“Same age… but why? Why is our skin more wrinkled?” Many people may have this question in mind, even facing direct questions from colleagues or classmates met at various events. Some may think… those who still look beautiful, handsome, or good-looking often have undergone cosmetic surgery. Some may not pay attention because they believe the body naturally deteriorates with age. And many may be enjoying their strong years, thinking they must live life to the fullest. But how many actually pay attention to premature aging clearly visible from the external appearance? This deterioration can result from both external factors and internal body problems because various systems and organs work interconnectedly, whether it is the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, musculoskeletal system, or reproductive system. If any one system malfunctions, it inevitably affects the others. Both internal and external factors are all interconnected.
Internal Factors
Starting with genetics, which we may not be able to change. However, with current medical technology, we can examine down to the genetic or gene level to understand the risks of various diseases, allowing for monitoring and risk reduction, especially for different types of cancer. Aging is also linked to the decline in hormone system function, including growth hormones and sex hormones in both women and men. Therefore, it is necessary to have check-ups for adjustments before leading to abnormalities in other body systems, which are all interconnected.
External Factors
These include food, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, sunlight, as well as our own behaviors such as exercise, diet, and rest. All of these impact the body at the molecular level, such as causing an imbalance of antioxidants, deficiency of minerals and vitamins from consuming incomplete or insufficient nutrients, excessive alcohol consumption causing the liver to work harder, work-related stress leading to insomnia, or regularly staying up late, all of which affect hormone secretion. Outdoor activities, whether work or exercise, if not properly protected or cared for, will cause both short-term and long-term damage to the skin.
All these factors cause the body to deteriorate, muscles to atrophy, fat accumulation to increase, skin to become rough, dry, wrinkled, and develop lines, irritability, decreased memory and concentration, as well as possibly reduced sexual function. If these problems are left unaddressed, one day it may be too late to fix. Therefore, we should be aware, “Are we taking good care of our health today?” If not, we should start paying more attention and care. If any health problems cannot be resolved or restored by ourselves, consulting a specialist doctor is definitely one solution that can help us.
