Back to the topic of aging this week. We’ve talked a lot about how free radicals age skin. A second major cause of aging is inflammation – the chronic kind.
Chronic inflammation sustained daily and over a lifetime ages the skin considerably. It is also a major cause of various diseases, such as heart disease.
When you hear the word inflammation, what comes to mind? You probably think of redness, swelling, pain, or heat. This is what happens to your skin when it is injured, infected, or irritated. These signs describe an acute inflammation, or what is known as local inflammation.
Chronic inflammation is different. It is invisible. You can’t see it because it occurs at a low intensity.
But what is happening beneath the skin is a very different story. What causes chronic inflammation if there is no obvious injury or infection?
Free Radicals. (Here we go again. The nasty free radical.)
Free radicals start an inflammatory reaction that leads to the release of enzymes called MMP’s. MMP’s chew up collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. The dermis flattens. Skin ages.
Chronic inflammation is unavoidable, because free radicals are unavoidable. But we can control it by incorporating anti-inflammatory ingredients in skin care products and eating anti-inflammatory foods, such as garlic, ginger, and onions.
