I’m turning 40 this year, and I’m noticing that the nicks and cuts I’m used to getting which have always healed really quickly are leaving more scars and lasting longer than they have in the past. Im outdoors active, and accrue more than a few cuts often on my lower legs. Is this a natural part of growing old, which is in line with my observations of my parents’ skin as well, or am I not caring for my skin well?
In: Biology
Your skin doesn’t heal. It is connective tissue that stitch together places that have been damaged. The skin slowly grows back over the connective tissue in a process called remodeling. This is why you have scars and they slowly seem to go away.
Lower legs often have poor blood flow. They are the furthest place away from your heart and require a lot of work to return the blood from against gravity. Think of your veins and arteries as highways. If they aren’t well kept the traffic bringing healing supplies and removing damaged materials takes longer. I would see a doctor if the healing time is really noticably longer than it was in the past. There could be underlying events that could be caught and fixed before they become more severe.
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