Guest post by Dr Simone Matousek, leading plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgeon and Founder of Skintillation.
A quick fix for anything seems tempting however, life-long discipline and skin maintenance is the key to looking young at any age.
Whilst dramatic textural changes can be achieved with lasers and broadband light, and lifting procedures can help reposition sagging skin, there is no substitute for adequately looking after our skin consistently. If the skin is in great shape, less will need to be done in future and procedures will have a better effect.
Some skin types can get away with more than others; the darker the skin type, the more resilient to environmental and sun damage and the slower the ageing process. Pale skin types need to unfortunately be much more vigilant when it comes to skin protection.
Whilst genetics and skin type do play a role, even those with a head-start in these areas will still experience signs of ageing and sun damage without the right treatment. Lifestyle factors such as weight fluctuations, sleep deprivation and poor diet all play a role.
Making the right lifestyle decision most of the time and using skin care with concentrated active ingredients daily, will have a significant effect. Then as volume loss occurs as ageing accelerates in the thirties and forties, supplementing this with more invasive treatments such as lasers and injectables may be beneficial.
Skin ageing is a gradual process over many years. The earlier you start, the better your head-start on ageing. Damage to the skin is cumulative and collagen loss occurs gradually over time. The older you get and the worse shape your skin is in, the more you will have to do to reverse this.
Very severe sun damage with irregular pigmentation and multiple fine lines is much harder to treat compared to more moderate signs of ageing. Check out this City Beauty Invisicrepe Body Balm for healthier looking skin.
Whilst most people focus on the skin on the face, body skin is ageing at an equally rapid rate. It is much harder to achieve results in these areas with creams and lasers as the surface area is obviously much greater (and requires the same treatment strength for effect). There may be less sun exposure in some sites, but it can be equal or worse in others.
Collagen loss is relatively slow during the late teens and twenties and accelerates in the early thirties. Once menopause hits and there is a hormonal decline, women do age faster than men.
There are plenty of things one can naturally do to assist the anti-ageing process as well as concentrated skin care, broadband light, lasers, injectables and surgery.
Some of the inexpensive things that can make a difference to your skin include:
- Sun avoidance
Particularly in Australia, the sun is extremely harsh. A tan may look good but is also a sign of permanent DNA damage. As we age, our ability to repair sun damage decreases so the golden tan turns to shrivelled prune-like skin. Solar elastosis is the destruction of elastic fibres and collagen which leads to sagging skin, wrinkles and premature ageing. Other effects are increased freckling, mottled discoloured larger pigmented spots (solar lentigines), wrinkles and visible small blood vessels under the skin (telangiectasiaes).
- Diet
Foods that improve skin are well known; fish, fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants. However, excess processed sugar can sabotage even the best skin care routine.
Ingesting too much sugar targets collagen fibres through nasty compounds called AGEs (“advanced glycation end products”). These form when sugar molecules in the bloodstream attach to proteins, specifically elastin and collagen, making them more stiff and prone to fragmentation.
AGEs also deactivate the body’s natural antioxidant enzymes, which leaves the skin more prone to environmental and sun damage thus accelerating the ageing process even more. AGEs can cause death of cells that synthesise collagen. It can also affect skin pigmentation and lead to uneven dull skin tone.
Basically, sugar accelerates wrinkle formation, and leaves the complexion looking more sallow and the skin less elastic.
The way to undo this damage is to eat foods rich in antioxidants and use topical antioxidants to protect your skin. Exercise has been shown to reduce the concentration of AGEs as well.
A younger person can tolerate a higher level of sugar before the glycation process occurs than an older person.
Nevertheless, cutting out as much sugar as possible is of course the best solution but not that easy. It has been shown to light up the same areas of the brain as drugs!
- Dietary supplements
Some dietary supplements have been shown to have an impact, however, there is not much evidence for oral vitamin supplementation if the diet is not deficient.
Topical skin care that increases collagen synthesis is still the most proven and effective method; however, the scientific evidence for collagen supplementation is minimal. Most studies have small numbers and are funded by manufacturers of these products however, there is some indication that they may be beneficial.
The supplement industry is largely unregulated and not all supplements are created equal. They are not FDA regulated (manufacturers do not have to prove efficacy, much less vigorous safety testing than drugs).
Collagen hydrosylates or collagen peptides (smaller fragments) are supposedly the easiest to absorb.
Bone broth is the richest source but any meat that contains connective tissue (gelatinous meat, tougher cuts of meat, chicken skin) is a good source.
Check the makeup and where collagen is sourced in your supplements. Sources include fish, ground up bones and tendons of chicken, cows or pigs (these can concentrate heavy metals). Vegan collagen supplements are not real collagen; just a mix of antioxidants and vitamins, there are no plant sources of collagen.
It is questionable whether ingested collagen reaches the correct target once ingested. If so (through increasing the building blocks to make collagen) it may have an effect on slowing the skin ageing process.
It may also help with hair growth, stronger nails and reduced joint pain as collagen loss is global throughout the body as we age (it is a major constituent of muscle and joints as well as skin)
There is good evidence for a combination of oral (as well as topical) astaxanthin having an effect on improving skin texture and appearance. To get a high concentration of this naturally in the diet, only very specific types of fish have it.
- Exercise
Exercise is not only beneficial for mental and physical health; it has also been shown to have major skin anti-ageing benefits in its own right. Studies have shown those doing regular exercise have a skin age of at least ten years younger than non-exercisers. When it comes to anti-ageing benefits, particularly high intensity training has been shown to be the best form of exercise.
- Stress and anxiety
Chronic stress has been shown to shorten telomeres, which are protein complexes that sit on the ends of our chromosomes and make them stable. Several studies show that psychological stress leads to shorter telomeres. One study showed the damage from stress on telomeres led to six years’ worth of extra ageing on women’s skin. The good news is, some studies find that exercise may prevent this damage or telomere shortening.
- Sleep
Sleep is the time the body has to repair itself and restore immune system function. Sleep deprivation has been shown to lead to premature skin ageing through its impact on collagen production and decreased ability for repair of environmental and sun damage and increased inflammation.
Sleep deprivation increases cortisol production which accelerates collagen degradation as well as leading to weight gain compounding the impact on skin.
Studies have shown sleep-deprived individuals look worse; with drooping eyelids, red and swollen eyes and dark circles under the eyes, a drooping mouth and more wrinkles. Sleep-deprived people are also generally sadder and more fatigued than those who regularly get enough sleep.
A recent article in the Times described well the phenomenon of “COVID face” and how the combination of stress, dietary indiscretions and decreased exercise have accelerated the ageing process.
Therefore, you should look for some ways to combat stress, and get better sleep. Massage therapy is an excellent option, and since finding a massage therapist can be challenging because of the pandemic, investing in inexpensive massage chairs can be a great alternative.
For more information about Dr Simone Matousek and her surgeon-created anti-ageing skin care range, visit skintillation.com.
