For the first 20 or so years of our lives, we enjoy an on-going procedure of becoming stronger and smarter as we progress through infancy and adolescence into adulthood and maturity. Then we hit a stumbling block; we may continue to gain wisdom with the passing years but physically the ageing process kicks in bringing with it the signs of growing old which are most obvious in our faces. In this article we will explain the process of skin ageing and how these can be reduced with non-surgical aesthetic treatments.
The facial appearances of ageing typically begin in our 30s or even earlier. Skin gradually loses its ability to produce collagen and elastin, which maintain firmness and springiness. This reduces facial volume, causing fine lines and wrinkles. Repeated muscle movements, such as laughing and frowning manifest as forehead frown lines, crow’s feet around the eyes and marionette (or puppet) lines near the mouth. Facial features can also begin to look thinner and more angular, making us appear sad and tired. According to the “US Women’s Health” magazine, this is also the decade when our previous lifestyle habits begin to show in our features; we may see pigmentation developing on our chin, cheeks and forehead, often as a result of exposure to the sun over the years.
In our 40s, all of these problems intensify, with lines and wrinkles becoming more pronounced as the skin begins to get drier. Another problem is loss of subcutaneous fat, causing our looks to sag as elasticity further decreases. As the ageing progression continues, the effects on our faces become more visible, in some cases drastically changing our appearance. Harvard Medical School experts in the US say that as we get older, we may lose facial fatty tissue to such an extent that skin that was once taut and smooth becomes loose and sags. At the same time, lower parts of our features may gain fat, leading to a double chin and excessive jowls in the neck, as our cheek muscles lose strength and are drawn downwards. The wrinkles that began between the eyebrows and on the forehead, also called expression or animation marks, may well deepen because of the way our facial fat is losing volume. Another sign is the onset of sunken eyes. This condition occurs when the lower eyelids slacken, resulting in bags under the eyes. Muscle weakening can cause the upper eyelids to droop.
Whilst it is not possible to stop or prevent what is a natural process, there are a number of things that we can do to reduce the impact on our bodies of the ageing process. Firstly, its never too early or too late to start a healthy lifestyle. In our previous blogs, we have posted articles on how your diet, exercise, skincare regime and making certain life-style modifications can all lead to healthier and younger looking skin as well as reducing the impact of ageing on your skin.
Of course, there is also a range of treatments, which we offer at City Skin Clinic that can be used to reduce the impact of ageing on the skin. Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, such as Teosyal and Juvederm, for instance are made of a naturally occurring product (hyaluronic acid), which is synthesised in the laboratory and can be used to plump up the skin thus restoring lost volume to the face. Dermal fillers can be used to enhance cheeks, reshape chins and noses as well as treat under eye circles by injection into the tear trough area. Lip injections using dermal fillers can be used to enhance lip volume and shape as well as treat the areas around the mouth such as frown lines or smoker’s lines.
Dermal fillers can also be used to smooth out lines and wrinkles and thus improve the appearance of nose to mouth lines (nasolabial) as well as forehead wrinkles. They are also increasingly used to treat the neck area, define the chin and rejuvenate the appearance of the back of the hands. Botulinum toxin injections such as Botox, Azzalure and Bocouture can also be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. When injected into the muscles that cause wrinkling, they can be used to effectively treat forehead wrinkles as well as the appearance of bunny lines on the nose, crow’s feet around the eyes, smoker’s lines around the mouth, provide an eyebrow lift and even treat neck wrinkles in a procedure elegantly described as the “Nefertiti lift”. Botox can also be used to reduce the appearance of a wide-set jaw. Used together, Botox and dermal fillers can compliment each other to treat the signs of ageing in the face to provide a non-surgical lift also known as the “liquid facelift”.
Techniques such as Dermaroller and chemical peels can also be used to treat skin discolouration and early wrinkles as well as reduce the appearance of acne scarring. All these treatments when administered by a qualified Doctor can provide fresher and younger looking skin in a safe and non-surgical manner.
In Oscar Wilde’s only novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, published in 1891, the hedonistic protagonist sacrifices his humanity so he can retain his beauty while his portrait ages on his behalf. Nowadays, with a wide range of non-surgical aesthetic treatments available, we don’t have to sell our souls in a bid to keep our looks. Visit the rest of our website to explore the full range of treatments that we provide at city Skin Clinic.
