Aging is inevitable – a natural process that our bodies follow
Aging is inevitable – a natural process that our bodies follow
Image: 123RF / goodluz

It is true for most of us that if we had an option to not age, we would. You know what we’re talking about: the crows-feet on the side of the eyes, the infamous 11-lines between the brows, the dark circles and uneven skin tone, and the ever-growing collection of creases near the mouth. But, aging is inevitable – a natural process that our bodies follow whether we like it or not. It’s not all doom and gloom though… There are ways to age gracefully, naturally and with a little bit of help from our beauty friends.

While there has been many generalisations on how to slow down the process of ageing, expert beauty aesthetics practitioner Dr P Gumede says there is no ‘one fits all’ solution. She does say, however, that making changes to one’s lifestyle choices (exercise, sleep, nutrition and avoiding toxic substances) will generally improve the aging process across all ages.

Here is what you can implement in your skin care regime:

IN YOUR 20s:

COMMON SIGNS OF AGEING ACCORDING TO LEADING BEAUTY AND SKINCARE COMPANIES:

  •  Fine lines around the mouth and nose
  •  Skipping sunscreen in your 20s accelerates sun damage from deep inside, resulting in the formation of dark spots on the outside later on
  •  Formation of crow’s feet around the eyes
  •  Dark circles under the eyes and drooping upper eyelids

SOLUTION:

Natural: Keep your skin hydrated by drinking at least 2L of water per day.

Exercise: Before implementing product based solutions, consider face-tightening exercises to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. An example of one is stretching your mouth as wide as you can (as if you are saying cheese) then pull your lips together tightly as if you are kissing your nose. Hold the different positions for two seconds in between the changes and then stretch your lips forward and down. Repeat the entire routine 20 times.

Product: Apart from that Dr P suggests chemical peels – done once a month. Invest in a good sunscreen.

IN YOUR 30s:

COMMON SIGNS OF AGEING ACCORDING TO LEADING BEAUTY AND SKINCARE COMPANIES:

  • Fine lines develop from our facial expressions
  • Frown lines between the eyebrows
  • Loss of volume and elasticity in the skin
  • Decrease in the thickness of the upper lip
  • “Laugh lines” around the nose and mouth are more pronounced

SOLUTION:

Natural: The first and most important is eating healthily; this does not only keep you fit but ensures your skin has the right nutrients to keep it glowing.

Exercise: Try sleeping on your back as this minimizes frown lines and other wrinkles, and be sure to clock in about 6 to 8 hours of sleep.

Give yourself a face massage: simply place your index fingers firmly on your forehead and move them in circles.

Product: Switch to satin sheets to prevent your skin from drying out, as they cause less friction and are gentler on your skin.

Expert care: Dr P suggests an introduction of micro-needling. You can also start using Botox for the prevention thin lines.

IN YOUR +40s:

COMMON SIGNS OF AGEING ACCORDING TO LEADING BEAUTY AND SKINCARE COMPANIES:

  • Skin continues to lose volume and elasticity
  • Sagging around the eyes
  • Dry and uneven skin texture

SOLUTION:

Dr P explains that in your 40s, the body starts to lose the fat pads on the face, which make your face look fuller and plumper. A combination of the preventative measures from your early 20s to your 40s should greatly improve your skins aging resilience.

Expert care: Dr P recommends a non-invasive facelift which uses threads that go into your skin and pull it up. “The threads are the only sutures with bidirectional resorbable cones on polylactic acid sutures, offering our patients a minimally invasive, non-surgical alternative to the more invasive anti-ageing treatments,” she says.

The treatment will start with the numbing of your face with local anaesthetic injections. Then, one by one, the threads are gently inserted underneath the skin with a needle, from the front cheek line to the hairline, with an average of three threads per side. A lift action is achieved by gently tucking the thread upwards as soon as the suture is applied.

This reshapes the treated area by means of a double action: compressing the tissue and lifting the skin due to the bidirectional cones.

The treatment, which is minimally invasive, lasts up to an hour, with a short recovery time. The technique leaves no scars and there is only slight bruising for a few days. It can be used on all areas of the face and neck.

These sutures are similar to those used for surgery and when they resorb, they are replaced by collagen. Patients normally need a touch-up, with one or two threads, after two years.

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