THE TRUTH ABOUT AGING IN THE MODERN ERA

Your skin and hair may have aged at warp speeds during this pandemic. It’s science. If you’ve been staring at the reflection in the mirror or on the zoom camera and wondering what’s happening, I have some answers for you. Constant prolonged periods of stress have been scientifically proven to accelerate aging.  

Stress increases cortisol in our bodies and sets off a cascade of unpleasant events. Cortisol is pro-inflammatory and makes any skin condition worsen, accelerates aging, and causes hair loss/thinning. There’s more… 

We have these things called telomeres that are the caps at the end of our chromosomes that are protective against aging. As we chronically age telomeres naturally shorten. Brace yourself – because research has shown that those under high levels of stress have shorter telomeres by a DECADE compared to lower stressed individuals. And if you are anxious, depressed or have experienced a trauma, the effect is exponential. Most of society fits in this category. You’re not alone.  

Furthermore, lack of sleep contributes and speeds up the aging process even more. When we sleep less, we have less melatonin which has powerful antioxidant properties that reduces aging. It’s called beauty sleep for a reason! Our collagen repairs and rebuilds at night so when we have less sleep, our skin cells are not regenerating as effectively. The amount of collagen and elastin our bodies produce is reduced as we age but if we also are not regenerating our cells at night with sleep, you can imagine the effects. This may explain the fine lines, wrinkles, volume loss, puffy eyes, generally dull skin, and thinning hair that’s staring you down in the mirror and on camera. 

Is this new a phenomena? Think about the before and after photos of presidents when they leave office - we have seen the dramatic effects of aging on the human body accelerate under stress before. Biological aging has dramatically accelerated during the pandemic. If you have been wondering what is happening and why your body is defying you, this is the why. It’s science. The effects of the stress and associated increased amounts of cortisol coursing through our bodies has taken a toll. 

While the pandemic is improving, life still isn’t normal, and are still learning to pivot as a society with the waves of change in our lives. It’s a good time to acknowledge your stress and the effect it has on your skin health and physical appearance. Stop beating yourself up, wondering what’s wrong, and feeling down about this. Give yourself some grace and welcome to the club. You survived a massive pandemic and are ALIVE. We have all lived through some really hard things. And now’s the time to start working on thriving.  

So now what? Your insides don’t match your outsides and you’re debating a little glow up? Here’s some more staggering truths: There are numerous studies proving “more attractive” people get the jobs, are paid more, receive better service, date more successful individuals, and the list goes on and on and on. How we are perceived does matter and it does affect many aspects of our lives.  

Our skin is 90% of our selfie. Beauty is not eternal, but it does not need to fade away prematurely and exponentially with stress. Start your skin journey with Skin Synthesis today. Refining the health of your skin is what we do. We understand the science. We know what options there are to nourish your skin, regenerate your cells and rejuvenate your face. 

Our biology can defy us and send a message that is not all consistent with who we are or how we feel. You do not have to be a passive passenger on the aging train. Instead of accepting how you may appear one way when you feel another, do something about it! It may open so many doors in your life. When you feel confident, the world takes notice.  

Now hats to off to those who have flourished during the pandemic - share your tips on resilience. But for the rest of us - this is the year we start taking care of ourselves again.