Women age earlier than men due to shrinking of facial bones
My previous research has shown that you are old when your skin is old and that is why I have always emphasized the importance of skincare. But latest research shows that apart from the skin, there is something else that contributes to aging – your bones. The shrinking of facial bones plays a surprisingly significant part in facial aging, according to a study presented at the ASPS conference.
According to the study, facial bones remodel themselves with time, dissolving, shrinking and leaving empty spaces. In addition, people lose skin elasticity as they become older. As bones shrink, the skin cannot tighten around the skeleton causing drooping and wrinkles that make the face look older.
Many people believe that only gravity creates wrinkles; however, we have discovered the loss of volume in the face and changes in bone structure also contribute to making us look older, said Dr. David Kahn, co-author of the study. As we age, not only do we lose fat in our faces but our bones actually change in contour, often making us look older than we feel. (Related: How to age like a French woman)
But sadly enough for women, the study found that women had a significant decrease in facial bone volume at a younger age than men, causing women to see the signs of aging somewhat earlier. This earlier change in bone structure also means that women need to start thinking about anti-aging measures earlier than men.
What can be done to deal with the problem?
Our findings lead us to believe soft tissue augmentation will play an even greater part in facial rejuvenation in the future, responds Dr. Kahn. By using fillers, along with other cosmetic plastic surgery techniques such as forehead lifts and soft tissue repositioning, plastic surgeons can recreate volume loss caused by dissolving or shrinking bone and lift the skin to create better, more refined results for patients.
No surprise then that more than 114,000 facelifts and nearly 55,000 forehead lifts were performed in 2004 in the US, according to ASPS. The majority of these procedures were performed on women. (Related article: Tips on getting rid of wattle or so called loose skin in the neck region)
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