@Cyprianj
The genesis and pathophysiology of wrinkles in humans
Recently my baby sister (who's in her twenties) noticed some creases on her forehead that was quite visible when she raised her eyebrows, and she has been distraught and fears that she may be on the verge of developing wrinkles. Everyone knows wrinkles are associated mostly with aging, So I began to wonder what could cause wrinkles to appear in young people and how it can be tackled particularly those on the face. Below is the result of my research on this issue and it's going be worth your reading time...Let's get into it....shall we??? Looking good, they say is good business. The Face is so unique in that it's not just one of the exposed part of the body but it has a capacity of drawing attention that is why when you meet an individual for the first time facial expressions or facial attributes can actually draw you to that person. In this day and age most people mostly the females pay close attention to their facial appearance and any visible change may affect either their self esteem or how they interact with other people. This is why you can arguably say the face is also part of one's trademark and people can go to great lengths to take care of it and remain beautiful. This is so evident with the increasing patronage of a wide range of cosmetic products and other skin/ aesthetic procedures. Having said all this there is an aspect of the face that is vital and is a key piece in this topic..... The skin The human skin is a large organ, and a protective cover that separates delicate internal organs, muscles and tissues from the external environment. But That's not all; it helps to maintain body temperature, it is a sense organ so it senses and recieves stimuli (e.g touch sensations) that is eventually sent to the brain for interpretation and adequate response is taken, prevents fluid loss(that is why you don't loose fluids via sweat abnormally) and it plays a role in innate immunity (defense against microbes). Without neglecting all the amazing physiological functions the skin, one cannot also ignore the role it plays in social life. How the skin generally looks (it's structure, texture and colour) can tell a lot about a person's health and general well-being (this explains why one is drawn towards an individual with a healthy and glowing skin and you consider such a person to be in good health). Genetic basis of wrinkles formation Due to an increased demand on how to slow down wrinkling and skin ageing, a lot of research has now been targeted into understanding the molecular and genetic basis associated with it. Differences in the appearance of wrinkles amongst individuals have been shown to be hereditary, however the specific gene variants have not been identified yet. Previous studies done revealed that located on chromosome 16 was the MC1R gene that encodes a receptor that plays a major role during melanogenesis (melanocortin 1 receptor) and it had a considerable effect on the skin aging independent of sun exposure. Variants of MC1R genes was shown to influence other skin aging signs like pigmented age spots but there was no significant association between MC1R variants and wrinkles, suggesting they had no clear role in facial wrinkle formation. Nevertheless, because Wrinkles appear on the skin due to rapid breakdown of collagen and eventual loss of skin elasticity, studies have also been done to understand the signaling pathway that leads to collagen breakdown and wrinkle formation. When the skin is exposed to stress factors like UV rays, multiple signaling pathways involving the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr), interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1r), tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFr), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFr) and platelet-activating factor receptor (PAF-r) are activated. A chain line reaction is in turn triggered leading to the activation of tyrosine kinase and the associated adapter proteins, which transfers the signal to the transcription factor activation protein 1 (AP-1), eventually leading to the production of Matrix metalloproteinases, MMPs (enzymes that are capable breaking down or degrading collagen) The net effect is an imbalance between between MMPs and MMP inhibitors (they limit or block the actions of MMPs from degrading collagen) in favour of MMPs, and the result is the rapid breakdown of collagen. As a consequence, sun-exposed skin is characterized by a decrease in collagen types I, III and VII. Until I come your way again...
1 comment
Young people's skin has traces of that which is old. So that ageing is a gradual process. All faces wrinkle, but in the younger face those wrinkles are released, as the underlying muscles return back to their original position. Facial muscles are unique in that one portion of the muscle is connected to the bone, while the other is connected to the skin. Whereas the body's muscles are connected to the bones, at both ends. When the facial muscles move they alter the position of the skin. When a facial muscle doesn't snap back to its original position, and remains in a contracted state, this acts to hold the skin in a pinch, fold or wrinkle. In the body, when the muscles remain contracted or some of them - this acts, to change the body's posture. The change in the body's posture and the facial aging, go together. Another way to look at it, is that when you are stressed, the face tends to look older. And when you are able to settle down or relax the face looks better or looks less aged.