We can all recognise the tell-tale signs of ageing creeping up on us as we hit our 30s and then move on into our 40s, 50s and 60s. The crows feet, the frown lines, the loss of elasticity and ‘bounce’ in our skin. But what causes the skin to sag and for everything to start heading south?
When we reach our 30s, cell turnover begins to slow down, and environmental damage from the sun, pollution, and smoke starts to cause collagen fibres to loosen so that the skin begins to lose its tone and elasticity. Fine lines and wrinkles start to appear, and the skin loses some of its youthfulness.
But it’s during our 40s that the skin really begins to change. Collagen fibres start to decrease, stiffen and break apart, and the skin loses more elasticity and volume as a result. As you head for the menopause the skin dries out further, due to oestrogen levels declining. Research has also shown that at about 43, bone volume starts to decline – oestrogen helps build bones - resulting in thinner facial bones which cause the skin to start to hang off the face, and because it is not so elastic it doesn’t spring back.
So when is the right time to do something about it, and can anything be done to prevent the effects of ageing in the first place? As Dr Bob Khanna, cosmetic dentist and facial aesthetic expert, succinctly puts it, ‘Nobody is immune to ageing’, however, much can be done to improve the situation, at whatever age you decide is the right time for you.
But is a surgical face lift the answer? Definitely not according many experts.
Forget the frozen faces or hamster cheeks we’ve seen in the past, a new generation of cosmetic doctors are using Botox and fillers as an alternative to the traditional face lift. Cosmetic doctor, Dr Toni Phillips creates a ‘lower face lift’ and ‘neck lift’ using Botox. ‘As we age, and the skin becomes less supple and the natural action of gravity is to pull things down’, she explains. ‘Botox can stop this pulling down effect, prevent any further drooping, and lift and tighten the muscles and skin. If you work on the mid area of the face it can look frozen and odd, and we have really moved away from that now. I target specific areas such as the jaw muscles and right around the neck’.
Nicky Hambleton-Jones has also looked in to alternatives to Botox and face lifts, see her tips on Collagen Creams for more information.
Next week : The different types of non-surgical face lifts available....
