7
$\begingroup$

inspired by this question Wearing vs Growing Clothes

and this link medical news today

Chemical peels

A chemical peel involves applying a chemical solution to wrinkly areas, causing the dead skin to shed and eventually peel off. The regenerated skin tends to be smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin.

Some types of chemical peels can be bought and used without a medical license, but it is advisable to consult a medical health care professional for the treatment.

i want to know if a creature like elf (either made of plantbase or just organic animal) can shed their skin or layers like snake or onions that have multiple layers, will it protect from forming a wrinkle on their skin or make them not look like an elder? i know human can shed or peel their skin but it mostly because of skin damage like burn or sunburn,skin disease,etc.

does it have different effect between the creature skin if it made/form from organic animal and plantbase such as wood/bark?

$\endgroup$
4
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Humans already shed and replace their outer layer of skin continuously... $\endgroup$
    – AlexP
    Oct 5, 2019 at 11:56
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ wouldn't the muscles still sag over age? cheeks and neck drooping as well as the rest of the body that could be hidden with clothes $\endgroup$
    – user59653
    Oct 6, 2019 at 0:51
  • $\begingroup$ @Aizen-sama i dont know that, i though only the skin make a wrinkle or sag. $\endgroup$
    – Li Jun
    Oct 7, 2019 at 0:27
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @LiJun after reading more yesterday I think with your youthful skin idea you may be ok, if the skin keeps its elasticity there will be nothing pulling on the skeletal muscle like sagging skin does, so the muscles should stay firm (maybe with the help of body and facial exercise if the muscle does still loose firmness) $\endgroup$
    – user59653
    Oct 7, 2019 at 0:49

1 Answer 1

6
$\begingroup$

If they shed their skin deeply enough, sure. However, wrinkles are not just a surface effect and deals with the collagen that, essentially, glues the skin to the underlying muscle and bone.

Another problem is that as things break down with aging, what keeps the mechanism for creating new skin from breaking down. Maybe each new skin actually looks worse than the previous due to the breakdown of the new skin making organ. I would only see this as a viable evolutionary strategy if they could not easily repair/heal their existing skin. Then, if the damage builds up enough to go through the trauma, they "use up" one of their sheddings to replace the old, damaged, skin.

Also, even if they look young, this will not have any effect on the wear and tear on the rest of the body. So, while they may look young, they will still get weaker and die of old age (unless you tinker with more of their biology).

$\endgroup$

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .