The ageing process affects every single cell in our bodies, and the skin, being the largest organ in the human body, is no exception - in fact it is where the ageing generally becomes more evident. But apart from the visible changes in our bodies, how much do we actually know about skin ageing? Is it to be blamed exclusively on our genes or there are also other factors in play?
There are two contributing factors to how we age:
Intrinsic Ageing, which is known as chronological ageing. It is the inevitable and genetically determined process that naturally occurs. It is out of our hands and something that is "in our genes". It counts for 50% of how we age.
Then we have Extrinsic Ageing, which counts for the other 50%. It is the part of ageing that goes above and beyond genetics.
It involves lifestyle, environment, stress, diet, pollution, and even sleep. These are all factors that we can control.