For most of us, skin aging is a gradual process driven by multiple factors, both genetic and environmental.
You may not be ready to see wrinkles and sagging skin in the mirror, but there’s not a specific date you can mark on a calendar in terms of when you can expect them to arrive.
“I think ‘premature’ aging is relative for everyone,” says Jennifer Gordon, MD, dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Austin, Texas. “It is just aging faster or sooner than you want it to,” she explains.
Although genetics plays a large role in when we see these aging changes, our lifestyle can also change the timeline. Sun exposure, tanning beds, smoking, consuming an unhealthy diet, and exposure to air pollution can all contribute to premature skin aging.
If you’re starting to notice subtle skin changes, find out what to look for when, why it’s happening, and what can be done to slow down the clock.
1. Sun Spots
Sun spots, also called age spots, are areas of discoloration that appear on sun-exposed areas of skin. These can start to appear as early as your twenties, says Purvisha Patel, MD, a dermatologist based in Germantown, Tennessee. Sun exposure causes these splotches because it makes skin cells produce too much pigment (melanin), which can lead to darker areas of the skin, or hyperpigmentation.
Although not medically concerning, hyperpigmentation won’t go away without treatment.
“Sun damage causes brown spots or sun spots that are also more apparent as time goes on,” says Dr. Patel. “They may look like freckles but soon get bigger and more numerous. They are premature if [they appear] before your twenties,” she says.
What You Can Do About It When it comes to treatment, look for topical products with antioxidants like vitamin C, E, ferulic acid, and niacinamide, which help protect skin from damage and promote a more even skin tone. “SPF of at least 30 should be used daily in the morning regardless of the amount of sun one is anticipating getting,” Patel says.
2. Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Fine lines and wrinkles can definitely sneak up on you. Maybe your eyes crease when you smile or your forehead develops lines when you’re surprised. Over time, the lines that appeared only when you were moving your face begin to stick around, permanently etching themselves into your skin. “Fine lines are shallow surface-level lines that appear as the skin first starts to lose elasticity and moisture. They are common at first around the mouth and eyes,” says Patel.
You might notice fine lines forming in your twenties and thirties, Patel says.Sun damage, facial movements, smoking, and even environmental pollution can speed up the formation of lines and wrinkles. At that time, taking action by using topical moisturizers and eye creams with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid can help reduce the appearance of lines, she says.
Wrinkles differ from fine lines. “Wrinkles are deeper creases that develop over time. They are found on the forehead, eyes, mouth, and hands,” explains Patel, who adds that these may show up in your forties or fifties. Any time they show up earlier, they’re considered premature, but that can vary by ethnicity. Wrinkles will become more noticeable after age 65.
What You Can Do About It To treat wrinkles, you’ll need more than a topical solution. Options include minimally invasive treatments like neuromodulator injections (such as Botox or Dysport) or in-office procedures like lasers and radio-frequency devices, Patel says.
3. Dryness
If you’ve never had dry skin before, you may be surprised when yours is feeling parched and flakey. Moisturizers that used to work just don’t cut it, or maybe you never needed one before and now it’s a daily must in your routine. A huge factor that plays into this is the menopausal transition, which can begin as early as your early forties.
“For women, perimenopause is a huge hit to the skin. Estrogen actually stimulates collagen, and the imbalance of hormones plays an obvious role in elasticity and hydration in the skin,” says Dr. Gordon. What’s more, these estrogen-related skin changes can seem as if they appear rather abruptly (skin aging for men is more gradual), according to research.
When it comes to dryness during the menopausal transition, there is a reduction in hyaluronic acid, a natural substance in skin that attracts and retains water, sebum (oil) production, and elastin content, a structural component of skin. That makes it tougher for skin to hold onto its moisture.
What You Can Do About It Options to help hydrate skin include washing with a mild cleanser that won’t strip skin and applying topical products that contain hyaluronic acid or glycerin.
4. Crepey Skin
The springiness of the skin on your face and body depends on the structural proteins elastin and collagen. “For women, our collagen production peaks in our twenties,” says Gordon. “The loss of collagen and elastin are the culprits for loss of elasticity. Sagging also occurs because of loss of fat and bone over time,” she explains.
After collagen’s peak, the collagen content in skin decreases by about 25 percent over the next four decades.
In addition, loss of facial fat and changes in facial bone architecture affect the way the face appears. “[This gives] the skin a different structure to hang on,” says Patel. You can notice hallowing (volume loss) around the eyes, temples, and cheeks, she says.
Skin may also appear to “droop” or be saggy. Crepiness can become more visible on the body due to significant weight loss, dry skin, and sun damage, including tanning bed use.
If this happens before your forties, it’s considered premature, adds Patel.
What You Can Do About It If you find sagging bothersome and wish to treat it, there are numerous therapies to consider, including lifestyle, topical, and procedures. For example, moisturizing, using retinoid creams, noninvasive and minimally invasive skin tightening procedures (ultrasound, radio frequency, laser), and supportive lifestyle habits, like maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, and quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, can all help.
For loss of volume, Patel recommends using topical serums with hyaluronic acid. You can also talk to a dermatologist about hyaluronic acid fillers, which is when the molecule is injected under the skin to improve volume, or collagen-stimulating injections. In terms of body skin, nonsurgical body contouring procedures, radio frequency, and even cosmetic surgery may be treatments to consider, depending on the severity of the issue and your goals.
5. Bruising
One common change in skin with age that doesn’t get as much attention as the others is bruising easily. “Nobody really knows why our skin starts to bruise easily,” says Gordon. “Most likely it is part sun damage, part thinning [of skin], and part loss of strength of vasculature (blood vessels),” she explains.
Having fragile skin that bruises easily is part of a condition called dermatoporosis.Research suggests that this might affect about one-third of adults ages 60 to 80 years old. In addition to bruising, older adults may also notice that their skin tears more easily (is “papery”) and takes longer to heal than when they were younger.
What You Can Do About It When it comes to treatment, topical retinoids help stimulate the production of skin cells, which thickens skin. Products containing topical alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may also help with skin. And finally, what you eat matters, as inadequate protein intake promotes skin fragility and poor skin healing. People older than 70 should aim to consume at least 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
The Takeaway
Premature skin aging refers to signs of skin aging that show up earlier than expected. Many factors contribute to premature skin aging, such as sun and pollution exposure, genetics, and dietary and lifestyle habits.
Different signs of skin aging appear at different stages of a person’s life, usually starting in your twenties, with other signs appearing in your forties and fifties. These signs of aging can range from wrinkles and fine lines to sagging skin to dryness and bruising.
Numerous topical products, procedures, and minimally invasive treatments can treat signs of skin aging. Talk to a board-certified dermatologist about your options.
