Skin Aging and Treatment Options

As we age our skin requires different things- different skin care, treatments and procedures. Sometimes it can all seem like a minefield with so many options, when you walk into a department store there is so much choice for skin care. Often the consumer is left confused and never truly sure if they are using the right product for their skin type, their age or their specific skin issue.

What happens as our skin ages?

As our skin ages a number of things happen:

• A loss of tone
  This is due to a loss of collagen and elastin, this causes us to lose volume around the cheeks and under the eyes.

• The skin becomes thinner
  This is also associated with loss of collagen, over time the epidermis thins.

• skin becomes less hydrated
  There is less oil produced as we age and this can lead to your skin feeling dry and rough.

• we are more prone to skin conditions such as hyper or hypo pigmentation, or solar lesions

  This is due to photo damage over time maybe as a result of sun burns in early life, in the case of pigmentation the damage is done to the melanocyte (the cells that make melanin)

How our skin ages

Young teenager and teenagers
In childhood our skin is radiant, healthy and well-functioning, but from the age of 9 we start to produce oil in the skin, this is due to hormonal factors. When oil production starts so does inflammation, and inflammation is responsible for acne. The cycle of skin inflammation and spots starts at this age. This is a good age to introduce your teenager to washing and scrubbing the skin with specially designed products to control the oil and prevent the inflammation cycle from starting.

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Twenties
In your twenties you have not yet lost volume in the skin, the skin is plump and healthy, though the biggest area of concern for people in their twenties tends to be acne that is persisting, this can be addressed by a visit to your doctor and introducing good skin care. This decade the emphasis is on protecting your skin from environmental damage and using products that are good for your skin. It is a good idea to get into the habit of having regular Microdermabrasion or gentle peels to keep the skin healthy.

Thirties

In your thirties we will start to see the start of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, some minor dynamic lines (lines that appear during expression) will appear during but these lines tend not to be fixed in the skin yet and disappear when the face is relaxed. Using a good skincare range is of vital importance at this stage and persisting with using good sun care. Some people can even have sun damage at this age if they have neglected their sun protection in their twenties. Now is a good time to consider TCA or Trichloracetic acid peels which are medium depth peels that remove pigmentation. You can continue to have glycolic peels and microdermabrasion.

Forties

We find in this decade expression lines which were dynamic can become static (there even when your face is resting) Pigmentation can be more obvious now due to earlier sun damage. You may start to see broken blood vessels. There is also a loss of volume in certain areas of the face due to reduced collagen and elastin production. Now is a good time to consider some cosmetic procedures for example anti-wrinkle injections to smooth those static lines, and dermal fillers to help with the volume loss. Continue to use an excellent skin care range and consider the use of anti-aging retinol or Retin A. You can treat broken blood vessels with IPL ( intense pulsed light) and you can treat pigmentation with laser treatment.

Fifties

Wrinkles are more apparent in this decade; skin is more prone to sagging at this age as volume continues to be lost from the face. Lessening of oil production causes the skin to feel dryer and rougher. It is very important to add in products that rejuvenate the skin and to have procedures that stimulate collagen production for example INTRAcel. If pigmentation and age spots are a problem you can treat these with laser. Using anti-wrinkle injections and fillers is a good idea, to replace the loss of volume and fill lines that may be more permanent and smooth frown lines.

Sixties +

Solar damage done in your youth can contribute to solar Lentigo ( solar sun spots that need to be removed by your doctor). Skin will sag more and lines will become more permanent. Wrinkles become deeper and the use of filler is definitely recommended in this decade along with a good skin care regime, keep an eye out for any changes to the skin, moles that change in size or colour or lesions that do not heal. Laser treatment can help to treat any pigmentation and regular skin treatments can keep you looking healthy.

Treating aging skin with a good skin care regime

It is really evident that no matter what decade you might be in, what you do to your skin today will dictate how it will look in future decades. So remember your sunscreen, a good skin care regime and cosmetic procedures when you feel them necessary. If you require any further advice on what range of products is best for you, or which cosmetic treatments can help contact 01 685 3100 and we would be delighted to help.