All the inhabitants of our planet are exposed to ultraviolet radiation, including almost equally photoaging manifests itself in both women and men! Some European sources claim that with age, men become more vulnerable to the sun's rays than women.
Actinic elastosis or senile elastosis, elastoidosis – the process of degeneration of collagen fibers in the skin with prolonged exposure to UV rays. Usually observed in adulthood (senile elastosis). There are described cases of the appearance of actinic elastosis in children, as well as young people with increased sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation.
How photoaging of the skin manifests itself
Clinically, elastosis manifests itself as pale yellow areas with diamond-shaped slits and grooves, especially on the neck (cutis rhomboidale nuchae), as well as on the face, hands and forearms. Sometimes there are areas of de- or hyperpigmentation of the skin, telangiectasia, poikiloderma, or even pre-cancer changes. On the face, especially in the periorbital and temporal regions, on the neck, there may be pockets of compaction and keratinization of the skin with enlarged pores, which gives the skin some resemblance to a lemon peel.
Quite often there are simultaneously milia-like or deep cystic formations, multiple comedones, hyperkeratosis. At the histological level, elastosis – this is a basophilic degeneration of collagen fibers, that is, an indirect process of reverse development and oppression of the "normal" collagen by the action of the human immune system's own cells.
Actinic keratosis is also included in the symptom complex of skin photoaging. It is a well-defined, dry, erythematous, slightly infiltrated small spots, densely covered with yellowish-brown plates. When you try to exfoliate them or remove the surface of the skin, it begins to bleed. At the same time, adjacent areas of the skin under the influence of prolonged exposure to sunlight often become atrophic, with telangiectasias and dyspigmentation.
The frequency of senile keratosis, as well as elastosis, is directly proportional to the age of the person. The danger of actinic keratosis is that it can transform into squamous cell carcinoma or basalioma.
There is an even broader concept of photoaging – syndrome of premature aging of the skin under the action of ultraviolet rays, which includes: actinic elastosis + actinic keratosis + senile lentigo + purpura + "diamond-shaped skin"; + Favre-Rakusho disease.
Elastosis Therapy
Chemical peels are successfully used: retinoic and fruit acids - the skin relief is evened out by laser skin resurfacing, dermabrasion, microdermabrasion.
General principles for the treatment of actinic keratosis:
- cryotherapy (double application of a cryoprobe for 5 s);
- laser destruction;
- close-focus X-ray therapy;
- cytostatics: Fluorouracil, 1—2% ointment, topically 2 r/day, 1 week, then 1 week break and repeated courses (total 4—6).
To prevent the appearance of photoaging of the skin, the use of photoprotective agents, the use of creams and cosmetics with a sunscreen factor all year round remains an integral and priority.
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