If you are lucky enough to be reading this article in your 20s or 30s, this will be of particular interest to you
When we are young collagen makes up 80 percent of our skin. Up until now your body has naturally produced collagen in abundance, but sadly production starts to decline at about age 25, and continues to decline by 1% each year. Intrinsic (internal/genetic) and extrinsic (external/environmental and lifestyle) ageing factors are both starting to affect the quality of your skin. The good news is: it’s never too late but prevention is better than cure,so now is the time to start taking good care of your skin and protect it from lifelong damage.
As tempting as it can be to buy into the latest high street brands of skin care, most products unfortunately offer very little in the way of active ingredients and are normally full of fragrances and/or harmful chemicals – even the high-end ones. Please don’t be fooled by high price tags and attractive packaging.
You may be as surprised as I was to learn that UVA rays are present at the same strength all year round – and can even penetrate glass! They go deep into the dermis and damaging the structure (collagen and elastin) of the skin. UVB rays burn the surface of the skin and are at their strongest in June in the UK. Due to the UVA rays you should use a physical sun screen all year round. And don’t forget your ‘neck and dec’. Your neck and décolletage are often neglected and these areas can be very ageing if not looked after.
As well as daily application of sun screen, I recommend introducing Retinol 0.25% at night to keep a healthy rate of new skin production and keep skin bright. We all know that other lifestyle factors (like smoking, sugar and alcohol) are not good for our skin – and I’m not here to tell you to stop having fun! However, we can’t deny that the ultimate skin care comes from within, so be sure to balance that fun with health and hydration.
Bonus tip: take great care of your hands now and you’ll thank me later. Keeping hand cream on your desk or bedside table is a real saviour and don’t forget the sunscreen!
In your 30s your skin can start to look a little less radiant. Sun damage from UV exposure in your teens and 20s might start to show with areas of pigmentation (‘brown spots’) and broken capillaries (‘thread veins’) could also become more apparent. Classic examples of ageing are deepened expression lines, including frown lines, laugh lines around your eyes,nose and mouth. Skin loses volume and elasticity, and lips may appear less full. These are natural elements of the ageing process, and affect some more than others due to genetics and lifestyle factors already mentioned.
We’ve established SPF is an absolute must all year round in order to prevent visible sun damage. However, if you’d like to take an even more proactive approach to maintaining your healthy glow, I’d recommend incorporating the following into your skincare routine: vitamin C, a retinol 0.25% or 0.5% at night and skin brightening serum to help prevent and reduce pigmentation. For a special treat professional chemical peels are a lovely addition to home skin care and help boost and maintain skin health – you can find out more information about the benefits of chemical peels on the ‘Treatments’ section of my website.
Some of you may have started considering injectable treatments, although I know this isn’t for everyone. If you don’t smoke, do take regular exercise, hydrate and protect your skin, or maybe you’ve just been gifted with good genes – you’re less likely to be thinking about this. However, some of you in your 20’s and 30’s are beginning to have ‘tweakments’. These can help to maintain your skin health and replenish some lost collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid to combat the signs of ageing and keep your face looking fresh.
Which Skin Care Brand Should I Use?
The prospect of finding the right skin care can be overwhelming, and sometimes daunting. I’ve experienced this feeling first hand and have trialled many products over the years with poor (or no) results.
Having tried several Professional and home care products since running my own clinic, I have finally found the perfect range of home skin care and Professional in-clinic treatments that work perfectly together.
I now only ever use AlumierMD home skin care and regularly have an AlumierMD chemical peel. The peel is tailored towards my specific skin care needs – which are ever changing!
AlumierMD is a medical grade Professional and home skin care range that uses ‘clean science’. Once you’ve had a skin health consultation, I can advise you on the best home skin care for you. You’ll then be able to purchase the products online and get them delivered straight to your door – there is no pressure to purchase them through my clinic.
Why Choose Me to Help You?
An appointment at my clinic will offer a full assessment of your skin along with a medical consultation to formulate the most suitable Professional and home treatment plan specifically for you and your lifestyle. This treatment plan might offer a multi-modal approach for maximum results. I offer a comprehensive treatment portfolio to help with ageing skin, including topical, injectable or oral treatments using the most effective medical devices.
My treatments are award winning, hand-picked, safe and results driven.
If you’d like to arrange a consultation, or simply find out more information, please get in touch:
eh.medicalcosmetics@outlook.com
07743071961
The results of my treatments speak for themselves………………