The natural aging process and various lifestyle and environmental factors can impact the appearance of your skin. Volume loss is a common issue that can impact your appearance. You may wonder, what causes loss of facial volume? Below you will find the various causes and what you can do to address the issue. So what causes loss of facial volume?
Natural Aging and Your Skin
The natural aging process comes with changes that can impact the look of your skin and facial volume. Collagen and elastin are important proteins that keep your skin firm and youthful-looking. Collagen is a protein your body naturally produces. However, it naturally declines beginning in your late 20s to early 30s and continues to decline throughout your lifetime. This can lead to a number of skin-related issues, including volume loss, wrinkles, and dry sagging skin.
Similar to collagen, elastin is another abundant protein that your body naturally produces. It’s stretchy like a rubber band and helps keep your skin tight and voluminous. Elastin fibers weaken as you age, leading to a number of issues with your skin. While collagen and elastin naturally break down over time, there are certain lifestyle factors and other causes that can break them down much faster.
What Causes Loss of Facial Volume?
Volume loss is part of the natural aging process. However, there are certain factors that can accelerate the aging process and negatively impact your skin. Consider the following causes of facial volume loss.
Environmental Factors:
Smoking, tobacco use, sun exposure, and pollution can negatively impact your skin. They each produce free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that damage cells. They specifically break down the collagen and elastin in your skin. Collagen and elastin are often referred to as “biological Velcro” and these environmental factors impact your skin’s ability to stay firm.
Weight Changes:
Major weight fluctuations can impact your skin and its ability to bounce back. Weight gain causes your skin to stretch out. Your skin may not bounce back after weight gain as the fibers were stretched too fat. This can lead to skin sagging and volume loss in your face.
Lifestyle Factors:
Chronic stress, poor sleep, or other mental health issues can ultimately impact the appearance of your face. An overall unhealthy lifestyle can be just as impactful as environmental factors. They can each cause issues such as fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, under-eye bags, skin sagging, and volume loss.
Hormonal Changes:
Hormones impact the quality of fat we produce, in addition to where it is produced. Hormone depletion occurs due to the natural aging process. However, it can also be caused by illness, medication, or even being underweight. As your hormones naturally deplete with age, it can impact the amount and location of fat on your face. Hormonal changes also impact the health of your bones. It can cause them to recede, flatten, and shorten, which can all impact the volume in your face.
Preventing Volume Loss
Preventing and treating volume loss consists of a variety of factors. Consider the following to keep your skin looking youthful and voluminous at any age.
- Cosmetic Treatments: Dermal fillers are highly effective in addressing the signs of aging, specifically volume loss. Sculptra in Burbank is an injectable dermal filler that not only restores lost volume, but also reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Regular cosmetic treatments can ensure your skin looks flawless.
- SPF and Skincare: Sun protection is non-negotiable when it comes to the health of your skin. Use at least SPF every day even if you aren’t going outside. In addition to SPF, maintain a consistent daily skincare routine in the morning and at night. This should include a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, SPF, and any other products that address your unique skincare needs. Discuss your skincare routine with a skincare specialist at medspa in Burbank to determine what products are right for you.
- Diet and Exercise: Maintaining a stable weight is beneficial for your skin and overall health. Avoid rapid weight loss and maintain a healthy diet and regularly exercise.
