Our skin ages in two ways: through “chronological aging” over the normal passage of time and “accelerated aging” caused by accumulated damage from environmental factors like smoking, pollutants and excessive UV exposure. How well you care for your skin—at every stage of life—plays a large role in how much your skin shows the passage of time.
What gives your skin that radiant, youthful glow when you are young is, in part, due to your body’s high rate of cellular turnover, a natural exfoliation process. The older you get, the more that regenerative process slows down, causing your complexion to become dull. You start losing collagen and elastin—the elasticity proteins that hold your skin tightly to your face and body. The result over time? Wrinkles and sagging and folds. (Oh, my!) Yet nothing contributes more to collagen breakdown and premature aging than excessive, unprotected sun exposure and smoking. The earlier you stop smoking and start using daily sunscreen, the less wrinkle formation you will see in midlife. The later years are also marked by hormone imbalances which rev up the aging process. Loss of hyaluronic acid, the skin’s natural moisturizer, causes dryness which accentuates the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin.
So much to look forward to, right? Now, for some solutions…
How to keep your skin looking fabulous, decade-by-decade:
In Your 20s: Those little lines beginning to form around your eyes are from more than laughing, smiling and squinting. Previous sun exposure is starting to show. So guard against further damage by using daily sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher). Treat yourself regularly to a Light Facial Chemical Peel and consider using Retin-A (link to Retin-A blog) or a Retinol product to help slow the breakdown of collagen and maintain the tone and texture of your skin.
In Your 30s: The stress of balancing your career and personal life may be causing breakouts. If you are not regularly using Retin-A , start now. Your skin is also becoming duller due to slower cellular turnover. Use glycolic acid daily to exfoliate dead skin cells and brighten your complexion. Consider regular Microdermabrasions or BOTOX® Cosmetic in addition to chemical peels to help improve hyperpigmentation and diminish the appearance fine lines and wrinkles.
In Your 40s: Your skin is becoming dry, thinner and more translucent. Fine lines are becoming wrinkles. Drink plenty of water to hydrate. Add lemon or lime to give your skin an added boost of vitamin C. Use a quality moisturizer with sunscreen to prevent further sun damage. Consider a skin tightening treatment like Thermage™ or Ultherapy® to lift mild to moderate skin sagging on the eyelids and jowls or try Injectable Fillers to plump deeper facial folds and creases.
50s and beyond: Facial lines and wrinkles are deepening from the loss of subcutaneous fat, collagen and elastin. Decades of hidden sun damage are unveiled, revealing age spots, wrinkles and broken capillaries. Keep up with the moisturizing sunscreen. Every ounce of prevention helps in maintaining your complexion. Consider a Laser Skin Tightening Treatment to help firm mild to moderate sagging or loose skin on the jowls and neck or a Laser Skin Resurfacing treatment to improve the tone and clarity of your complexion. If you feel you need more than a med spa treatment to improve your appearance, then a QuickLift® Mini Face Lift may be the right choice for you to lift and tighten the lower portion of the face, neck and jaw line for a refreshed and youthful appearance.
Get a Complimentary Consultation with a Visia® Complexion Analysis
Once you start to notice problems that your basic skin care routine cannot address, make an appointment to meet with one of our skin care professionals who can perform a VISIA Complexion Analysis to photographically capture what is happening beneath the surface of your skin. . . chances are your complexion woes are more than just skin deep.
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