Our skin is our bodies’ biggest organ and the one that most visibly shows the signs of ageing. Skin ageing affects us in many ways including wrinkles, fine lines, decreased skin elasticity, darker pigmentation, loss of volume/reduced face fat, facial muscle loss, dry skin, inflammation, and thinning of the skin. The natural slow down of the body causes this to happen, with the reduction in collagen production and hormonal changes, combined with internal and external pressures. As such a visible indication of getting older, these changes are hard to ignore and people send billions every year on skincare products to try and reverse the process. Where people used to opt for surgery to tighten up their skin, scientific advances mean that are many new treatments and creams that address the early signs of ageing in a less invasive way.
Anti Ageing Skincare
A stronger, customised range skin care formulations are becoming available containing a range of chemicals to boost the skin. Many of these include antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin E and retinoids, which stimulate collagen, improve skin thickness and treat wrinkles. Antioxidants and vitamins are also found in plants such as green tea and aloe vera, so there are many natural products that can be used to help the skin and prevent ageing.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
In addition to being used in the treatment of symptoms caused by menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help to slow the skin ageing process. In studies HRT improve skin thickness, collagen content, and elasticity and it enhances hydration.
Microneedling
Microneedling is a treatment where thin sharp needles are applied to the skin and cause tiny injuries to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. These treatments can be done at clinics, or at home with a small hand held device. Therapeutic substances, such as hyaluronic acid or ascorbic acid, can be applied before or after needling so the substance penetrates deeply. Although a little uncomfortable, it does boost your collagen and elastin production, improve scars and fine wrinkles, reduce hyper pigmentation, and rejuvenate the skin.
Laser Therapy
Laser Treatment can remove moderate to deep lines and wrinkles and significantly improve skin tone, texture, and tightness. The Lasers ability to target specific types of cells in distint skin layers means they can treat conditions such as port-wine stains, pigmented birthmarks, and spider veins, as well as acne puts and other scars. Your dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon can help you determine which type of laser therapy is best for you.
Volumisers and Fillers
Injections of soft fillers under the skin can help restore facial features, add height to cheekbones, improve the jaw line, restore fullness to hollow cheeks and eyes, fill fine vertical lines, re-sculpt lips, and fill in deep lines that run from the outside of the nostrils to the corners of the mouth
Some fillers, such as hyaluronic acid and poly-L-lactic acid, are eventually absorbed by the body. Others contain tiny beads of solid materials suspended in gel. The gel is absorbed over time, and the beads form a scaffold for collagen growth. Popular Volumizers include Sculptra or Voluma, or fillers such as Radiesse, Restylane, and Juvederm. They restore contours that have been lost and provide some ‘lift’ by supporting the overlying skin.
Chemical Peels
Peels are used to treat wrinkles, age spots, discoloration, precancerous skin growths, and superficial scarring. An acid solution—usually glycolic, salicylic, or trichloroacetic acid—is applied to the skin, dissolving skin cells and removing the top layers of the epidermis. The effects vary based on how deeply the peel penetrates, which is determined by the type and strength of the solution used.
Microdermabrasion
In this procedure, the doctor or aesthetician sands an area with tiny aluminium hydroxide crystals to create smoother-looking skin. It’s relatively inexpensive, and no recovery time is needed.
Protect Yourself From The Sun
Whatever treatment you decide to get the best strategy is to protect yourself from the sun. Always wear a SPF 50, avoid direct midday sun and best of all stop sun bathing all together.
Some Anti Ageing Products To Try At Home
Aufgeld AG540 Titanium Microneedle Derma Roller Skin Care – 8.99 from Amazon
Easy to use professional skin care tool for skin regeneration. Fine lines, wrinkles, large pores and scars fade as the collagen boost plumps, smooths and resurfaces your skin. Find our more.
The Ordinary Anti-Ageing Hydration Duo – £18.60 from LookFantastic
S pair of skin treats that work in tandem to intensely hydrate and smoothen. – Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydration Support Formula and “Buffet” Multi-Technology Peptide Serum (30ml). Find out more
Ultrasun Face Anti-Ageing Lotion SPF 30 – £22.00 from Look Fantastic
A multi-purpose face lotion formulated using the very latest skincare research and advances. Find out more.
BeautyPro Brightening Collagen Sheet Mask with Vitamin C – £4.95 from Look Fantastic
Reveal a youthful visage with this an anti-ageing treatment that is suitable for all skin types. Find out more.