ABSTRACT
In skin aging, collagen and elastin are degraded and neocollagenesis is inhibited. The DNA of living cells is also damaged [2,3].
The intrinsic process of chronological aging results from thinning of the epidermis and dermis and loss of elasticity. This process affects all layers of the face, including subcutaneous tissue, the musculofascial system, the supercial musculoaponeurotic system, and the facial skeleton. The result is bony resorption, atrophy of subcutaneous fat, attenuation of the musculobrous system, and alterations of skin surface. The dermal-epidermal junction attens, which results in loss of rete ridges and a thinner appearance to the epidermis. The dermis also becomes thin, with a decrease in elastic bers, collagen production, vascularity, and ground substance. The biochemical alterations in collagen and elastin result in a dermis that is more lax, yet less elastic and resilient. Collectively, these changes result in ne wrinkling of the skin and sagging of the tissues that overlay the facial skeleton [4].
