Skin Health Ages & Stages

Skin Changes

From the silky smoothness of a baby's skin to the wise wrinkles of an 80-year-old, perhaps nothing reflects the movement of time as well as our skin. In addition to the effects of exposure-to sun, toxins, wind and dry air-changing hormones play a major role.

Here's a look at your skin through the ages.

Infancy and childhood. These are the golden years of skin and should be treated as such. By and large, children's skin is the healthiest skin professionals see. But this is also the time when the greatest damage -albeit unseen-may occur. That's why it's so important to protect children from the sun with the appropriate clothing, hats and sunscreen, as well as limiting their exposure to the sun during its most intense hours, usually 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in most parts of the country.

Teenage years. As levels of reproductive hormones surge, particularly androgens, oil production increases and acne arrives. There's no reason to suffer, though. A variety of over-the-counter and prescription products can keep pimples and blackheads in check. A more serious problem in teenaged girls, however, is their quest for a tan. Just four in 10 adolescent girls wear sunscreen, while only a third say they limit their sun exposure. Teenaged girls also flock to tanning booths, with nearly one in four girls 15 and older saying they use tanning beds.

Twenties and 30s. You've still got glowing skin, but the aging process is beginning to show. Little by little, your skin begins losing components of connective tissue such as collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, affecting skin tone. Now is the time to begin a skin-care regimen if you haven't already. Wash your face regularly with a mild cleanser and apply moisturizer with sunscreen and antioxidants daily.

Pregnancy. About 90 percent of pregnant women develop hyperpigmentation, an overproduction of pigment that produces dark spots, and many develop melasma or chloasma, dark spots on their face and arms known as the "mask of pregnancy." Both are related to hormones and, luckily, as hormone levels return to normal after pregnancy, they usually disappear. Additionally, about 90 percent of pregnant women develop stretch marks during late pregnancy as the underlying layers of their skin stretch. Using lotions or creams containing alpha-hydroxy acids may help lighten these marks, but once you have them, they never disappear completely. Trying not to gain excess weight during pregnancy is a better bet for avoiding stretch marks. The hormones of pregnancy can also affect existing skin conditions. Your acne and eczema may get worse, while your psoriasis may improve.

Perimenopause and menopause. As you move into the years just before and after menopause, expect to see not only the age-related changes in your skin already discussed, but also more facial hair due to hormonal changes that lead to higher levels of androgen hormones compared to estrogen. African-American women and women of Mediterranean and Arab descent are more likely to have this problem. You may also notice larger pores as collagen breaks down. And while hormone therapy has its pros and cons, women who take supplemental estrogen generally find their skin feels smoother and moister. Your skin changes in other ways as you age. For instance, many elderly people develop skin lesions or growths. Most are harmless age spots, but some may be precursors to skin cancer. Older people are also more susceptible to certain skin diseases such as shingles (herpes zoster), varicose veins, leg ulcers, and seborrheic dermatitis, a skin rash. Other common problems include bruising and itching, particularly as skin thins and becomes more fragile with age.

This publication was produced with the support of an educational grant by the Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.