Glycation and the effects on my skin…

Too much sugar can cause pre-mature skin ageing!

This Process is called GLYCATION…

It is already known that excess sugar can lead to a variety of health concerns, but what most of us forget is that too much sugar can also affect the skin.

If there is too much sugar in the body, protein molecules can cross-link with sugar molecules. Once this cross-linking process has occurred, the new sugar proteins are called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The human body does not recognize AGEs as normal, and will produce antibodies that cause inflammation in the skin.

Once formed, AGEs tend to gravitate toward dermal collagen & elastin. Proteins in the body can become damaged through the introduction of AGEs—one of the key factors in aging of the skin. The more sugar you eat, whether processed or natural, the more AGEs are produced. When the body is overwhelmed with AGEs, collagen becomes compromised.

Effects of the glycation process at the cellular level of the skin’s structure may result in fine lines & wrinkle formation, (loss of elasticity & collagen degradation) accelerated aging and compromised barrier function. Other conditions that appear when microcirculation is damaged and cell turnover slows down is volume loss in the face due to the re-distribution of fat.

Although the development of fine lines and wrinkles are normal as we age, more & more people in their 20s resemble skin ageing normally found in people in their 30s. This is due to the changes in the mechanical properties of the skin: discoloration, and loss of radiance.