Are you one of those people who would like to look as young as they feel? Then you might be interested in how you can get through your best years of life without wrinkles. For many people, pronounced facial expression or forehead wrinkles are still the most memorable signs of increasing age.
Their education has therefore long been the subject of research. The main question here is how to delay the premature development of these striking signs of old age.
Mostly people search for an “antidote” that is as natural as possible and reduces the formation of eye wrinkles and other furrows in the skin.
Can amino acid complexes help you maintain an appearance that is as wrinkle-free as possible? This is the question that we will explore in this article.
Proteins and the skin
Did you know that your body consists of 20% protein? Protein is another word for egg white.
The amino acids, as the smallest building blocks, are the basis of proteins. Proteins and their smallest building blocks not only influence a multitude of metabolic processes in the human organism. They are also literally building materials for all body tissues. In any case, this is true for some types of them.
For example, so-called collagens form the structure of our connective tissue and various skin layers such as the subcutis.
Proteins are therefore indispensable for the skin. But why do the elasticity and smooth appearance of our skin change with increasing age?
Wrinkle formation of the skin in the course of life
From a scientific point of view, the formation of wrinkles and expression lines is primarily a natural phenomenon of old age.
The dreaded skin lines develop when the epidermis (the uppermost layer of skin) is less well-nourished with age.
You should know that the epidermis is supplied with blood via wave-like contact surfaces in the dermis.
The contact surfaces become flatter with increasing age so that the contact is no longer fully established.
Now the blood no longer reaches every part of the skin. As the blood is responsible for supplying nutrients throughout the body, the skin in those areas increasingly lacks proteins, vitamins and other nutrients.
This deficiency can be recognized among other things by the fact that your skin becomes thinner. In addition, more and more fine as well as distinct lines are forming.
Perhaps you have already noticed that age-related skin changes occur individually in each person. Overall, however, different focal points of skin ageing at different ages could be identified:
- In the age between 30 and 50 years, especially our skin in the nose-lip area ages.
- Around 40, many people develop the fine lines in the corners of the eyes that we know as crow’s feet. Often the first lines appear on the forehead. The mouth and neck are also increasingly affected. Usually, the first changes in the cheek area also occur during this period. There the skin loses fat and elasticity so that the cheeks sink down slightly.
- From the age of 60 onwards, fat loss also continues to progress in other areas such as the chin. The skin around the eyes casts more intense wrinkles. Due to a shrinking of the skull bone, more flabby skin is formed in the head area.
According to current scientific findings, these periods correspond to the typical and average changes of the skin with age. Nevertheless, these signs of ageing occur very individually in each person. Some people still look 30 in their fifties, while others already have occasional crow’s feet and deepening skin lines in their 30s.
Are there other factors that determine the intensity and progress of skin ageing?
Factors that promote skin ageing
In fact, according to the current state of knowledge, various other factors have an effect on skin ageing.
Those are some of the factors that play a role here:
- intensive sunlight (UV radiation)
- smoking
- alcohol
- certain dietary habits, such as an increased intake of sugar
- possibly genetic factors
The negative effect of UV radiation and smoking on the condition of our skin has one cause. In both cases, so-called free radicals are increasingly active.
Free radicals are aggressive oxygen molecules that are very readily bound. This means that they move within our body system and try to form a chemical bond with other molecules. Free radicals are considered to be a motor for ageing in general. They attack cells in order to create a corresponding binding with cell molecules. This damages the cells. This also applies to the skin cells.
As far as alcohol and sugar are concerned, there is another effect as a negative component for skin health.
In our body, sugar combines with certain proteins. In this context, we speak of glycation. In the process, sugar molecules also attach themselves to the fibres of collagen. A defective collagen molecule is formed and causes the collagen fibres to lose their flexibility and elasticity. This can be seen, among other things, in the formation of lines and furrows. Remember that sugar is also contained in many alcoholic beverages.
Whether the development of wrinkles also depends on hereditary components has not yet been conclusively clarified. However, there are many indications that this is the case because every person ages to an individual degree. This is true even if external factors and living conditions are similar.
Building materials for the beauty of the skin
Protein building blocks form the basis of every body tissue. That is why our skin benefits from a sufficient supply of these natural building blocks at any age.
In addition, however, an amino acid mix can also have a positive effect on skin health. The focus here is not only on the essential representatives of the protein building blocks.
You may know that non-essential and essential forms of protein building blocks are distinguished. The human organism cannot produce the essential representatives itself, so they must be supplied regularly with the diet. The non-essential species are produced by the body itself. Semi-essential protein building blocks are essential in certain life situations.
The following protein building blocks are of particular importance when it comes to reducing and maintaining skin ageing.
L-Arginine
The semi-essential amino acid L-Arginine forms creatine together with other building blocks. It plays a major role in the nitrogen metabolism of the human organism. Thus it has an effect on the elasticity and health of our blood vessels, among other things. L-Arginine is therefore considered an important amino acid for skin health and the repair of skin damage.
L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is together with L-Arginine indispensable for the formation of creatine. Furthermore, this substance has an important function in the processing and metabolism of fatty acids. L-Carnitine could thus help to delay ageing processes by increasing the fitness of body and skin. The exact connections are not yet known in detail.
Methionine, Glutamine, Lysine and others
Various other protein components such as methionine, lysine, glycine, proline or glutamine are increasingly the subject of research in the context of skin ageing.
For example, glutamine has an important function in the regulation of the acid-base balance. This, in turn, has negative effects on the firmness of the skin and the skin’s appearance in general if it is not in balance. The exact interrelationships must be further scientifically substantiated.
The various processes involved are very complex because glutamine plays a role in the formation of various hormones, among other things. The hormone balance also has an effect on ageing processes in general and in the skin. Women entering the menopause notice many skin changes due to the lack of sex hormones.
Creatine
Creatine is produced from various other protein building blocks by the body itself. It has several functions in the field of cell metabolism and cell renewal. This is why the substance is generally regarded as a kind of miracle weapon for combating skin ageing. Studies have not yet been able to provide clear scientific proof of this connection. This is mainly because creatine interacts with many other factors and substances.
Nutrition in general
The older we get, the more important is a diet that provides us with all the nutrients we need. According to current knowledge, proteins play a key role in this process. Together with various vitamins and other micronutrients, the proteins, as building blocks, ensure that the skin maintains a youthful appearance. Together with other substances, they fight free radicals. In addition, proteins are the motor for many different metabolic processes.
At the same time, the need for protein supply can increase with age. One of the reasons for this is the natural ageing process. Various reactions and processes in the human organism are less straightforward with increasing age than in younger years.
If you want to maintain a youthful appearance for longer, then consider an additional intake of protein building blocks.
Protein and skin ageing
It is still too early to speak of protein building blocks directly against wrinkles. However, there is increasing evidence in studies and experience reports that protein components can generally counteract skin ageing. This topic will be the subject of research among scientists and physicians for some more time to come.
However, one thing is already clear at this point in time:
A sufficient supply of protein is even more important in old age than in younger years. In any case, skin health benefits from an adequate supply of protein. An intensive premature formation of skin lines and furrows are not necessary. Pay attention to your lifestyle and diet. Make sure you get more protein.