Unpleasant changes like sagging skin and wrinkles are the first signs of aging. Skin is the largest organ of the body. It protects the internal body from environmental changes and controls the body temperature. Any significant change in this organ is easily visible. The aging process of the skin is very obvious, considering the amount of wear and tear it has to undergo. This can become a predominant issue when it is untimely. Causes The skin can be divided into three parts: inner layer, middle layer and outer layer. There are a lot of factors that harm the skin and cause aging. These factors can be divided into two groups: intrinsic aging and extrinsic aging. Let us focus on these problems individually. Intrinsic Aging This process refers to the skin's natural aging process. It begins when a person is in his/her mid 20s. After a certain age, several obvious processes of the skin like, shedding of the dead skin, collagen production, and production of new cells start to slow down. These signs could take decades to become noticeable. Some of the signs of this process are fine wrinkles, thinning of skin, loss of underlying fat cells of skin which leave behind hollowed cheeks, loss of firmness of skin, itchy dry skin, sagging skin, lack of sweating, hair loss, graying of hair, unwanted hair, ridges on nails, and brittle nails. Extrinsic Aging This premature aging of the skin is caused by some harmful external factors. Repetitive facial expressions, gravity, smoking, wrong sleeping positions, over exposure to the sun, lack of anti-aging vitamins in food, lack of proper skin care, and pollution. Prevention and care needs to be taken before it reaches a much severe form. How to Slow Down the Process There is no better treatment than prevention of the problem. There are many precautions that can be taken to keep the skin healthy, and prolong the aging process. The market is flooded with numerous anti-aging skin care products, you can pick the one which suits your skin type. You should avoid prolonged sun exposure, use suitable sunscreen lotion every time you go out in the sun, avoid sun tanning, and always wear clothing that can protect the body from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. Along with these precautions, try to include certain food products in your diet that help prolong the process of skin aging as much as possible. There are several artificial anti-aging supplements which can be of great help as well. Treatment No matter how much effort one takes, aging is a natural process which cannot be avoided fully, and will eventually be visible. There is no need to worry, as these skin problems can be cured by several available cosmetic solutions. Injectable fillers are one of the significant cosmetic solutions. Botulinum toxin is also a highly opted method to prevent the onset of the visible signs of aging. Both these options are available for people who have a really busy lifestyle and have no time to relax or take proper skin care. Face-lift, chemical peeling, laser resurfacing, microdermabrasion or microderm, are some more procedures that treat skin aging problem. If you are concerned with visible aging of your skin, it is best to visit a dermatologist. Science and technology is a rapidly developing field and there is always scope for the betterment of the skin and solving your personal skin aging issue.