A lot of things change as we age, and your skin is one of them.  No matter what genetic hand you’ve been dealt, to look your best at any age, it’s helpful to understand your face and the typical changes you should expect each decade of your life. Different areas of your face age at different rates and a skilled Appearance Medicine practitioner will take this into account when devising a plan specifically for you.

This blog is your guide to skin care and treatments to maintain your skin health as you age.  There’s no one size fits all approach to ageing, but a proactive approach to age management can help you continue to look good for you age, no matter your age.

20s
During your 20s the most important thing to think about when it comes to your skin is prevention.  In your mid-to-late 20s, your skin may begin to feel dry and sun damage might appear (in the form of pigmentation or the beginnings of a few wrinkles) due to spending your teens baking on the beach.  All those years of smiling, laughing and generally enjoying life may mean you start to see the very early signs of fine lines caused by repeated muscle movement. You’ll typically see these appear around your eyes, and they are known as ‘dynamic lines’, meaning you’ll only see them when your face is moving during expressions.

Recommended skin care and treatments in your 20s:

• A good skin care regime is the most important anti-aging remedy, no matter the age – but even better to start when you’re young. Look for clinical skin care with ingredients that work for your skin including Vitamin A and B, and sunscreen with zinc
• Microdermabrasion treatments and peels (like our micro peel or pumpkin resurfacing peel) can improve dull skin; even out blotchy pigmentation; reduce fine lines, blackheads and freckles; and help you combat existing sun damage
• In your late 20s you may notice fine lines start forming, most commonly in your frown, on your forehead and around your eyes. Introducing very small doses of “Baby Botox®” can improve brow positioning, soften those lines and act as a preventative for future lines forming

30s
How you treat your skin in your 20s and 30s can make a significant difference in the long run, so implementing good habits while you’re young is essential to combat the ageing process.  In your 30s gravity can begin to take a toll, especially in the brow area and around your jowls. Your skin may become less supple, with a few broken capillaries and larger pores developing. Thin lines may appear to form around your mouth, which are known as ‘smile lines’.

Recommended skin care and treatments in your 30s

• Continue your clinical skin care regime, focussing on products that are high in antioxidants and collagen boosting ingredients like Vitamin A and C
• Be consistent with a daily zinc-based sunscreen
• Gentle laser treatments like IPL (Intense Pulse Light) can help address any pigmentation issues and larger pores
• Continuing on with your Botox® regime and addressing the first signs of volume loss with dermal fillers can refresh the common occurrence of a tired look, while additionally enhancing your natural features.

40s
When you hit your 40s, your skin doesn’t produce natural structural elements like collagen as quickly as it used to.  This means you may start to notice a loss of volume around your eyes, reduced elasticity in your face and crepiness in your neck. Laughter and expression lines will become more obvious, with cheeks and eyelids beginning to lower and jowls forming. ‘Static lines’, which are visible even when your face is at rest, start to appear in this period.

Recommended skin care and treatments in your 40s:

• A combination of Botox® and dermal fillers can work proactively to counteract the many signs of aging, including softening and smoothing lines and wrinkles, replacing lost volume and improving facial contours
• Sunscreen remains a core part of your skin care regime. Ensure you’re applying it to exposed parts of your skin every day (even during winter) to minimise ongoing sun damage
• Incorporate collagen-boosting vitamins, such as Vitamin A (retinaldehyde) and Vitamin C which can minimise the severity of wrinkles by helping to ensure that the dermal structure remains intact
• Caring for your under eye area with a repairing eye cream that contains growth factors to refine lines and combat ageing

50s and 60s
However well one prepares for the inevitable aging process, there is no skin care fountain of youth.  When you hit the half century, dynamic wrinkles can deepen, the number of static lines increases and you may notice that you have less volume in your mid-face and cheek areas. The loss of volume beneath your skin, and a reduction in the quality of your bone structure come into play in this decade. This can lead to an increase of more obvious sagging skin.

In your 60s, you’ll also notice that broken blood vessels may appear on your face and age spots may appear around the hairline and neck.

Recommended skin care and treatments in your 50s and 60s:

• Relax and improve the contours of your face with a combination of Botox® and dermal fillers, while smoothing out deep lines in the forehead and around the mouth by adding subtle volume to the area.
• IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments are excellent for skin colour improvement, treatingbrown pigmentation, red veins, rosacea and can be used to stimulate collagen. Rejuvenate the skin on your face, neck, chest or hands.
• Dermal Needling induces the production of collagen and reduces the appearance of pores and scars. For additional results, Platelet Rich Plasma Transfer (PRP) treatments are often combined with dermal needling, which can improve the tone of your skin, and enhance your natural radiance and luminosity.  PRP is unique because it makes the most of your body’s own resources – making for a minimally invasive, but effective way to treat your skin.
• Fractional Skin Laser treatments can assist with tightening of more obvious sagging skin, while reducing scarring, improving collagen and elastin formation, enhancing skin texture and tone, and refining pores.
• Hyaluronic Acid, a naturally occurring hydration component of your skin, is present in decreasing amounts as we age which can result in dehydration and decreased skin volume. Replenish your skin’s moisture content with a Hyaluronic Serum or a moisturiser containing hydration-boosting ingredients

You can look your best at every age by adopting a preventative and proactive approach to your skin health.

Book an appearance medicine consultation with one of our Appearance Medicine nurses to discuss the needs of your skin, and what skin care and treatments could be right for you.