Inevitable intrinsic aging

What it means: It’s the kind of aging that normally comes to mind when you think about getting older — wrinkles, loss of moisture and dull, sagging skin with more pronounced imperfections. According to RealAge, a number of physiological processes contribute to one’s aging skin.

“What happened to my perfectly plump cheeks?” you might ask yourself. Well, you can thank two main contributors for your newfound thinness: the loss of subcutaneous fat underneath the dermis and epidermis — which previously provided skin with fullness — and menopause. Less estrogen (and the reduction in oil and sweat glands) also means more dryness.

Blame a dull-looking complexion on poor circulation, which reduces how much oxygen and nutrients reach your skin; wrinkles and sagging skin on diminished cell turnover and decreased collagen and elastin synthesis; and a drop in melanin production for shining a spotlight on various imperfections like under-eye circles and blemishes.