Skin Aging

Your skin changes as you age. You might notice wrinkles, age spots and dryness. Your skin also becomes thinner and loses fat, making it less plump and smooth. It might take longer to heal, too.
Sunlight is a major cause of skin aging. You can protect yourself by staying out of the sun when it is strongest, using sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, wearing protective clothing, and avoiding sunlamps and tanning beds. Cigarette smoking also contributes to wrinkles. The wrinkling increases with the amount of cigarettes and number of years a person has smoked.
Many products claim to revitalize aging skin or reduce wrinkles, but the Food and Drug Administration has approved only a few for sun-damaged or aging skin. Various treatments soothe dry skin and reduce the appearance of age spots.
National Institute on Aging
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Skin Care and Aging(National Institute on Aging)
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Overviews
Causes of Aging Skin(American Academy of Dermatology)
Mature Skin(American Academy of Dermatology)
Latest News
Sclerotherapy Gives Signs of Aging on the Hands the Boot(03/05/2009, American Academy of Dermatology)
Treatment
Blepharoplasty Information(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
Botox(Food and Drug Administration, Office of Women's Health)
Also available in Spanish
Cosmetic Procedures(American Academy of Dermatology)
Fillers: What to Expect Before, During, and After(American Academy of Dermatology)
Laser Skin Renewal(Logical Images)
Lunchtime Peel: What It Can Do for You(American Academy of Dermatology)
Non-Facial Aging Skin: Treatments(American Academy of Dermatology)
Tissue Tightening Information(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
Vein Treatments: What to Expect Before, During, and After(American Academy of Dermatology)
Wrinkle Creams: Your Guide to Younger Looking Skin(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Wrinkle Relief: Injectable Cosmetic Fillers(Food and Drug Administration)
Prevention/Screening
Protection against Photoaging(American Academy of Dermatology) Return to top
Specific Conditions
Frequently Asked Questions about Aging Skin(American Academy of Dermatology)
Liver Spots and Aging Hands Information(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
Wrinkles(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Return to top
Related Issues
10 Questions to Ask Before a Cosmetic Procedure(American Academy of Dermatology)
Just Another Sign of Aging, or an Underlying Medical Condition?(American Academy of Dermatology)
Science Meets Beauty: Using Medicine to Improve Appearances(Food and Drug Administration)
Smoking: Does It Cause Wrinkles?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Top 10 Tips for Relieving Dry Skin: Changes in Skin Care Can Soothe Aging Skin(American Academy of Dermatology) Return to top
Videos
If I Had - Wrinkles(Insidermedicine) Return to top
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Skin Aging(National Institutes of Health) Return to top
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Review of the efficacy, durability, and safety data of two...
Article: Skin fillers.
Article: Chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laser therapy.
Skin Aging -- see more articles Return to top
Medical Encyclopedia
Skin Aging Return to top
Dictionaries/Glossaries
AgingSkinNet: Glossary(American Academy of Dermatology) Return to top
Directories
Find a Dermasurgeon(American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
Find a Dermatologist(American Academy of Dermatology) Return to top
Organizations
American Academy of Dermatology
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Also available in Spanish
National Institute on Aging
Also available in SpanishReturn to top
Children
What Are Wrinkles?(Nemours Foundation) Return to top
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Date last updated: 25 March 2009 Topic last reviewed: 13 February 2009