We commonly associate grey hairs with ageing. Ageing, in fact, also significantly affects how our skin looks. Ageing will make your skin appear loose, wrinkled, filled with black spots, and many others.
Ageing is natural; everyone will age and have wrinkles. However, if the signs appear at a younger age, the individual has early ageing skin. Therefore, they might want to slow down the ageing process by applying anti-ageing solutions and maintaining youthfulness.
This article will help you understand ageing skin by defining it, describing its characteristics, and providing rejuvenation solutions. Continue reading to find out how to keep your youthful appearance!
What is skin ageing?
Skin ageing refers to how skin changes as we age. Observable changes include the emergence of wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, and many more. Typically, skin thinning is the main factor of the ageing signs occurrence.
Naturally, as we age, our skin thins and the signs of ageing become more visible. However, it is also possible for younger people to experience premature ageing, in which ageing signs appear in the mid-20s.
There are several causes for the premature ageing that younger generations are experiencing. Factors such as genetics, lifestyle, diet, and other habits that damage the skin significantly cause premature ageing.
For this reason, it doesn’t hurt for you to care for your skin to maintain its healthiness properly. That way, you can prevent skin ageing and be able to preserve your youthfulness for a longer time.
When will it happen?
Typically, signs of ageing appear when the skin’s ability to produce and retain natural collagen begins to decline around the age of 25. Reduced collagen substance in the skin will affect skin elasticity, causing the skin to appear loose and wrinkled.
Furthermore, the decreased natural collagen will lead to epidermis thinning. As the epidermis thins, the fatty tissues will simultaneously shrink. As a result, the skin will appear hollow and loose.
Signs of ageing skin on the face
We previously discussed what skin ageing is and how to spot its manifestations. It is now time to go over the signs of ageing on the face and other body parts in greater detail.
For starters, you may identify signs of ageing around the facial area through these characteristics:
Wrinkles
Wrinkled skin typically relates to a loss of skin elasticity caused by a lack of collagen production in the skin. As a result, the less collagen there is in the skin, the more likely wrinkles and fine lines will form on the face.
Furthermore, several external factors can aggravate wrinkles on the face. For example, pollution, high levels of stress, smoking habits, and many others can worsen skin ageing and simultaneously lead to wrinkles.
For that reason, treating wrinkled skin requires more than just skincare or clinical treatment. You must also maintain a healthy lifestyle so that your skin does not wrinkle easily.
Dark spots
One of the visible signs of skin ageing is the appearance of dark spots. Dark spots are most commonly found in areas frequently exposed to direct sunlight. Dark spots may not appear immediately in areas exposed to sunlight when you are young, but they are more likely to appear as you get old.
However, ageing is not the only cause of dark spots development. Acne scars and skin pigmentation disorders are two other factors that can cause dark spots. Although the causes of dark spots differ, the prevention is the same: use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
Skin tag
Another sign of ageing skin that people over 50 commonly experience is skin tags formation. Skin tags that contain loose collagen fibres and blood vessels typically appear around skin folds such as the armpits, neck, and groin.
Skin tags, in general, do not cause harm and are not contagious. Furthermore, many people may confuse skin tags with warts, spreading through skin contact. Skin tags, unlike warts, are usually smoother and hang off the skin.
Bruises
As previously stated, skin ageing causes the epidermis layer to be thin. The thinner the epidermis, the fewer fat tissues act as a barrier between blood vessels and the skin.
As the barriers reduce, there will be more friction between the blood vessels and the skin, which will lead to the formation of bruises.
Signs of ageing skin on other body areas
As we have explained about ageing signs on the face, we’ll move on to how the symptoms appear on other body areas. Ageing symptoms outside of the facial skin will typically include the following characteristics:
Sagging skin
Ageing interferes with the loss of elastin fibres, causing the skin to sag and hangs loosely. Additionally, due to the sagging appearance, your skin may lose its ability to snap back after stretching.
Sagging skin can appear on any part of the body, including the arms, legs, and abdomen. It is unlikely that the skin will completely disappear once it loosens. A combination of anti-ageing cream and clinical treatment, on the other hand, may help reduce sagging skin.
Dry and itchy skin
As explained previously, ageing impairs the body’s ability to produce and maintain natural collagen. As a result of the decreased amount of collagen, there will be less natural moisture, causing the skin to dry out and become itchy.
According to the National Institute of Health, although ageing may be one of the causes of dry and itchy skin, other causes can also lead to the condition:
- Not drinking enough water
- Smoking habit
- Excessive exposure to sun rays
- Feeling stress
- Being in dry air
- Health problems such as diabetes and kidney disease
The National Institute of Health also suggest the following ways to reduce dry and itchy skin:
- Use moisturisers, such as lotions, creams, or oils
- Use a gentle soap; too many chemicals in your soap will strip away your natural oil
- Use a humidifier in a dry room
Ageing is normal, but here’s some condition that can make your skin ageing faster and worse than it should be
UV effect
Ultraviolet (UV) light is naturally produced by the sun or artificially by devices such as tanning beds, light bulbs, and television screens. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can cause premature ageing to your skin, in some cases leading to skin cancer.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, two types of UV light can damage the skin, including:
- Ultraviolet A (UVA); This UV light has longer wavelengths, typically causing skin ageing.
- Ultraviolet B (UVB); This UV light has shorter wavelengths, typically causing skin burning.
Lack of Vitamin E
Vitamin E works to neutralise antioxidants and free radicals. Our body naturally produces vitamin E. However, the body’s vitamin E content may decrease with age.
When the body is deficient in vitamin E, the skin is more prone to ageing signs such as hyperpigmentation, dryness, and uneven skin tone. As a result, it’s best to keep your vitamin E levels up by eating foods high in vitamin E, such as corn, soy, and safflower oil and seeds.
It would help if you also considered taking vitamin E supplements and using vitamin E-enriched skincare. As a result, you can preserve your youthful skin by consuming extra vitamin E.
Sleep deficiency
Sleep is an effective way for the body to repair itself. All body organs rest and improve their function while you sleep, including the skin cells.
According to one study, a lack of sleep prevents the body from repairing skin cells optimally. As a result, the skin will be more prone to ageing and recover more slowly from external stressors like UV rays, pollutants, and free radicals.
Not using sunscreen daily.
Wearing sunscreen every day is essential because it protects your skin from UV rays, both UVA and UVB. Without sunscreen, your skin will absorb UV rays directly, causing skin damage.
Furthermore, many skincare experts argue that sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 is the primary anti-ageing product. This is because sunlight is one of the leading causes of skin ageing. As a result, using expensive anti-ageing products without sunscreen will provide no benefits.
Rubbing eyes
Roughly rubbing your eyes can cause additional friction to the skin around your eyes. Furthermore, the skin around the eyes is thinner and more susceptible to the formation of wrinkles and fine lines.
As a result, you may need to reduce rubbing your eyes if you want your eyes to look younger and free of wrinkles and fine lines. If your eyes are irritated, you can try using eye drops instead.
Sipping out of a straw
Sipping from a straw causes movement, disrupting collagen and elastin in the mouth. Wrinkles and fine lines around the mouth, chin, and nose can form over time with this habit.
As a result, if you don’t want signs of ageing in the area around your mouth, you can reduce the intensity with which you use a straw. You could try drinking your water directly from the glass instead.
Anti-ageing skincare, How to Prevent Aging Skin
Addressing ageing signs will be more effective if we know how to resolve them based on age. According to Healthline, we can categorise anti-ageing essentials based on age groups, which we’ll explain below:
Anti-ageing essentials at any age
Anti-ageing essentials that are suitable and effective for all ages are sunscreens with a minimum SPF content of 30. As we explained earlier, sun damage has a significant effect on skin ageing.
For this reason, you need to apply sunscreen, regardless of your age. The younger you start using sunscreen regularly, the future you will look younger, with fewer ageing signs.
Anti-ageing essentials at your 40s
Resolving ageing skin in your 40s entails using anti-ageing essentials other than sunscreen. As you get old, the production of collagen in your skin decreases, resulting in more visible ageing signs on your skin.
For that reason, you might want to start using retinol and vitamin C in your anti-ageing regimen in your 40s. Retinol-containing skincare products can stimulate collagen formation while combating adult acne, which you may also experience.
Vitamin C, on the other hand, will increase collagen production. It also has a brightening property, which can help fight dark spots caused by sun damage.
Anti-ageing essentials at your 50s
Overcoming skin ageing in your 50s requires more effort than overcoming ageing in your 40s. When you’re in your 50s, you can stick with anti-ageing essentials for people in their 40s while adding other methods.
Adding methods into your anti-ageing essentials is important because in your 50s, your hormone cycle will change, especially in women. Women typically begin to experience menopause while also experiencing changes in the hormone estrogen level, resulting in dry and sagging skin.
According to Healthline, you should consider combining microneedling and laser treatment in your skincare routine. These two procedures will stimulate your skin to produce adequate amounts of collagen, making it appear rejuvenated and youthful.
Anti-ageing essentials at your 60s and beyond
When you reach your 60s, your skin naturally begins to sag and lose volume. The use of topical creams and microneedling or laser treatments may not significantly improve volume loss.
As a result, patients in their 60s and older may benefit from filling injections to replenish volume loss and reduce wrinkles. They can choose from various procedures, including dermal fillers, Sculptra, Profhilo, and many others.
Ageing skin treatment
After discussing the definition of ageing skins and the recommended anti-ageing essentials based on your age, it’s time to decide which clinical treatments you might want to try to combat or prevent your ageing signs.
At our clinic, we offer a variety of treatments that can effectively improve the appearance of ageing skin. Furthermore, our medical aesthetics doctor will handle the following procedures to ensure that patients receive their treatment safely and comfortably:
Dermal fillers
Dermal fillers are procedures that involve injecting hyaluronic acid into the skin. The injected hyaluronic acid will replenish the loss of volume beneath the skin caused by a lack of collagen.
As a result, patients may simultaneously notice an improvement in their ageing signs (e.g., wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin) after receiving dermal fillers.
Sculptra
Sculptra is a treatment similar to dermal fillers in that the procedure also involves injecting fluid into the skin. However, unlike dermal fillers that use hyaluronic acid, Sculptra uses poly-l-lactic acid as the basic ingredient.
Patients with significant volume loss and ageing signs on their skin may want to choose Sculptra as a way to rejuvenate their skin. That way, they can maintain their youthfulness for a longer time.
HIFU Doublo Gold
High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) Doublo Gold is a non-surgical treatment that can revitalise mild to moderate ageing signs. This treatment works by delivering intense energy waves into specific areas.
As a result, patients who undergo this treatment can enhance the appearance of their wrinkles, sagging skin, and fine lines effectively without going under the knife.
Profhilo
Profhilo is an injectable skincare treatment that entails using a high concentration of hyaluronic acid. Later, the hyaluronic acid injections will stimulate collagen production and promote hydrated skin.
Furthermore, Profhilo also works wonders in bio-remodelling the sagging skin. As a result, patients can elongate their ageing skin and maintain their skin’s firmness for a longer time.
Venus Legacy
Venus Legacy is a non-surgical skin tightening, body contouring, and wrinkle reduction treatment. This treatment works by delivering multi-polar radiofrequency and pulsed electromagnetic fields to some regions of the body.
Additionally, Venus Legacy is FDA-approved as a non-surgical treatment. That way, if you wish to improve your ageing skin by undergoing this treatment, you don’t need to worry about any harmful side effects.
Agnes RF
Agnes RF is another alternative that you can choose to improve your ageing skin. This treatment entails delivering radiofrequency (RF) waves to the skin and effectively resolves sagging skin while also reducing excessive fat tissues.
Furthermore, Agnes RF also provides comfort as it uses minimally invasive techniques. Our medical aesthetics doctor may also apply numbing cream before performing this treatment, ensuring that our patients will feel less discomfort during the procedure.
Fractional CO2 Laser
A fractional CO2 Laser is another choice that you can choose to revitalise your skin. It is a minimally invasive treatment that could treat various skin problems, including wrinkles, uneven complexions, and acne scars.
Furthermore, this treatment will use fractional photo thermolysis that infiltrates beneath the skin. As a result, the energy will stimulate collagen production, resulting in smoother and younger-looking skin.
Rejuran Skin Healer
Rejuran Skin Healer is a skin booster made from salmon DNA and polynucleotides (PN). These ingredients are biocompatible with the human body and work wonders in terms of skin elasticity, wrinkle and fine line reduction, and volume loss revitalisation.
Patients with mild signs of ageing may be suitable candidates for this procedure because its main ingredient can keep skin looking young. As a result, by undergoing this treatment, patients can delay the ageing process of their skin.
Thermage FLX
Thermage FLX is a non-invasive skin tightening and lifting treatment that uses radiofrequency (RF) technology. Later, radiofrequency (RF) energy will infiltrate deep into the dermis layer, stimulating collagen production and promoting tighter-looking skin.
Typically, patients with mild to moderate ageing signs (e.g., wrinkles, sagging skin, and fine lines) will be suitable to undergo this treatment.
Summary
Now that you have read this article, we hope that you have a clear understanding of ageing skin and how to treat it effectively.
As an important note, ageing is a natural process, and everyone will experience it someday. Although natural, you still have a choice to delay or minimise the appearance of your ageing signs.
If you wish to take further steps on revitalising your skin, don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to welcome you and provide you with the most suitable treatments for your ageing skin.
So, what are you waiting for? Book your consultation with Dr Dylan Chau today and regain your natural youthful glow!
