Myra Rhinehardt, age 15, of Atlanta, Ga., for her question:
WHAT CAUSES THE SKIN OF THE FACE TO WRINKLE?
Skin is that very important surface of our bodies about which we have much concern. We all want to keep it looking good. It is made up of layers of flattened cells, and the outer layer is waterproof. Skin helps to keep our bodies at the proper temperature by handling the important job of evaporating perspiration and by controlling the amount of blood near the body surface.
Our skin, indeed, is important. It helps the body rid itself of wastes and acts as the conductor of such sensations as touch, pain, heat and cold.
The outer skin, called the epidermis, is made up of a number of layers. Outermost is the stratum corneum, made of many closely packed, dead, cornified, greatly flattened cells. These are continuously being cast off from the surface and being replaced from lower layers.
Next layer of the epidermis is the stratum lucdum, made up of layers of closely packed scale like cells. Third epidermis layer down is the stratum granulosum, made up of cells which are not so flattened and containing a substance called eleidin. Finger and toe nails are considered modifications of this layer. Next layer is the stratum germinativum, where skin pigment is found and replacement cells for the epidermis are made.
The skin's inner layer is called the dermis or corium. This is made up of a network of dense and interlacing fibers of connective tissue. Here's where you'll find a rich supply of blood vessels and hair follicles, glands and nerve endings.
Skin of the face, in most older people, wrinkles as a part of the slow, natural process of aging. It also wrinkles because elderly people have great elasticity of the outer layers of their skin.
The skin's inner layers are fatty and fairly thick while the outer layers are much thinner and more elastic. The outer layers stretch tightly over the muscles of the face. In many older people the elastic outer layer of skin stretches too much and falls into folds or wrinkles.
Wrinkles of the face also appear at times with very thin people. With fat taken away from under the skin, the outer layer appears to be loose and it falls into wrinkles.
Wrinkles, for the most part are part of the aging process. Also common as a person gets older is excessively dry, itchy skin caused because the oily, wet covering that helps to minimize loss of moisture from the skin is reduced. Lubricating lotion. can help.