The Ageing Face

There is undoubtedly a lot of beauty within a gracefully ageing face and regardless as to how well you look after your skin, there are a range of inevitable changes that will happen as a result of the ageing process.

Let's take a few moments to explore some of these changes together.

In your 20s:
As we transition from our teenage years into young adulthood, our faces start to look more mature as we lose our ‘baby fat’. This is also when the facial ageing process begins and the earliest signs of the creasing that develops from movement start to become apparent, particularly on the brow. Those who experienced a lot of sun exposure as a child might also begin to develop expression lines around the eyes, more commonly known as crow’s feet.

In your 30s:
Although most people retain a youthful appearance throughout the 30s, skin often starts to look less radiant and signs of tiredness become more apparent. Dilated blood vessels might begin to appear and the crow’s feet around our eyes can become more prominent. The pair of lines that many people see between their brows can become visible and nasolabial lines around the mouth can become deeper.

During this decade, you might opt to explore cosmetic treatments to soften the appearance of fine lines and creases with something like Botox which will relax the muscles, or fillers such as Juvederm that can give a plumping effect to the skin.

In your 40s:
During this decade, many of us start to see lines developing on the upper lip. In smokers, these lines are often deeper and develop sooner. Smile lines typically begin to deepen, crow’s feet become more apparent and more wrinkles will begin to appear on the forehead.

In your 50s+:
People who have diligently used sunscreen and minimised their sun exposure over the decades will often move through their 50s and beyond with minimal damage. Some of the cumulative effects of sun damage include the deepening of wrinkles and a significant breakdown in the elastin and collagen that give skin its structure.

There are also some inevitable natural changes that occur as we reach this stage of our lives, including fat loss and bone loss.

Fat is evenly distributed in the face when we’re young, with pockets that keep our cheeks, temples, forehead, eyes and mouth plump. As we age, fat starts to clump, lose volume and move downwards, which means that key facial features can start to look sunken. This also affects the skin, as areas that once looked tight and supple often start to loosen and sag. As parts of our face lose fat, other parts can gain it. This is often particularly seen in the lower half of the face, which is why many of us develop jowls around the neck and looseness around the jaw that can give the appearance of a double chin.

Bone loss is a natural process and as this happens around the chin and mouth, it can lead to skin puckering. Additionally, cartilage loss can result in the drooping of the nose and the accentuation of its bony structure.

During this decade, brown spots that developed as a result of sun damage earlier in our lives can become more apparent. The epidermis, or surface layer of the skin, can start to look more transparent as it starts to thin and it also becomes more fragile as the epidermis and dermis begin to flatten. Also, as hormonal changes occur, our skin can become drier which can result in wrinkles looking more prominent.

The ageing process isn’t something that should feel intimidating, but there is no shame in wanting to slow down some of the natural changes that will occur. If you would like to arrange a skin consultation with me, please don’t hesitate to book in via the booking tool or give us a call.