Are you making these common mistakes? Dr Alison Colville of The Avery Clinic, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, discusses where you might be going wrong & how to get it right.
1. The only treatment you’re having is anti-wrinkle injections
Whilst you might be getting a great wrinkle-relaxing result from your anti-wrinkle injections to your upper face, if you aren’t addressing the signs of ageing in the rest of your face then your smooth forehead will make the rest of you look older!
From our mid 30’s we start to lose volume in the cheek area and the face starts to sag downwards with gravity, leading to heaviness around the nose and mouth. In our 40’s we begin to see jowls forming around the chin and we lose definition in our jawline. In the aim of creating harmony in the face, you should also consider softening these natural ageing changes either though volume regenerative treatments like Profhilo Structura or replacing volume using dermal fillers.
For natural results we need to keep harmony and balance in the face and always consider the face as a whole rather than just targeting specific areas.
2. You’re not investing in your skin
The reason wrinkles appear is not actually because of muscle movement…. It’s because of skin ageing.
Children have full movement of their faces but no wrinkles – this is because their skin is full of collagen (for skin structure), hyaluronic acid (skin hydration) and elastin (skin flexibility) and so it just bounces back to smooth.
So how do we invest in our skin?
Optimising skin health by using medical-grade skin care and treatments is often overlooked but will make a huge difference.
Similarly to the strength of medicines you can buy yourself from a pharmacy vs what a doctor can prescribe for you after a consultation, clinically proven (and often prescription only) skincare contains powerful ingredients which will be chosen specifically your skin.
Namely, a medical-grade retinoid, and a vitamin C product will be recommended to most people to prevent and reverse ageing in the skin.
In clinic, there are various treatments that are regenerative such as microneedling, Profhilo and polynucleotides which stimulate the skin to remodel itself and boost collagen for better skin quality. These treatments will slow and even reverse signs of ageing.
Collagen supplements have also hit the market in recent years but unfortunately a lot of them have had much evidence demonstrating whether they actually work. Professional-grade supplements such as ‘Skinade’, which I have chosen to work with in clinic, have a huge amount research behind them, showing up to 73% increase in skin collagen after 3 months!
3. You’re not using UV protection properly
80% of skin ageing is preventable - that's a huge statement! And a large proportion of the avoidable ageing comes from UV exposure.
If we wore a broad spectrum SPF from a young age, every single day, then we would look significantly younger today than we do. And in the same way, if you commit to wearing a broad spectrum SPF every single day from now onwards, you will thank yourself in 10 years!
You must also remember to reapply. It’s no good putting factor 50 on at 7am and then forgetting about it for the rest of the day. If you’re in the sun then you need to reapply every 2 hours to maintain the level of protection. If you get a tan in any way, shape or form then you have allowed skin damage through not reapplying. I’m sorry to say that if you’re applying your sun protection correctly you simply wouldn't tan…. I can highly recommend Bondi Sands fake tan if, like me, you still like to look bronzed!
For reference:
*Broad spectrum = UVA and UVB cover
*UVA = the ‘ageing’ rays that are present all year round, rain/cloud/snow, penetrates through windows, does not tan skin
*UVB = the ‘browning/burning’ rays that are present April – September mostly in the UK, do not penetrate glass, refers to the SPF factor e.g. factor 50, increases risk of skin cancers
4. You’re forgetting the neck, chest & hands
Nothing gives someone’s age away like their neck, right?
We’ve all seen it – someone has a baby smooth, taught face, and then the neck of a turkey. It makes any treatments they’ve had, which may have given great results, look out of place and obvious. So, if we want to keep a natural harmony, we cannot neglect the rest of the body.
The face is the first place that we start to notice ageing signs but before you know it, your neck skin becomes crepey and all that hard work you’ve put into your face treatments and self-care means nothing because your neck is telling a different story!
In our late-30s we start to notice our neck skin is changing and it’s a fairly rapid decline from there as the skin is actually thinner than the skin on our face. It starts with crepey skin, horizontal lines, and then the skin becomes saggy with stringy tendons.
Then you realise your chest is getting lines too!
SO…. What can you do?
Of course the main thing is prevention again with daily broad spectrum SPF on these areas too. And again, your older self will thank you!
I also recommend using all your skincare products on your neck and chest too as the skin is similar in quality so will benefit in the same way.
Similarly, in clinic we can rejuvenate the skin of the neck, chest and hands using microneedling, Profhilo and polynucleotides so consider adding these treatments in.
5. You’re being let down by the industry due to marketing
Everywhere you turn there is a new product that is promising to make you look 21 again… and it’s so hard to know whether to believe it or not.
"Surely, if Cat Deeley is using it then it must be true?"
"Boots are a responsible brand so it must be true?"
Unfortunately, it’s often just very good marketing.
For example, we know that hyaluronic acid (HA) is a super hydrating molecule and it can stimulate collagen, so [insert high-street brand here] will make a serum containing HA and declare how hydrating & anti-ageing it is.
The problem is that HA is too big of a molecule to pass through the skin barrier and so putting it in a serum is like rubbing pizza on your tummy and wondering why you’re still hungry. Why do you think we inject Profhilo? Because the way to get it to the deeper layers of the skin is to use a needle to get through.
Evidence-based products have to prove the results in clinical studies – not just ‘80% of people felt their skin looked better’. And to make things even more unfair, not all clinical studies are actually of a decent enough quality.
Brands can manipulate the science behind it’s ingredients and use it to sell the product – known as ‘science washing.’
I’d recommend being guided by a medically qualified professional who has experience in assessing clinical studies and therefore can sift through all the rubbish out there and give you the best quality products so you don’t keep wasting your money.
So to summarise:
Choose an aesthetic professional that will assess your whole face and recommend ways to soften all the ageing processes so to maintain a natural look
Invest in your skin treatments by choosing medical-grade products/supplements
Wear a broad spectrum SPF every day, and reapply every 2 hours if out in the sun
Apply your serums, creams and UV protection to your neck and chest + consider other treatments
Look for a medical professional to guide you on your skin so you don’t have to waste your money trying things that might not work
So, now you know how to age WELL and maintain a natural and healthy look.
For your own personalised skin and treatment plan, make an appointment for a consultation and we can explore all the ways that will get you the best results.
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