By Abigail Knowles Wolfe


Aging is one of those things that strikes fear into the hearts of women of all ethnicities. The prevalence and availability of botox and restylane® injections for women concerned with fine lines and wrinkles they fear age them reflects many women’s growing worries. Even women in their early twenties worry about prolonging a youthful appearance nowadays!

There are many contributing factors to the aging process including diet, exercise, lifestyle, sun-exposure and genetics. Two of the worst contributing factors to skin damage are the sun and smoking. Smoking produces free radicals which are defined as formerly healthy oxygen molecules now overactive and unstable. Smokers age themselves a great deal with this negative lifestyle choice.

Sun exposure doesn’t tend to be as big of an issue for African American women who practice smarter sun protection than lighter skinned Asians, Hispanics and Anglos who may use a sun tan as a “glamorizer.” While sun damage, often referred to as “photoaging,” may not be visible to those who tan in their twenties and thirties it can be viewed under a microscope already physically damaging skin fibers called elastin. When elastin breaks down skin sags and stretches, losing its ability to heal, repair itself and essentially bounce back.

Skin naturally thins with age however the melanin present in brown skin provides a natural barrier from the sun in African American women, meaning fewer signs of aging and less damage. This is why African American women often appear younger than Caucasian women of the same age. Furthermore the natural changes that do occur as African American skin ages are delayed so that they occur at much later stages of life than many other ethnicities. No wonder African American women are recognized for having such beautiful skin! To keep skin beautiful a healthy diet, enough exercise, proper sleep habits and a good skin care regime are a necessity for looking and feeling beautiful every day.

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