As you mature, the collagen and elastin content of your skin declines. This a consequence of normal ageing, a process influenced by factors including your genetics and environmental factors, such as sun exposure and smoking. Skin lacking in collagen and elastin is no longer as firm or as elastic. It just doesn’t ‘bounce back’ like it did in your youth! Moreover, aged skin tends to be dehydrated, with loss of hyaluronic acid and water content over time. The end result is dry, lacklustre, textured, saggy skin that has lost its radiance and glow.
Skin quality can also appear diminished if the skin is lacking in support from below. With ageing, we also lose facial volume from bone and fat resorption. As the foundations of the face shrink, the structural support underlying the skin collapses, exacerbating the ageing appearance of skin. To understand this better, consider the surface of a balloon – when it is fully inflated it is tight and smooth, but as it deflates, the balloon’s surface becomes undulating and dimpled. Skin too appears uneven, textured, and saggy with loss of tissue support.