| Ageing of the skin through the decades |
Ageing of the skin
Skin ages:
Each individual will age differently due to their genetic makeup, exposure to the environment, their lifestyle and how well they have cared for their skin. However in general there are naturally occurring physiological changes that occur to the skin in relation to the chronological age no matter what other factors come into play.
TWENTIES
The changes that are occurring are invisible. The lower epidermal layers being affected by UV light and pollution causing damage to the collagen and elastin. Damage is gradual and will not be noticeable for some time. Unless the skin is exposed to the sun and cigarette smoke, the skin's own defence mechanisms are still able to cope with pollutants. Lifestyle is very busy and may include drinking alcohol, smoking and eating out more, often at irregular times and 'burning the candle at both ends'. This may cause the skin to look dull. Advice Make sure you look after your skin no matter how tired you are, cleansing and very gentle exfoliation - maybe a gentle buff with a face cloth. Moisturise with a UV protective, antioxidant rich cream. Vitamin C boosts radiance, stimulating circulation and boosting collagen production, eat plenty of food rich in vitamin C and maintain a healthy well balanced diet. Start having regular professional treatments as it is never too early to help delay the signs of ageing.
THIRTIES
Advice Skin cleansing must be thorough with more regular exfoliation. Your moisturiser should be upgraded to offer other benefits such as increased hydration, UV protection, soothing and calming effects or with added vitamins such as Vitamin A. The neck and eye area will need special care as the skin is thin and mobile and will show early signs of ageing if neglected. Regular professional treatments are advisable. Continue eating a well balanced diet and include the essential fatty acids required to keep skin looking healthy, these are found in brazil nuts, sesame seeds, salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna fish, avocado and dark leafy vegetables.
FORTIES The skin is becoming thinner and drier, hormones are in flux, contours begin to drop and fine lines develop into deeper wrinkles, furrows and creases. Fine lines around the mouth begin to develop causing lipstick to 'bleed' into the surrounding skin. Areas of hyper-pigmentation also begin to appear as well as patches of redness and tiny dilated capillaries. The damage that has been building up in the deeper layers now becomes more evident, skin becomes drier, looks duller and loses firmness. The dermis becomes less elastic causing the pores to look larger even on a drier skin and in some cases the skin becomes sensitive. Advice In addition to your normal skin care routine use special eye and lip care treatments. Change to sensitive products if necessary and use products containing AHA's rather than manual exfoliation, which is too harsh and antioxidants to counteract free radical damage. Sunscreen should be included in all skin care and makeup products. Include plenty of anti ageing vitamins in the diet, particularly vitamins A, C and E. Have regular anti ageing treatments to delay the effects of ageing and stress on the skin.
FIFTIES Skin now starts to look its age as sun damage becomes apparent in the form of wrinkles, dropped contours, areas of hyper-pigmentation and spider veins. The skin will appear far less radiant with patchy skin. These characteristics will be more marked if you have been an avid sun worshipper. The effects of the menopause will now be making an impact on the skin. Loss of oestrogen reduces elasticity and slows down sebum production so the skin becomes very dry. Underlying fat in the skin starts to diminish and this could cause wrinkles to look more evident and the cheeks hollow. Advice User richer cleansers, treatment creams and a night cream, exfoliation is essential but the degree will depend on the sensitivity and texture of the epidermis. Botox and wrinkle fillers are an option, use makeup with lots of light reflecting ingredients, eat a healthy well balanced diet, limit consumption of salt, alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods, take regular exercise and get plenty of sleep. Professional, anti ageing facial treatments and anti stress massage will help balance hormones and improve skin condition.
SIXTIES plus
Advice A healthy diet and gentle exercise is advisable. Continue with a regular skin care routine using richer formulations and making sure that skin is handled gently, using products, that suit sensitive skin. Special eye and neck creams may be incorporated into the skin care routine, as well as products containing AHA's to refine and hydrate the skin and increase collagen production making the skin look fresher and more radiant.
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Skin is clear and the spots and blemishes suffered throughout the teens have hopefully disappeared. The skin texture is firm, plump and radiant and relatively wrinkle free. Small signs of wrinkling are evident with facial expression but any creases will disappear once the face relaxes again.The natural cell renewal process and sebum production, are working efficiently, however complacency must not set in as this could have an effect on how the skin will look in ten or twenty years time.
This is often a time of change in lifestyle with sleepless nights, pressure of work or career and the stresses of raising children taking their toll on the skin. Whatever the lifestyle the physiological changes are inevitable. The skin will begin to lose the youthful 'bloom' as cell renewal slows down. This causes more dead skin cells to collect on the surface of the skin and it makes light, reflect differently on it, causing the skin to look dull. Deeper in the skin the environmental polluters are continuing to weaken the skin and the collagen is becoming less supportive and elastin fibres are losing their firmness. Expression lines are also forming and the skin is returning to its original contours more slowly after movement. Try and make time to have professional treatments as this can have a therapeutic effect on the skin, body and mind.
The skin becomes much thinner as collagen production slows down. There is a greater loss of fat from the subcutaneous layer which contributes to the skin appearing very loose and exaggerating the dropped contours of the face. The wrinkles become much deeper and the pigmentation is very patchy. There appears to be a total lack of sebum present making the skin look, dull, dry and flaky.