WHAT HAPPENS AS WE AGE?
Our signs of aging show most on our face, neck, chest and hands. In our youth, we are supplied with an abundance of good quality collagen, elastin, healthy skin cells, well hydrated skin, and healthy capillaries to provide nourishment to the skin, giving skin a clean rosy glow.
Unfortunately, we have to contend daily with forces which can destroy what was given to us naturally. A combination of gravity, the sun, cigarette smoke, the weather, environmental chemicals. our diet, alcohol, dehydration, free-radicals, our daily facial expressions, stress, and the natural aging process are the main factors contributing to aging. Other habits such as our sleep patterns will show up on our faces as more pronounced lines on the side of the face on which we sleep.
In the Caribbean, the sun is one of the main sources of premature aging. Sun damage at 6 years old will eventually show up on our faces in our 20's and 30's. Below are the expected changes as we age:
In our teens, the downhill spiral of aging has already begun. Parents of kids and teens should focus on sun protection with spf of 20 or higher, a good unprocessed diet high in fruits, vegetables, low in sugar, low in harmful fats , and exercise. Kids and teens with active outdoor lifestyles are especially vunerable to sun exposure.
In the mid 20's, fine lines and wrinkles begin to appear in the regions of dynamic facial expressions such as around the eyes. A great skin care line which focuses on protection of the skin (such as Obagi serum C) and sun screens should be part of a daily routine to help slow down the aging process.
In the 30's, fine lines become more pronounced around the eyes and around the mouth, and brown pigmentation spots from sun damage may begin to show. A skin scan is a great way of seeing your actual sun damage under a special light. Similar to skin care in the 20's, a great skin care line which focuses on protection of the skin (such as Obagi serum C) and sun screens should be part of a daily routine to help slow down the aging process. Light laser resurfacing, light chemical peels, Obagi and Perricone products are also excellent preventive treatments to consider.
In the 30's women may see areas of facial pigmentation develop from pregnancy, the so-called 'mask of pregnancy'. If this discolouration persists, the Obagi Nu-Derm system is the ideal system for control of this condition.
In the 40's the skin becomes drier due to peri-menopausal changes and hormonal changes. Lines become more pronounced, sun spots become more pronounced, and the texture of the skin will begin to feel and look different. The effects of gravity may also begin showing around the eyes, and along the jawline. Wrinkles which may only once have shown up when making facial expressions may persist on the face when at rest. Botox, dermal fillers, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, Obagi NuDerm, Obagi Crx, and the Perricone line are all non-surgical options for renewing and reversing the effects of aging, and decreasing the appearance of wrinkles.
In the 50's and 60's, treatment can include all of the above modalities to assist in minimising the appearance of wrinkles.