top of page

Influences On Skin.

Enviromental & Lifestyle factors.

 

Weather conditions.

 

The sun is the main weather that affects our skin however the wind, rain and cold can also have severe affects. To minimlize these damages you protect your skin prior to leaving the house everyday. wind burn creates rough dry scaley patches on the skin. 

 

Sun Damage.

 

Spending prolonged time in the sun without protecting your skin can cause both temporary and permenant damage. Your tan is the melanin reacting the the UV rays which cause it to darken which is why you appear darker (tanned).

 

 

 

 

This is because your skin contains less melanin which helps to protect the skin from UV raditon, even though this reacts to Uv to make you darker the less melanin in your body the less reaction you have which is why people tan at different rates. The sun's UV (ultraviolet radiation) can cause the skins structure to change over a long period of repeated exposure which penertrates through the layers burning them at 1s degree through to 4th. All the types of sun damages disscussed below have indivuidual ways of being treated and thid will influence whether or not scarring occurs. The four types of damage:

Dry Skin.

 

Sun exposure drys moisture and natural oils out of the skin over time which gives the skin a dry and flaky look. It also can make the skin wrinkle prematurely making the person look older than they actually are. It may feel itchy compared to not damaged areas of the skin.

 

Treatments

- Body lotion

- Avoiding extremly hot baths or showers as this will dry out the skin

- Use soap with a high fat content or glycerin for hydration

 

 

Sun Burn.

 

This is a short term lasting damage cause by the UV rays in the sun. The skin turns red, painfull to the touch, blistering can appear in sevre cases. Burns come in 4 degrees.

 

Treatment

- Cool compress or water spray for light sunburn

- Any blisters or severe burns need to have medical attention

Figure 7.1

1st degree sun burn

As a rule, if you have fair skin and light eyes, you are at greater risk of sun-related skin damage and skin cancers. (Le Que,2005,p 32)

Actinic Keratosis.

 

This is a permanant damage from repeated sun exposure patches of the skin become scaly and change colour, this may be to pink/red/yellow/brown. This is a warning sign of there being a higher risk of you having skin cancer.

 

Treatment (All of these methods can leave the affected area dipigmented)

- waiting to see if it worsens

- Topical medication that is applied directly onto the skin (such as a anti-cancer drug)

- Frozen with liquid nitrogen (Cryosurgery)

- Chemical peels can be used to remove the top layer of skin or laser resurfacing (which is the same method but using a laser)

- Shave excision, this is where a Dr will shave the abnormal skin away however thid isn't suitable for all skin types

Photo-ageing & Senile Purpura.

 

Both these  happen when the collagen in the skin changes due to the UV exposure, for photoageing this means wrinkles and fine lines are produced. Whereas it affects the structure of the collagen cause the blood vessels fragility to increase causing brusing.

 

Treatment

- Vitamin A derivatives or strong alpha- hydroxy which can improve symptoms

- There is no complete reverse

Figure 7.0

Example of dry skin cause by sun damage

Figure 7.2

2nd degree sunburn

Figure 7.3

3rd degree sunburn

Figure 7.4

Example of actinic Keratosis

Smoking.

 

People who smoke aren't only damaging their insides but there skin and there are distinct indications visiable on smokers skin. The skin will appear dried out, vertical line may appear from the top lip and generally the wrinkles appear sooner thanon non smokers.

 

Why do they appear faster? This is because the nicotine in cigarettes makes blood vessels narrow in layers on the skin stopping the blood flow to these skin layers, and betherfore stopping the oxygen and nutrition the blood carrys which makes the skin appear unhealthy and ages. Other substances in the tabacco also effect collage and elasisty - the two things that give out skin the pulmed up youthfull look.

 

Below are examples of sets of twins, one is a smoker the other is a nonsmoke. It demonstrates the physical affects of smoking; age spots, deeper wrinkles, pursed lips and fine lines.

 

Alcohol.

 

Drinking alcohol dehydratesyour body and this causes there to be less vitamin A in your body which can give you that pale grey look. As a effecet of tyour body being deprived of water from drinking it means when you do drink or eat all water is extrcted and the stored in the face which is why you can look bloated when suddenly drinking lots of water after a night out. Exsessive drinking leaves long term effect, the skin will have exsessive dryness and sings of ageing will appear prematurley. It thins the blood vessels after time these can burst which is why many people suffering as an alcholic have broken cappliares on their faces, you can also have blood shot eyes. Another side affect of long term use is it can affect skin conditions such as roasea.

 

Low water intake.

 

Not drinking enough water will cause your skin to be in poor condition similar to alcohol by the fact it will become very dehyrdated and the issue that come along with that. However this can easily be soloved in the short term by upping your intake of water to rehydrate your body therefore improving your skins condition.But over a long period of time rehydration will cause premature ageing, feature of dehyrdation are:

 

  • Redness

  • Itching which causes flaking or scaling

  • Feeling of tightness and Rough skin

  • Uneven skin tone

  • Loss of elasticity

  • Fine lines and wrinkles

Weight.

 

Stretch marks are one of the visable changes to the skin when the body gains alot of excess weight, the elasticity lost in these areas cannot be restored if the weight is then lost. I have looked at a few actors who have drastically lost weight for a role and compared them to how they were before and after they ahd lost the weight to see the effects of dramatic weight loss; the gaunt skull like appearnce to the face, dry/duller skin, bones/feature are more stronger looking (sharp) and tired looking eyes.

Drugs.

 

There are many types of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and weed and each one has there own way of how it affects your body but in general these are key features you will notice with drug abuse; weight loss, tooth decay, sores/absesses on the face, flushed skin, small pupils/blood shot eyes.

 

 

Stress and illness.

 

These are things you may experience temporarily or long term however they both contribute to speeding up the ageing process and alot of the time when your are ill or stressed you have more alcohol than usual or loose/gain weight so these directly link into each lifestyle factor on ageing previously discussed.

Figure 7.5

Figure 7.6

Figure 7.7

Figure 7.8

Figure 7.9

Figure 7.1.0

Figure 7.1.1

Figure 7.1.2

Figure 7.1.3

Figure 7.1.4

Scenarios.

As I have discussed each factor on influence individually here I am looking at what happens when combining factors together to create someones lifestyle and how it affects your apperance as you age.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why.

The reason why she will look this way is because she has worked inside in an office she will not have weathered skin, she may have a little more than someone who lives in the suburbs due to the higher levels of pollution but as she has been ill repeately surgests that she doesnt venture out alot meaning the weathering woudlnt be as high as others living in a city. Also the unhealthy look will be partically due to being ill as you generally have a dull grey gaunt look to you when ill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why.

The key influences are that he works with animals and on the mountainside, working in all weathers will give you both a healthy glow and tougher dryer patches from the harsh conditions in the winter and constant flipping from the two extremes will cause your wrinkles to appear faster as your face is expressing more i.e. squinting in sunlight.

 

Scenario 1

A thin-faced women who has worked for many years in a city office and suffered recurrent illness may appear pale, gaunt and unhealthy looking. (Delamar, 2003, p249)

Scenario 2

A well-built, fit old man, on the other hand, who has spent his life out in the sun, rain ad wind tending animals on the mountainside will have a healthy, ruddy complexion, with weathered skin and many wrinkles. (Delamar, 2003, p249)

bottom of page