We all know facial aging will give us wrinkles and sagging skin but do we know how skin ages and what to expect decade by decade.
If you want to look younger then you need to decide what facial aging you can resist and what you have to accept as part of aging gracefully.
Of course, we’re all different and our genes play a part in how well we do in the anti aging lottery.
Whether you’ve been lucky with your anti aging genes or not – here’s a quick count down of changes most of us can expect in our skin from our 30’s onwards
Facial aging in your 30’s
- Fine lines develop as collagen and elastin break down in the skin
- Delicate skin under the eyes becomes thinner and under eye puffiness can be more of a problem
- Pore size may increase and skin can become noticeably rougher and more coarse
- First signs of broken veins show up as small red dots – in the late thirties the first age spots and brown pigmentation will appear depending on your level of sun exposure
- Overall your complexion will be drier than it has been before – whatever your skin type
Facial aging in your 40’s
- Deeper lines around the mouth and eyes (if you smoke – you’ll have seen these in your 30’s) and furrows in the forehead
- Loss of bounce-back in the skin due to declining elastin levels
- Circles under the eyes may be starting to look like bags
- Noticeably drier skin
- In the pre-menopausal years – skin balance may be upset and become oily and prone to breakouts or ultra dry and sensitive
Facial aging in your 50’s and beyond
- Lines and wrinkles deepening into folds – in the 50’s and beyond loss of estrogen impacts the skin’s elasticity and plumpness
- Sagginess and droopiness may be apparent for the first time and – depending on your genes – a jowly look can develop
- Skin tone becomes more uneven and you may see an increasing number of ‘sun spots’ and hyperpigmentation
This may sound like a depressing list – but the most important thing to remember is that many of these changes are accelerated by our own actions. Sun exposure, smoking, stress, poor skin care, crash dieting – all fast forward the aging button.
Heavy smoking and sun worship will add 15-20 years to the natural age of your skin. Stop smoking, protect yourself from the sun and follow a good anti aging skin care regimen and you’ll look younger for much longer.
Anti aging is really in your own hands.
About Eileen
