What are the peculiarities of the “Russian” type of aging and how to avoid it

Aging is an inevitable process. And although today there are ways to slow it down or hide age-related changes, sooner or later time takes its toll. Gradually, skin cells change, and this affects the appearance.

Geographical location, namely climate, also has a significant impact on the aging process. Depending on its peculiarities, people around the world age differently. Cosmetology identifies four main types of aging: fine wrinkled, tired, deformed and muscular. There is also a combined type, which shows signs of several types at once.

In America, Europe and Asia, the most common types of aging are those in which a clear facial oval is preserved. This is directly related to the position of the regions relative to the equator: the closer to it, the stronger the sun and less gravity. As a rule, the inhabitants of these regions have thinner skin with a small amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue.

What age changes Russians are genetically susceptible to and how to minimize them, we will discuss together with cosmetologist Elena Gretsova.

The main types of aging

Many people consider the most “attractive” version of aging, in which the contour of the face is well preserved and remains clear. In this case, even if fine lines and wrinkles appear on the skin prone to dryness, the face still looks quite taut and does not lose structure. Such changes are characteristic of the fine wrinkle type.

Similar symptoms are manifested in the muscular type. But in this case, among other things, skin pigmentation is disturbed, nasolabial folds become more pronounced, the corners of the lips are lowered and the eyelids overhang.

Among the features of the tired type are the following: skin tone is reduced, it loses its radiance and becomes drier. Tear furrows and nasal folds are also drawn more vividly, and wrinkles appear around the lips.

The “Russian” type of aging

For the inhabitants of our climatic belt with age is characterized by a significant deformation of facial features. There are two main reasons for this. First, the peculiarities of the structure of the jaw: in many Russians it is slightly pushed back, because of which the oval of the face loses its clear contour in old age. Secondly, climatic conditions. If, for example, in the West, the skin is adapted to a large amount of sunlight, in Russia – to prolonged low temperatures and sun deficit.

Excessive subcutaneous fat layer becomes the reason for the appearance of pimples, bags under the eyes, sagging eyelids and folds. In addition, due to the more tangible force of gravity, the face seems to “flow” downward and loses its shape. Although the skin becomes flabby, but due to the greater density of the skin is slower to fade, and pigment spots are very rare.

This type of aging is called deformation aging and is the most common in Russia. According to a 2012 study, the deformational type of aging accounts for about 37% of people worldwide.

Elena: This type of age-related changes is more prone to people with oily, porous and combination skin, as well as with a tendency to fullness. Aggravating factors are heredity, the presence of bad habits (sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, smoking), ill-advised cosmetic care, the presence of internal diseases.

With age, people with deformational type of aging has an excess of subcutaneous fatty tissue, due to which there are changes in microcirculation. All this leads to the formation of pronounced swelling of tissues and deformation of the facial oval. For example, there is a double chin, cheeks sag and covered with a network of vessels, nasolabial fold becomes more pronounced.

Prevention in youth

As the expert notes, the best treatment is prevention at a young age. It involves proper nutrition and maintenance of water balance, a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, the absence of bad habits. It is also important to provide the body with all the necessary vitamins and microelements, proper cosmetic care with the use of products with sun protection factors.

Elena: Unfortunately, starting from the age of 25 our skin starts involution processes – the amount of collagen and elastin (proteins responsible for the tone and lifting of facial tissues) decreases annually, the quantity and quality of hyaluronic acid changes. It is important to start taking care of your skin at this age to prevent pronounced facial changes.

How to fight aging?

In the arsenal of modern cosmetology there are many techniques to combat the signs of aging deformation type. To reduce the swelling of facial tissues, there are invasive and non-invasive techniques. The first involve violation of the integrity of the skin. For example, mesotherapy – the introduction of vitamin cocktails under the skin. Non-invasive – without violating the integrity of the skin – include manual and apparatus lymphatic drainage massage, microcurrent therapy.

Elena: If the oval of the face has already begun to change and appeared moderate nasolabial and lip chin folds or second chin, the ideal procedures will be radiofrequency, laser or ultrasound lifting, or thread facelift. But the procedure of contour plastic surgery should be used with special care, because there is a risk of exacerbating swelling (as hyaluronic acid attracts water molecules). With severely pronounced age-related changes, plastic surgery is already indicated. And for the elimination of vascular stars recommended phototherapy, which occurs “collapse” of the walls of capillaries and the vascular network disappears.

The doctor warns that self-treatment in the presence of deformational type of age-related changes can only aggravate the process, so it is better not to take risks and consult a specialist.