Why does our skin wrinkle as we get older?
Skin's Time Map
Why does our skin wrinkle as we get older?
Look at your hands right now. The skin is smooth, stretchy, bouncy — pull it and it snaps right back. But if you look at your grandparents' hands, you'll see something different: little lines, soft folds, skin that doesn't bounce back quite as fast. What's happening under there?
Your skin is made of layers, like a sandwich. The top layer you see is tough and waterproof. But the magic happens in the layer underneath — the dermis — where two proteins work together like a mattress and springs. Collagen is the mattress: thick, strong fibers that give your skin structure. Elastin is the springs: stretchy fibers that let your skin bounce back when you move.
