Aging is a fact of life, a sad one at that. We all want to hold onto our youth, our glowing complexion, and our perfectly smooth skin. Ah, to stay young forever; but, the fact Is as we age we start volume in our skin, fine lines and wrinkles start to show up slowly, and we are no longer glowing like we once were; hence, our discussion on antiaging – there are many ways we can have our skin looking healthy while aging, and keep fine lines and wrinkle at bay.
We’ve already written about how having a proper skin care routine is essential in your 20’s and to make sure its suited to your skincare needs. But now heading into our 30’s and 40’s our skincare routine won’t cut it alone. We need to think about preventing and repairing. It is much easier to prevent than to repair the damage so the earlier and better you take care of your skin the easier it will be. Let’s start by talking about the many ways we can prevent aging (antiaging) in our 30’s and 40’s.
Exfoliation is the removal of built-up dead skin sitting on the surface. Once removed it reveals smoother and brighter skin. Exfoliation encourages healthy circulation, encourages collagen production and healthy cell turnover. Remember to start off with gentle exfoliation and move up as need be for your skins concerns.
This is key to antiaging. Make sure you address your skins new needs, such as more hydration and something to address any fine lines that may be appearing. You may want to ask your dermatologist about cream with retinol in it, to help skin cell turnover. Also, invest in a serum to boost all your skin care products.
Paper thin sheets, soaked in serum, are a great weekly addition to anyone in their 30’s-40’s. There are many options out on the market, each designed to target a specific concern. Ask your dermatologist what they recommend, or try a few.
Invest in a neck cream. You may have neglected to apply moisturizer on your neck and décolleté, but it’s a must – this part of your body is usually neglected until it’s too late to prevent, and you must move into repair. It’s best to use a cream that is specifically targeted for that area, and exfoliate weekly.
There also noninvasive procedures that a licensed aesthetician or cosmetic nurse can perform to help keep you looking your best, longer. Laser treatments are a great addition to your regular skincare routine. This procedure improves skin tone, texture, and appearance.
Peel It Off
Chemical peels are another great way to resurface the skin. A chemical solution is placed on the skin, removing the layers of dead, built up skin cells. They continue to peel away for a few days; revealing younger, brighter looking skin. Chemical peels will improve fine lines, and wrinkles on the surface of the skin, tighten and tone the skin, brighten the complexion, reduce or remove age spots, blotchiness, or discoloration and remove/minimize acne scars. There are light, medium, and deep chemical peels (depending on your antiaging needs), and your needs will be addressed during your consultation.
Microdermabrasion is a gentle procedure that can be used on the face, neck, body or hands. Microdermabrasion brightens skin and improves tone, minimize fine lines, and wrinkles like crow’s feet boost your skincare products to work more effectively and reduce age spots and mild scarring.
Now that we have all our preventative care covered to keep our skin looking its youngest longest, we have to talk about what procedures are available to repair any damage with procedures that can be a little more invasive. We get it, you might not have started your skincare routine in your 20’s or you were a huge sun lover, and now we must repair.
Botox is the most popular cosmetic procedure to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. Botox or Dysport is injected into the muscles under the skin, temporarily paralyzing them, to give the look of smoother skin. Results last anywhere from 4-8 months. There’s nothing wrong with temporary antiaging techniques when paired with longer term regiments!
Filler injections is a procedure like Botox, but instead of Dysport or Botox being injected into the muscles, hyaluronic acid is used. Hyaluronic acid is a ‘natural occurring sugar that gets lost when we age’ says Baumann. So when injected back into the skin it will plump up.
Lastly, you may opt for cosmetic surgery, which would be any facelifts, neck lift, eye lifts and contouring. These are the most expensive procedures and have down time to recover. These are surgeries and require a doctor to perform. So before we get to this point it’s best to start with the less invasive preventative care, start by making an appointment today for your free consultation.