Ageing through the Decades
Monday 10 January 2011
What happens to your skin as you get older and what you can do to keep it looking fresh at any age? Did you know your skin starts ageing when you are somewhere between 17and 25 years old, and that a peachy, plump complexion can be deceiving? Damage that was done years before may not show on the skin until well in your 30’s. Nicky Hambleton-Jones, Anti-ageing Expert of lookandfeelyounger.tv, shares bespoke tips and techniques for maintaining a vibrant complexion through the decades…"
20’s – Protect, Protect, Protect
"When in our 20’s, it’s time to protect skin as much as possible. Never leave the house without wearing a moisturiser that is at least SPF25, to ensure skin is protected around the clock.
"If you don’t smoke, don’t start, and if you do give it up as soon as you possibly can! Smoking is incredibly ageing on the skin. I know it’s a hard habit to crack, but the earlier you give up, the better your skin will look in the future.
"Adopt a really good skincare regime – take time to cleanse, tone and moisturise each and every day. All that partying and those late nights will take their toll on your skin as you get older, and if you find yourself too tired to remove make-up after a big night out, remember that your skin ages eight days for every night that you don’t. It might feel like a hassle in the early hours, but just giving your skin a good cleanse before you go to bed will make a huge difference on the fine lines and wrinkles that will appear in your 30’s and 40’s."
30’s – Your eyes say it all
"They say 35 is D-Day and when ageing really starts to show on your face, if you’ve been good to your skin, there shouldn’t be a sudden difference, but if you have partied hard and spent too much time in the sun, you might suddenly wake up and wonder where all the fine lines and wrinkles suddenly came from! It’s very important at this age that you don’t weight cycle, you’ve got to make a choice between your face or your bum quite frankly, because if you’re too slim or skinny you will lose the natural cushion of fat which helps to plump up the skin and keep it looking fresh. By all means exercise, but make sure you eat a healthy diet.
"It’s really important that you look after your eyes, we begin to see a loss of elasticity in the skin in our 30’s, a few fine lines and wrinkles, particularly in the under-eye area where you can spot the first visible signs of ageing. If you haven’t already, you should invest in a good eye cream, it’s important to keep this delicate area really hydrated. You want to avoid seeing fine lines due to loss of elasticity and dehydration
"Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Cell renewal starts to decline in your 30’sand that’s when ageing begins. The best way to boost collagen and elastin production, and slow down the destruction of your cells is to exfoliate the skin twice a week. Whether you choose physical or chemical exfoliation, try and get into a routine which will go a long way to ensuring your skin looks fantastic well into your 40’s."
40’s – Firmness is the name of the game
"In our 40’s collagen production really drops down, the skin is not actually producing as much as it used to. Plus we lose a lot of volume in our face as a result of fat loss under the skin which means the fine lines and wrinkles we had in our 30’s may deepen and we might see folds appearing on the skin around the ‘nose-to -lip’ lines and the jowls, and a general loss of vibrance in the skin. Invest in products that will plump, boost collagen production and firm.
"Serums are the name of the game, if you’re not using a serum yet, I definitely suggest you start now. Serums are usually oil based and will penetrate the skin far more deeply than any cream can, meaning you will get the nutrients your skin needs deep down into the dermis which can help stimulate collagen production.
"In our 40’s we might want to consider cosmetic intervention. Procedures such a Botox are fantastic for eliminating fine lines and wrinkles. Fillers are a great way of plumping the skin and restoring lost volume, plus there are lots of resurfacing techniques such as microdermabration and peeling that can even out pigmentation. Sometimes, little bits of intervention along the way can keep your skin looking young, so you don’t wake up one morning wondering what the heck happened to your complexion?
50’s – Hydration is key
"At this stage a number of things happen to our skin, estrogen levels drop dramatically which means skin renewal slows down and we get a lot of dead skin cells building on the surface of the skin. Oil production slows down and your skin starts to dry out, losing its youthful glow. Pigment cells tend to clump together, and that’s why we see dark age-spots appearing on the face which make lines and wrinkles more pronounced. We see more sagging in the skin, and all those years of damage start to show up. If you wonder why all of a sudden on your 50th Birthday you woke up and got a fright, it wasn’t the party the night before, it’s all those years of damage on your skin that have started to take their toll. In our 50’s it is vital to use a moisturiser with Vitamin C, a powerful anti-oxidant that can help kick-start cell renewal and also help to dissolve pigmentation on the skin.
"Intense hydration is really important too, make sure that you are using a serum as well as a moisturiser that really hydrates the skin.
"Don’t forget that cosmetic intervention is at hand to help you resurface, plump up and soften those fine lines and wrinkles if you do start to feel a little insecure about the way you look in the mirror.
For further information head over to www.lookandfeelyounger.tv