Your ethnic background definitely contributes to your aging process. According to experts, skin color affects how we age, the darker the skin, the longer it takes to show lines and wrinkles. Black and Asian skins naturally have a thicker dermis layer which contains more collagen and more collagen can delay visible signs of aging. Darker skin contains more melanin, our body’s natural defense from the sun. Everyone has melanin, the pigment that gives us color, and protects skin from UV radiation, but there are different types. The two main types are eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin is the pigment that makes our skin darker and pheomelanin gives skin its red or pink hue.
Have you heard of the Fitzpatrick scale? It’s the official scale used to categorize your skin color and it ranges from Fitzpatrick 1 to Fitzpatrick 6. Literally the deeper your skin tone the slower you show signs of aging. A Fitzpatrick 6 can delay showing signs of lines and wrinkles by 20 years compared to a Fitzpatrick 1!
There are other factors that contribute to how you will age. Lifestyle factors like smoking, pollution, bad diet, stress and genetics are all things to consider if you want to prolong a youthful appearance. Sunscreen will always be on the list of things we can do to prevent premature aging. Our physicians coordinate with our skincare specialists to provide you with a customized program to fight everything from acne to aging. Make an appointment today for a complimentary skin evaluation and set course for a younger tomorrow.