As we grow older our skin goes through many different phases depending on our hormones and how much we indulge in life’s excesses.
To help you understand your skin better, we look at what happens to our skin during our thirties, forties and fifties and give you the best beauty tips for each stage.
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30s
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
More babies are born to women aged between 30 and 34 than in any other age group. Pregnancy is a good skin care conditioner and it’s common for women to appear to ‘glow’ during this time. This is because a healthy hormone production of oestrogen and progesterone can give your skin a healthy look.
Read More: 5 Ways to Tackle Stubborn Zits
FAULTS & FIXES:
- Pregnancy spots: Some women complain of ‘pregnancy spots’. This is an overgrowth of blood vessels lying deep in your skin caused by too much oestrogen. During pregnancy, your skin texture may also start to become drier and tougher because your growing baby starts to take up so many nutrients.
Fix: Sunscreen is a must in your 30s to prevent worsening of any existing pigmentation. “A smart way is to incorporate SPF into your daily makeup routine using BB powder” says Mabel Lee, a beauty blogger. Stubborn spots can be effectively cleared up with a pigment-targeted laser such as Pigment lasers used in Divine Whitening Program. “The balance of using vitamins to help skin lighten naturally and lasers scattering the pigment within the skin is key to success of this program” says Dr Michelle Lim, an aesthetic doctor at The Sloane Clinic, voted one of the best aesthetic clinics in Singapore by Tatler.
- Dull skin: Whether you’re pregnant or not, at this age you may start to notice your skin is drier and duller in colour. This is because the rate of new cells being produced by your skin is beginning to slow down.
Fix: Regular exfoliation may go some way to helping skin stay clear, always choose an exfoliator that is gentle enough to be used a few times a week for best results. “I use Crystal healing scrub because it is gentle enough for me to use daily, and it hydrates my skin at the same time, so it gives me effective daily exfoliation. I believe that exfoliation needs to be done gently but regularly, not harshly and sporadically for best results” says Cara, our beauty editor.
- Expression lines: Unlike your teens and twenties, when you smile these lines may not disappear. Collagen (which gives skin its strength) and elastin (the stretchy part of your skin) carry on getting weaker. This is when wrinkles start to form as ‘expression’ lines. Pursing your lips when smoking can exaggerate these lines.
Fix: Expression lines can be minimized by a special variant of the botox technique but with less chance of freezing the muscles. Microrefine uses superficial micro-injections of a hyper-diluted botox solution to the skin, rather than the muscles. This helps to minimize fine lines but without affecting the overall expression of the face, and is much loved by celebs and actresses who wants to shed a few years without the tell-tale “botox” effect.
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40s
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
At this age, your lymphatic system starts to slow right down. Lymphatic drainage – the way your body gets rid of toxins – decreases in speed and the elastic fibres that support your lymph glands break down. This can result in puffiness around your eyes and cheeks. Less sebum production at this age means the waxy, protective outer coating of your skin makes us more vulnerable to environmental conditions such as pollution and smoky environments.
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FAULTS & FIXES
- Neck lines & turkey neck: Your mid forties is also a time when hormones such as oestrogen are switching off. Oestrogen is a useful molecule for keeping your skin pert and bouncy. Less oestrogen can make your skin start to sag and wrinkle around the neck and chest.
Fix: “Revitalift is microdroplets of a fine hyaluronic acid filler which can stimulate collagen production and restore neck skin suppleness and elasticity” says Dr Low Chai Ling, founder of SW1 Clinic. According to her, unlike conventional dermal fillers which has a larger particle size and is traditionally used for filling lines and hollows and can cause lumps when used under thin skin, Revitalift is designed for thin skin like the neck area. For those with sagging skin of the neck area giving their age away, Dr Low suggests undergoing Infinity Neck Lift, a non-surgical, 30-minute thread lift procedure using bio-absorbable collagen threads that will lift up sagging skin and provide a foundation for new collagen matrix to grow in the next 12 months.
- Cellulite: On top of this more cellulite – or fat deposits – are being deposited around your hips and thighs and your skin can become victim to the dreaded ‘orange peel’ effect.
Fix: “I have tried dry brushing, diets and massages to eliminate cellulite all to no avail, until I found Thermage for Body” exclaims Stella, a 43 year old personal fitness coach. “One session reduced the appearance of my cellulite by 40-50% which was significant for me.” Thermage Body uses a macro body tip that is four times the size of the tip used to treat the face, to exert its radiofrequency-mediated skin tightening benefits. It goes deeper into the skin to break up cellulite fibres, thereby exerts its effectiveness in smoothening orange peel skin even after just one session.
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50s
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
The menopause is probably kicking in at this time. Decreased oestrogen slows our sebum production, protecting your skin less and making it drier. You may start to notice facial hair – this is due to an imbalance of male and female hormones through menopause. Scars and pigmentation are also common in women of this age. This is because their healing capacity is decreased compared to younger years. Skin is therefore more likely to crack and become dry.
Although your body may not be controlled by hormones any longer, you will find that the skin carries on ageing. It becomes slacker, especially if you have dieted at times in your life, because your skin won’t have been able to regain its elasticity quickly enough in between periods of rapid weight gain and loss.
Read More: How to Get Rid of Your Turkey Neck Without Surgery
FAULTS & FIXES
- Discolouration: Patches of pigmentation on your skin are likely to appear. You may notice age spots – areas where cells decide to produce pigment in the absence of sun. This can occur on the backs of your hands, arms and face. Spider veins – often a sign of damaged blood vessels by the sun – can also start to show. You may also notice an increase in the size of your pores. This is when your skin loosens and the opening of your pores become more pronounced.
Fix: While there are many lasers, each claiming to target one individual flaw, when it comes an overall complexion enhancement, nothing is more impressive than a fractional skin renewal laser such as Fraxel Light. “Women in their 50s don’t have time for downtime, yet they need to improve several things about their skin— brown spots, pores, texture, fine lines” says Dr Kenneth Lee, “That is why I usually recommend that they go for Fraxel Light lasers to renew their complexions, which gives them an all-round complexion rejuvenation.” Those with significant broken capillaries, however may want to slip in a few sessions of pulsed dye laser, Vbeam, currently the gold standard for eliminating broken capillaries and erasing flushing from sun-damaged or aging skin, restoring their skin’s natural fairness after a few simple sessions.
- Loss of a V-shape face: As our collagen depletes, our facial tissues move downwards, transforming our “inverted triangle of youth” to a heavyset face marred with sagging jowls and an ill-defined jawline. Nothing ages a woman more than a change of her facial shape, as this cannot be disguised even with the best makeup.
Fix: Face Thread Lifts are effective non-surgical tools to lift sagging skins instantly, restoring the facial tissues to their more lifted and youthful positions. Silhouette Soft Thread Lifts are renowned for their superior lifting effects. Infinity V-lift are thread lifts known for their ability not just to lift but to shape the face into an enhanced V-shape look. “I usually use a combination of both Silhouette Soft Thread Lifts and Infinity Face Thread lifts for my patients to create the best results” says Dr Low Chai Ling. Because of their longevity (1-2 years) and instant results, many clients have hailed the facial thread lifts done by Dr Low as the non-surgical face lift of the year!