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The skin does not have one age, but three. And the only one on the birth certificate is the least relevant.
The skin has a chronological age, a biological age, and a visual age. The chronological is fixed – nothing can be done about it. The other two intermingle and are difficult to separate from one another. And those two are precisely the ones we can work on. Biological skin age describes how well the skin functions: how effective the barrier is, how stable the collagen structures, how quickly the tissue regenerates. Visual skin age describes appearance: how old a person’s skin looks – based on pigmentation, surface texture, circulation, and radiance. These two dimensions do not necessarily coincide. I see this every day in my practice: people born in the same year whose skin is worlds apart.
When it comes to aging, the skin is often made to stand in for everything else. That does not do it justice. It is part of the whole and ages alongside all other organs –but follows its own dynamic. It can run ahead of overall aging: chronologically young people who look visually older than theiryears. But it can also lag behind: chronologically older people who look visually young. One can estimate a person’s age relatively precisely from their silhouette behind frosted glass – without seeing the skin at all. But when you do see the skin, it tells its own story. What makes the difference is, above all, external influences.
Skin aging is subject to the same genetic influences as all other organs. But due to its exposed position at the body’s surface, it is subject toenvironmental influences to a far greater degree. This gives rise to two processes: an endogenous, internal skin aging that proceeds hand in hand with all other organs. And an exogenous, external skin aging that is superimposed on it. On light-exposed skin –primarily the face and the backs of the hands – this external aging is driven predominantly by the sun. It is referred to as photoaging. To understand this, a simple image helps: the epidermis is the tablecloth, the dermis is the table. UVA rays penetrate through the tablecloth into the table and destroy the collagen and elastin fibres within. At the same time, new formation declines. The table becomes less stable – and the tablecloth develops wrinkles.
Chronological aging cannot be changed. Biological and visual aging very much can. The influence of lifestyle on lifespan is 75 to 90 percent – the influence of genes is 10 to 25 percent. That surprises many people, but the data are clear. And they apply to the skin as well. The levers are known: nutrition, exercise, sleep, emotional balance – and a sensible approach to sun exposure. Those who accept aging are in the best position to age well. Anti-aging is an oxymoron – like anti-sunset. Slow Aging, Well Aging, Better Aging – these are the more fitting, more honest, more accurate terms. More on this in Chapter 1 of my book – How to Look Better: 10 Maximen für eine schöne Haut und ein besseres Leben