Ever wondered why wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots are quick to strike as we age? And while stress and exposure to sun are easy to blame, the actual culprit could lie within our very cells. Cellular senescence represents the major contribution factor of our skin aging process. In other words, this is the "supervillain" playing a major role in how our skin ages. But knowing it better can actually help us fight off and keep that youthful glow longer. Let's delve into the world of science behind cellular senescence and unravel the ways in which it impacts skin appearance.
What is Cellular Senescence?
Cellular senescence can be consequentially characterized as a state of long-term cell cycle arrest, a state where a cell stops dividing but does not die. This is a protective response because it inhibits the potential of harmful cells turning into cancer. But over time, these "retired" cells build up and contribute to aging and an array of age-related conditions.
Effects of Senescent Cells on Skin
As a human ages, these senescent cells begin to accumulate within the skin, contributing to the main signs of aging:
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Wrinkles and Fine Lines: Senescent skin cells have disrupted the production of collagen, a protein that provides structure and strength to the skin. The lost collagen results in the loss of firmness of the skin and fine lines and wrinkles.
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Loss of Elasticity: The molecules of inflammation, which are secreted, degrade the elastin fibers in our skin that provide the recovery mechanism. The loss of elasticity leads to additional sagging of the facial skin, especially around the cheeks, jawline, and neck.
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Hyperpigmentation and Age Spots: Senescent cells can either increase or decrease melanin production, causing skin discoloration and age spots. The inflammatory environment created by them can stimulate melanocytes, and age spots can appear more dramatically.
Combating the Effects of Senescent Cells
Senescent cells unfortunately play a leading role in the effects of skin aging, and ways to beat back at the effects of senescent cells in our skin show promise:
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Senolytic Compounds: These are very useful molecules that selectively clear senescent cells, but more importantly, they increase the ability of the skin to respond to other treatments, such as anti-oxidants, retinoids, peptides, and other anti-aging molecules. Some example senolytics have been made popular, like:
- Quercetin, from apples and onions, which clear senescent cell burden.
- Fisetin, from strawberries, causes cell death in senescent cells.
- Procyanidin C1, from grape seed extract, improves ROS production to kill senescent cells. While the concentratin of Procyanidin is scarce in usual grapes, PAREMINA extracts this precious senolytic from a unique type of grape that only grows in Mandement region, west to Geneva and incorporated in our avant-garde anti-aging supplement, NEO CELL.
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Antioxidants: Protect the skin from oxidative stressors that induce senescence. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, and niacinamide, with the help of vitamin C, fight the damage from free radicals. With fewer senescent cells in the way, your skin can put more of these antioxidants to work, reaping even better rewards for skin health and appearance.
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Sunscreen: Daily and regular use of sunscreen to protect against one of the major causes of developing senescent cells, UV radiation. Prevent UV damage by using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more daily.
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Healthy Lifestyle: A balanced diet with multiple vitamins from fruits and vegetables, regular exercises, and good sleep will decrease oxidative stress, subsequently leading to healthful skin. This helps ensure a lesser burden on senescent cells so your skin can respond better to skincare treatments.
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Topical Treatments: Products containing retinoids, peptides, and growth factors stimulate collagen production and repair damage caused by senescent cells. When senescent cells are cleared from your body, these treatments are that much more effective in improving skin texture, reducing wrinkles, and increasing elasticity.
Follow these strategies to have your skin looking vibrant and healthy from within by nurturing your cellular health. In the natural cycle of life, aging is inevitable, but now with science and knowledge, we can choose to age gracefully and beautifully, elongating the BeautySpan of our years.