Many women who celebrate their 50th birthday fret that this is the start of the end for their skin and faces. New science has shown that this is not true. There are many ways you can employ to embrace your skin changes in the 50s.
In your 50s, your skin-care routine needs to be thrown into high gear to minimize the changes that come along at this point of life, particularly extremely dry skin. If you didn’t take care of your skin when you were younger, the dryness factor will not work in your favor and may actually make your skin look older than it really is.
“This is when the maintenance done at a younger age goes a long way, keeping your skin looking young as you approach your 50s and 60s,” says Dr Kenneth Lee, medical director of SW1 Clinic.
But this is not the time to cry over spilt milk. Find out what you can do now to make the best of your skin in this decade.
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Thin is not in
As collagen and elastin levels decline, moisture levels drop and the underlying structure becomes less supported, skin becomes thinner and more fragile (the under-eye area is particularly affected due to a loss of fat under skin), giving way to a dehydrated, crepey and baggy look.
Fix It With: Emollient based moisturizers can help restore the skin barrier function and lock in essential moisture for your skin. This is the age where you should embrace the natural goodness of organic oils such as grapeseed, rosehip and jojoba. They deliver vital vitamins as well as hydration for the skin. Best of all, oils tend to be preservative free unlike water based serums and are perfect for the fragile sensitive skin or peri-menopausal ladies.
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Line Up
Wrinkles and lines become more apparent with age, in particular expression lines such as frown lines and crow’s feet. This is not helped by the heavy use of mobile devices and the deteriorating eyesight of older women, causing them to strain their eyes and squint even more, overworking the delicate eye muscles into semi-permanent creases. In fact, our racer may determine what sort of wrinkles we will have. According to a study, Caucasians age and sag faster than other skin types. However, Chinese women had significantly more severe wrinkles around the eyes compared with Japanese women, while Thai women had significantly more severe wrinkles in the lower halves of their faces compared with Chinese women. This perhaps show the different uses of the facial muscles prevalent in each race.
Fix It With: One of the most studied ingredients proven to help with the anti-aging of skin is retinoids. A form of vitamin A, it is one of most widely studied vitamins out there. Women who have been applying some form of retinoids over the years have been shown to have improve skin elasticity and tone. Choose a cream based retinoid and apply it before you go to bed. Always use a sunscreen in the day when using retinoids to prevent sun sensitivity.
Also to look out for: skin resurfacing lasers such as SmartX. This fractionated carbon dioxide laser works well to remove the damaged, wrinkled skin replacing it with healthier, smoother skin over time. This skin renewal process lessens wrinkles and improves overall complexion colour and tone.
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Weak with time
Long story short, your DNA may have more of an impact on your skin than any product available on shelves. One study found that, of our 25,000 or so different genes, around 1,500 of those genes impact our skin health. They also determined there are eight major ways our skin ages, and each of these groups is controlled by its own group of genes. In fact, there are around 200 genes that affect how the skin defends against free radicals, which can age skin.
Everything from stretch marks and varicose veins to discoloration and skin sagging are related to our genetic makeup. This explains why some people start seeing wrinkles, acne, and skin discoloration in their 20s while others may not experience skin troubles until later in life.
With age, DNA damage to both genomic and mitochondria) DNA and subsequent DNA repair contribute greatly to age-associated skin changes that we see.
Fix It With: The best way to prevent DNA damage is to start when we are young, with a good lifestyle such as judicious sun protection and avoidance of risky behavior such as smoking.
Try Youth Savant, this is a PDRN microinjection that helps to restore the integrity of your skin’s DNA, improving the skin health over time. Women report anti-aging benefits from reduced lines to improve skin glow after each session.
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Age Spots
The sum total of pigmentation on your skin is closely related to your skin karma— whether you have paid it forward with a sun-avoiding lifestyle or accrued negative karma with a sun-loving one.
Fix It With: Potent topical ingredients that can help your skin see the light of day include mequinol, retinoids and arbutin. Apply them with a good sun defense of at least SPF 30 and you will see improvements over the course of a month or two.
For a quicker resolution of the pigmented patches on your skin— be it from sun, age or hormones, try Pico Pigment laser that helps to break up pigment cells, enabling your body’s macrophages to clear them out of your skin effectively.
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Fill’er Up
One tell tale sign of an aging face is the loss of facial volume. Over time, fat pads which reside under our skin (the same ones that gave us the ‘baby face look’ decades ago) shrink with time. This loss of volume manifests either as a tired gaunt face or as deep static lines (lines which are visible even when you are sleeping) such as nasolabial folds.
Fix It With: Hyaluronic acid fillers are made from natural sugar molecules and can be easily injected into the face to replace the loss volume, helping your face regain its youthful contours. It can also be applied to deep lines and wrinkles, filling them into oblivion.
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Looking ‘your age’ should not stop you from looking your best at any age. So if you are in the 5th decade of your life, sit back and enjoy the beautiful journey ahead.