Some thoughts on Ageing

Todays post is about ageing.

Lately I have been involved in conversations about ageing with several different people of varying ages. The common theme is the lack of control of the ageing process.

I know that there are many different procedures that a person can have to ‘lift’, ‘fill’, ‘tuck’ and ‘plump’ the body. For some this is within their scope, however, for many others it is not. Though, it doesn’t matter how much we can and do spend on the bodywork, it’s what’s under the skin that can create problems.

From ‘growing up’ to ‘growing old’

Once we are born, we continue to grow and develop until we have reached puberty. It is at this point our genetic program tells us to stop growing.

From an evolutionary viewpoint, once our genes have managed the growth and development of our body to the point that it can reproduce, the purpose for growth is complete.

When do we start to age?

It is at some point after this that the body starts to age and each person ages at a unique rate. Some systems begin ageing as early as age 30. Other ageing processes are not common until much later in life.

Ageing is a complex process that varies as to how it affects different people and even different organs. How we age is subject to many lifelong influences. These influences include heredity, environment, culture, diet, exercise and leisure, past illnesses, and many other factors.

Ageing ‘under the bodywork’

All vital organs begin to lose some function as we age during adulthood. These age related changes occur in all of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs, and these changes affect the functioning of all body systems.

As the connective tissue ages, it changes and becomes stiffer. This is more evident and something we sometimes feel.

The cell membranes also change with age, causing many tissues to have trouble getting oxygen and nutrients, as well as removing carbon dioxide and other wastes.

Because of these cell and tissue changes, our organs also change as we age. Our ageing organs slowly lose function. Most people do not notice this loss immediately, because we rarely need to use our organs to their fullest ability.

Usually these changes appear slowly and over a long period.

Although some changes always occur with ageing, they occur at different rates and to different extents. There is no way to predict exactly how we will age.

The biggest hurdle for most of us is how we work with our ageing body. Many of us would like to remain fit and healthy for as long as possible. A subject of many scientific studies with no definitive answer – yet.

All of us deal with ageing differently; some people are more accepting of their age while others fight it till the end.

There is always a lot of media coverage about how young people are having issues with body image. There is not so much about the ageing population having self esteem issues around ageing.

Just something to think about,

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper.

( Source – Medline Plus )

Eyes, Bags and Dark Circles

Todays post is about under eye bags and dark circles.

This is a topic that has been discussed quite a bit lately with some of my friends and colleagues.
I decided to conduct some research into this topic to learn more about it. As usual I am sharing my newfound knowledge with you.

First, a bit about the eye area.

Our eyes sit in the eye socket and are supported there by many small muscles. There are also very small pads of fat that provide support to the tissue and skin around our eyes.
There are also a number of glands in the eyelids that provide the liquids that become our tears. The larger of the glands, located under the outside edge of the eyebrows, produces the watery part of the tears. There are series of small glands along the edge of the lower lids that makes the oil that becomes another part of the tear film.
The lower eyelid is composed of very thin skin, a small plate of dense connective tissue and muscles that close and open the lid. The shape of the lower eyelid is determined by the attachment of the supporting tendons as well as the tone and contraction of the muscles.

How do under eye bags develop?

Sometimes, the shape of the lower eyelids, including ‘bags’ can be a hereditary trait.
The most common cause of bags under the eyes is ageing.
As we age, the skin surrounding the eyes becomes thinner and loses elasticity. The muscles around the eyes also lose strength and density. Over time the fat pads that provide the support to the structure around the eye area, increase in size.
The combinations of these conditions can create drooping of the upper eyelids and the ‘bags’ under the eyes.
Excess fluid in the body can also pool there, making the lower lids more swollen, however this is usually a temporary issue.

So what causes dark circles?

The dark circles that can develop under the eyes as we age are often caused by the same conditions. As we have less tissue between the boney eye socket and the surface of the skin. This creates a slight hollow under the eyes, which is known as a tear trough, and can cause the area to appear darker.
Dark circles under the eyes can also be caused by other factors.
These include: pigmentation, allergies, anemia, dehydration, poor sleep and smoking.
Some medicated eye drops also cause discolouration of the skin around the eyes.

Sources – www.sciencedirect.com, www.emedicine.medscape.com, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, www.aao.org, www.researchgate.net,

How do we reduce eye bags and dark circles?

This is the million-dollar question.
There are many cosmetic companies, pharmaceutical companies, beauty clinics and plastic surgeons all vying for our business in this area.
The Internet is filled with home remedies and weird solutions for reducing eye bags and dark circles.

As each person’s skin is different and the causes for the appearance of dark circles are different, the solutions will be different.
For some, the only solution may be surgery, for others it may be a cream or make-up.

If you have either one, or both of these conditions, I hope that this information has helped you understand more about it.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper