(NaturalPath) A study out of the University of Michigan Health System and published in the journal Aging Cell, evaluated the role sweat glands play in how aging skin recovers from wounds. They wanted to better learn about aging skin, in order to better treat – and slow – the process.
The researchers looked at the skin of 18 elderly subjects in relation to the skin of 18 young adults to see how they each healed from skin lesions.
Scientists already knew that seat glands, located throughout the body, are important for wound closure. They set out to understand since older people tend to sweat less than younger people, what does that mean for the healing properties of sweat?
One result was that the sweat glands played a bigger part in healing wounds in younger people than in older people, despite the sweat glands being just as active. The cells in aged skins just weren’t as cohesive. Fewer cells participated, spaced further apart, meaning a delay in wound closure and a thinner repairing epidermis in aged versus young skin.
One researcher said, “Beyond the frustrating appearance, skin aging also negatively impacts the ability of the skin to repair itself.” She went on to say, “Limiting skin damage during the aging process is likely to limit the negative impact of aging on wound repair. This study teaches us that poor wound healing and wrinkling and sagging that occur in aging skin share similar mechanisms. Chronic sun exposure is an important factor that damages skin structure that normally support sweat glands. This is thus yet another good reason to wear sunscreen!”
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.