This Is Exactly What Happens to Your Skin as You Age

As people get older, the dermis, which is the thicker and deeper layer of the skin, can lose from 20% to 80% of its thickness due to changes in the cells responsible for collagen and elastin biosynthesis. These proteins are produced at a slower rate, affecting the skin’s structure, causing it to hang loosely and become slack. Changes in elastin fibers are typical in elderly people, sometimes leading to a condition called elastosis. In solar elastosis, caused by sun damage, the skin looks yellow and can develop bumps.

Eccrine sweat glands, which secrete sweat to the skin surface to help cool a person’s body temperature, also help heal wounds. They are, in fact, a source of new cells that replace the ones lost to injury. However, this process does not work as well in older adults as it does in younger people, according to research published in Aging Cell. There are fewer new cells available to heal wounds, and they are located farther part, resulting in a delayed healing process. The reason is not that the glands were less active, but that the degraded aging skin was less able to support the new cells.

It is not cancer, which can be scary. A benign tumor is a non-malignant growth of cells, which means it does not spread. Benign tumors have been linked to ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun. Skin tags and moles are examples of benign tumors, and aging skin is more prone to developing them. Medically, they are benign proliferation of melanocytes, which are the cells that produce the protective skin-darkening pigment melanin.

It is not uncommon for the skin to become more transparent in elderly people, especially in those with rheumatoid disease. Veins on the hands, wrists, ribs, and shins of elderly people can be seen through the skin. Clinical studies of biopsies found that collagen fibers, which are what keep the skin firm and looking young, are not as closely packed in transparent skin as they are in more opaque skin.

The subcutaneous layer, or the inner layer of the dermis, is where the sweat glands, some hair follicles, blood vessels, and fat are found in the skin. As we age, this protective layer of fat thins, providing less insulation to the skin, and making it more fragile and susceptible to injury. Older people may therefore be more sensitive to cold, heat, and touch.

Bruising is common in older adults because the skin is thinner. Due to the loss of some of the fat that protects the blood vessels from injuries, blood vessels can break more easily with blood leaking out, forming a bruise. The blood vessels themselves are more fragile, too. They lose elasticity, which makes them more susceptible to breaking. The most common parts of the body where bruising occurs are the back of the arms and legs.

Sebaceous glands, which are responsible for lubricating the skin, produce less oil with age. This is visible mostly in older women, whose glands gradually start making less oil after menopause. The lower levels of sebum, the oily matter secreted by the gland, means lower levels of moisture in the skin, which can cause dryness and itchiness.

Older people sweat less than younger adults because sweat glands become less efficient over time, producing less sweat, which makes controlling body temperature more difficult. The risk of overheating and heat strokes increases with age.

Cherry bumps, also known as cherry angiomas, look like red moles. They are the result of an overgrowth of capillaries. Most common among people older than 30, they are basically dilated blood vessels that often show up on the chest, stomach, or back. Why exactly they develop is not clear, but they are not a cause of concern, unless they bleed often or change color or size.

The innermost layer of the skin consists of fat and connective tissue. Because it contains many blood vessels and nerves, it easily absorbs medications. Some medications, such as those for acne and dermatitis, are absorbed by the fat layer that the skin thins out as people age. Hence, the meds are less effective.