that cause skin to lose elasticity in the 40s or above 30s, it’s important to first understand the three layers!

Skin Layers and Loss of Elasticity

Although the skin is made up of many layers, experts generally consider three important layers when talking about skin integrity:

1. Epidermis – The outermost layer of the skin or the epidermis contains skin cells, pigments, and proteins.
2. Dermis – It is the middle part that provides nourishment to the epidermis as it contains blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, and oil glands.
3. Subcutaneous layer – The layer beneath the dermis is made up of subcutaneous fat with blood vessels.

Each of these layers is further made up of connective tissues that contain collagen for providing strength and elastin for giving skin its elasticity.

Hence, the main integrity of the skin comes from the collagen and the elastin present in these three layers.

Now, since the changes are not just influenced by internal but also certain external factors, we discuss both these separately.

Skin Losing Elasticity in the 30s and 40s – Internal Causes

Intrinsic skin aging is a gradual process. There isn’t any sudden loss of skin elasticity, rather there are chronological stages:

#1. Skin Cells Proliferation

Intrinsic skin aging starts with a decline in cell division within the basal layer of the epidermis.

This causes the epidermis to become thin and the contact between the epidermis and dermis becomes less.

Since the dermis is responsible for nourishing the epidermis, the nutrient supply decreases causing the epidermis to age and lose elasticity.

#2. Metabolic Build-up

Another prominent answer to why skin loses elasticity with age comes from the generous amount of metabolic by-product buildup.

Throughout your life, the body undergoes numerous metabolic processes to flourish the smooth functioning of your body.

These metabolic processes yield certain metabolic by-products which are either good or bad for your skin.

One such metabolic by-product is the reactive oxygen species which can damage several membranes, enzymes, and DNA.

Degeneration of these components together causes instability in the structural integrity of the skin leading to less strength and less elasticity.

#3. Loss of Fat from the Subcutaneous Layer

A major function of the fat present within the subcutaneous layer is to keep your skin structurally tight.

But as we age, there’s a redistribution of fat from various parts of the body including the subcutaneous layer of the skin.

As the subcutaneous layer thins out, the padding effect decreases and your skin becomes loose.

#4. Hormonal Changes

Women, after their menopause, show acceleration in skin aging with the skin:

• Becoming thin
• Less elastic
• More wrinkled 
• Drier than before

A majority of these signs of aging are because of the reduced estrogen levels in women’s bodies post-menopause.

Estrogen, also known as the female hormone, has a key role in modulating skin physiology by:

1. Regulating healthy keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and melanocytes.
2. Improving angiogenesis, or formation of new blood vessels within the dermis for better nourishment of the epidermis.
3. Guarding the functions of the sebaceous glands.

Hence, its deficiency in the body can weaken the skin’s defense against oxidative species and reduce the production of collagen. Plus, it will cause a loss of elasticity as a protective function.

#5. Collagen Levels Drop

Collagen forms 70% of your skin mass and works to create a framework of the skin by bringing together elastin and hyaluronic acid.

This helps in maintaining the elasticity of your skin and also keeps it hydrated.

But as you age, your body produces less collagen. Although the process starts as soon as you turn 30, the signs might appear later.

Some of the common signs of less collagen in the body include:

• Less fullness of your face
• Wrinkles and fine lines
• Sagging skin

However, this could be reversed as there are many oral solutions to uplift the dropping collagen levels in your body.

#6. Declining Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

Almost 50% of the entire hyaluronic acid present in your body is found in the skin.

It helps your skin by:

• Delaying cell death of the skin cells
• Thickening the epidermis and dermis
•  Preventing the buildup of dead cells
• Protecting against the reactive species

Apart from these functions, HA is also responsible for holding collagen and water together to keep your skin hydrated and maintain elasticity.

But since HA is produced by complex metabolic processes that require strong cellular power, aging results in a lesser production.

When HA levels deplete, cells lose their ability to hold water and collagen together leading to a loss of elasticity.

Some intrinsic factors can be reversed but only when you protect your skin from the exogenous insults of the harsh environment.

Here are some of these exogenous factors that aggravate and accelerate intrinsic aging.

Extrinsic Causes for Loss of Skin Elasticity

The answer to why skin loses elasticity as we age is not just limited to the several biological processes going inside your body.

There are also some external effects that, along with internal factors, can produce morbidity:

#1. Ultraviolet Rays

You’ll often find skin experts calling out the importance of protecting your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays, but ever wondered why?

The answer could be either aging or several skin diseases harmful UV rays can cause.

But today, we are going to stick to the aging effects.

Ultraviolet rays from the sun are powerful enough to destroy elastin fibers present in your skin which causes the skin to lose its ability to stretch.

Though skin losing elasticity in the 20s is a rare thing to happen, zero protection from the sun can start the process early!

Use Sunscreen >> Read – Difference between Physical and Chemical Sunscreen

#2. Lifestyle Factors

Your lifestyle shows up on your face. Poor lifestyle can accelerate the aging process:

1. Obesity can cause many skin problems which could lead to the destruction of collagen and elastin fibers. Thus, when you lose weight post the obesity phase, your skin might appear loose and saggy.
2. Smoking can interrupt the healthy blood supply to the skin weakening the nourishment of the epidermis and hence accelerating the aging process. 
3. Diet is important for preventing early aging and photoaging as the nutrients you derive from a diet like Vitamin C and E contribute to healthy skin.
4. Lack of sleep affects the rejuvenation of your skin. The skin produces new collagen when you sleep, preventing sagging. Hence, not taking enough hours of nap can cause your skin to lose elasticity and show up fine lines and wrinkles.

Thus, making simple lifestyle modifications can also bring a lot of change in your skin.

#3. Daily Facial Movements

Daily facial movements use numerous muscles present beneath your skin. Whenever you laugh or have a gliding movement, a groove is formed within the skin.

Generally, when your skin is young, it bounces and fills in the groove, but with age, skin loses this ability, resulting in lines and wrinkles.

The more facial movements during old age, the more loss of its strength.

#4. Pollution

The varying size of particles present in a polluted environment can lead to loss of elasticity of your skin and defamed structural integrity.

A polluted environment can have very fine small particles that can enter the pore of the skin to reach the dermis and get accumulated.

The accumulation results in inflammation with loss of hydration contributing to the loss of elasticity of your skin.

#5. Sleeping Positions

Yes, your sleeping position too can affect the skin and its elasticity because your skin needs some space to breathe.

If you are sleeping with your face all pushed into the pillow, obstructing the skin’s follicles, it can be a reason why you are seeing skin aging at a young age.

Such a position interrupts healthy blood circulation to the body, ultimately affecting the epidermis and finally causing early cell death.

Final Word

Skin elasticity and strength form the two basics of the protection mechanism of the skin.

But with age, the skin starts losing its elasticity owing to several internal and external factors.

While the severity of the internal factors could vary from person to person depending on genetic composition, external factors remain the same.

It is highly recommended for people to protect their skin from exogenous damages, as these pave way for permanent intrinsic aging.

Though there are many ways of preventing external damage to the skin, readers should focus on the methods that target the concern.

Some of the highly targeted extrinsic factors you should protect from include UV rays, pollution, and oxidative damage.

Hopefully, this blog has given you some insight. We would appreciate you sharing some more tips to prevent loss of skin elasticity with aging. Drop your comments below.