‘Ageing is a privilege, getting old is optional’…………… Dr. Doris Day.
It is important to understand that Facial ageing occurs on multiple anatomical levels. Firstly, the outermost skin ages due to wear and tear, exposure to sun and the passage of time.
Facial fat pads underneath the skin, gradually begin to deflate in mid to late 20s, coupled with the thinning out underlying muscle and skin, leading to a less plumped skin.
Lastly the boney structure of the face slowly begins to resorb and weaken in strength and size.
The overall result is excess loose facial skin that is thinner on a shrinking base, which manifests as fine lines, wrinkles, deeper folds, hollowness and skin laxity, most noticeable along the jawline.
Thankfully there are many safe, highly effective, clinically proven anti-ageing treatments available, ranging from prescriptive skincare, lasers ,chemical peels, minimally invasive treatments such as fillers, skin boosters, botulinum toxin and finally cosmetic surgery.
However, there are many simple everyday habits you can adopt to help slow down the ageing process.
Here are my top 10 tips.
- Avoid the sun- up to 80% of skin ageing can be accounted for by sundamage. Follow the irish Cancer Sociey sun smart mantra of ‘slip-slop-slap’- which stands for SLIP on a long sleeved shirt, SLOP on SPF 50+ and SLAP on a wide brimmed hat. Coupled with seeking the shade and avoiding the midday sun.
- Don’t smoke- its widely accepted that smoking accelerates skin ageing, not to mention causing stained teeth, bad breath and cancer.
- Stress- causes a spike in your cortisol levels which is a hormone that is pro ageing. Learn to identify when you are stressed and do things that help relieve stress such as breathing and exercise.
- Reduce sugar- once digested sugar binds to collagen fibres making them more friable- ie break more easily. This leads to weakened skin overtime that ages faster. Aim to eat a low sugar diet.
- Sleep- your skin and body regenerates while you sleep so aim to get 8 hours sleep every night. Studies have shown that poor sleepers have a lower self perception and higher BMIs to good sleepers.
- Stabilise weight- yo-yo dieting and the associated inflation + deflation of skin is detrimental to skin elasticity leading to premature skin laxity, most noticeable along the jawline.
- Sweat- the skin is the largest organ in the body and one if it’s key functions is detoxifcation via sweating – break a sweat a few times a weeks, preferably without makeup.
- Hydrate inside and out- eat and drink plenty of water everyday. Fruit and veg contain lots of water and are a wonderful way of boosting your daily intake of water.
- Eat a balanced diet- just like your granny did and avoid sugary and processed food. Cut out the C.R.A.P.= Caffeine, Refined sugar, Alcohol and Processed foods.
- Last but not least – use a personalised and prescriptive skincare regime for optimal results. If and only if your skin can tolerate active ingredients such as vitamin A and glycolic acid, aim to use these ingredients 3-4 nights per week.
