What Are the First Parts of the Face to Show Signs Of Aging?
By Jonathan Zizmor | Published on August 9, 2010 | 0 Comments
The skin is among the first parts of the body to begin showing the signs of aging, which is why so many resources around the world have been devoted to finding ways to reverse the wrinkling and sagging that most people experience as they get older. Dr. Jonathan Zizmor, a respected dermatologist in NYC, explains that there are a number of treatment options available to men and women who are concerned with the way their skin looks.
Increasingly, the age of patients coming into Dr. Zizmor’s office for anti-aging facial treatments is getting younger and younger. Rather than waiting until they are in their 50s to begin seeking treatment, men and women in NYC today are making their first visits to the dermatologist at 30 instead. Dr. Zizmor’s anti-aging treatments such as facial fillers and injectables are among the most sought-after options.
Genetics can play a large role in determining how someone’s skin is going to look as she ages, as does the amount of sun exposure that someone got as a child. Because of this, Dr. Zizmor says that there is no specific part of the face that begins showing signs of aging before any other part. It is the skin as a whole, across the entire face and body, that most patients want addressed.
The effects of excess sun exposure can take between 20 and 30 years to show up on the skin, which means any sunburns a person gets today won’t start causing wrinkling and lax skin issues until at least two decades from now. Sun damage is cumulative, and it has a long incubation period, according to Dr. Zizmor. He recommends that people think of their skin as a tall building—it can withstand some deconstruction and removal of columns, but it eventually it is going to collapse and all come down at once.
The effects of skin aging that people in NYC complain about the most are crow’s feet—which are the lines around the outside of the eyes, lifeless or dull skin, sagging skin, wrinkling skin, and moles. Dr. Zizmor says that most of the issues that patients will see him about are simply caused by the process of aging.
The reason this is the case has to do with the collagen in the skin, which reduces naturally as people get older. As it does, the skin becomes thinner and starts to sag. This causes lines and wrinkles to appear, especially around the eyes, forehead, and nasal labial folds. Seeing new moles is another common occurrence as people get older. In fact, Dr. Zizmor says that his father even suffered from this problem.
Although most of the moles that people sprout as they age are benign, there is a chance that they could become cancerous or precancerous. Because of this, Dr. Zizmor recommends that these types of moles be removed by a dermatologist. In NYC, this is a fairly common procedure that can be done quickly in a doctor’s office.
The good news, according to Dr. Zizmor, is that most people do not experience all of these signs of aging at once. Rather, just one or two problems tend to spring up at a time. Interestingly though, he goes on to explain that the aging issue that he notices first on a patient is rarely what he comes in for. For example, if he notices the crow’s feet around someone’s eyes, there is a good chance that the person could actually be visiting his office for help with skin laxity issues. That is why it is so important that dermatologists listen to their patients when determining the best course of treatment, rather than simply going with their own opinions as to which aging problems should be fixed first.
The goal for Dr. Zizmor is always to deliver the results that his patients want without having to resort to surgery. He offers customized treatment plans and says that 80% to 90% of the men and women he sees choose to get started during their very first consultation appointment.
Procedures like Thermage, Botox, chemical peels, and laser treatments are always preferable to face lifts, because face lifts require a painful recovery process and they oftentimes do not work. Dr. Zizmor also discourages patients from trying cosmetic procedures available from anyone other than a medical professional, since many of these procedures cannot give people the results they truly want.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.