The first step to aging gracefully is preventing sun damage, so make sure to wear broad-spectrum, high SPF sunscreen daily. You might also try topical retinoids, dermarolling, or minimally invasive procedures.
Aging: It’s a process that elicits mixed emotions. Some signs appear slowly and softly, while others can demand attention.
For the most part, early attention with topical treatments is the first line of all-natural defense, especially if you’re in your 20s and 30s. But if expensive creams and chemical peels are no longer effective, this guide is for you.
How you age is influenced mostly by:
- genetics
- ethnicity
- sun exposure
- what you do (or don’t do) to care for your skin
- if you smoke
According to Jeremy Brauer, MD, clinical assistant professor at New York University, the most noticeable changes are:
- decreased skin elasticity
- darker pigmentation
- pore size
- pronounced fine lines
- overall thinning of the muscle and fat of the face
If you feel your skin isn’t acting your age, here’s what modern skin care can do for you.
People start to notice the appearance of aging in their 30s and 40s, says David Lortscher, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of the teledermatology practice Curology.
“The natural life cycle of skin begins to slow down, meaning the appearance of discoloration, wrinkles, sagging, and reduction of collagen production takes place,” he says. Hormonal changes may also trigger adult acne, possibly giving you flashbacks to teenage breakouts.
If you’re not already using aging-supportive skin care products in your 40s, now’s the time.
For his clients’ custom prescription formulations, Lortscher uses vitamin C and retinoids. These two topical ingredients are backed by decades of research and clinical trials.
- stimulate collagen production
- prevent and treat existing wrinkles
- fight acne if your body has decided to attempt the “skin of a teenager” but bungled the details
There’s a caveat with retinoids, though: They lead to photosensitivity, so dedicated daily use of high SPF, full-spectrum sunscreen (minimum SPF 50) is a must. (Even if you don’t use retinoids, sunscreen is always a must!)
If a prescription for stronger retinoids and photosensitivity dampens your interest, topical vitamin C is a great alternative. Lortscher says it helps:
- promote collagen growth
- smooth wrinkles
- cleans up the damage from
As you continue to age into your 50s, Lortscher warns that menopause may amplify the signs for people with ovaries.
Fluctuating estrogen levels may result in skin changes and drier skin. The loss of collagen may lead to sagging skin along your jaw and around your eyes. Years of sun exposure may re-emerge as rough skin texture and sun spots.
While upping your moisturizer game and using topical treatments (such as retinoids or vitamin C) may help soften and smooth dry, rough skin, you may want to try dermarolling (microneedling).
Microneedling might look like a miniature medieval torture device (and can be a little uncomfortable), but it may be the key to boosting your collagen at home.
“When done correctly, microneedling creates a small ‘injury’ to the skin, which, in turn, can increase collagen and elastin production, improve scars and fine wrinkles, reduce hyperpigmentation, and rejuvenate the skin,” Lortscher says.
He warns against scaling up the size of the needle for faster results. “Deeper penetrations result in pinpoint bleeding and can offer more improvement. However, more aggressive treatments should be performed in-office,” Lortscher says.
Brauer suggests Fraxel, a laser treatment also used for acne scarring and pigmentation. “[It’s] a great treatment to help diminish fine lines and wrinkles and to renew the skin’s surface for a refreshed, youthful glow,” he says.
In the advent of your 60s, the most noticeable development is often thinning skin.
Topical treatments can continue to help smooth fine lines and hyperpigmentation and work toward improving firmness (elasticity) and texture.
But Lortscher warns that these aren’t enough to combat sagging due to lost skin volume in your face.
Minimally invasive options are available if you’re looking for a boost beyond what a skin care routine alone can provide.
Lortscher mentions plumping the tissue underneath loose skin with injections. “Volumizers such as Sculptra or Voluma, or fillers such as Radiesse, Restylane, and Juvederm, restore contours that have been lost, providing some ‘lift’ by supporting the overlying skin,” he says.
If your frown lines leave you with an even deeper frown, Brauer suggests Xeomin or Radiesse. Xeomin is better for treating frown lines, and Radiesse is a filler that smooths moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, he says.
Brauer also recommends Ultherapy. “[It] uses ultrasound technology to revive collagen production and lift and tighten skin naturally and nonsurgically,” he explains.
However, if needles aren’t your thing, don’t worry about needing to have these procedures performed. You can achieve graceful aging from home without the use of fillers and injections.
And remember: Aging is a natural part of life. How you embrace it is up to you, but know that nothing can “cure” aging skin.
New technology has brought a wealth of minimally invasive procedures and less irritating topical treatments to help you age gracefully.
But the most effective method to combat the signs of aging starts with preventing sun damage as early as you can.
It’s easy to tell yourself that slipping out to the car for a quick errand without a hat or skipping sunscreen on a cloudy day is harmless.
But Lortscher warns that UV damage will eventually catch up to you. “The hard part is there’s a delay between when sun exposure occurred and when its effects manifest,” he says.
So be kind to your current and future self. Skip sunbathing and the tanning booth, rock a hat and sunglasses, and always wear a broad-spectrum, high SPF sunscreen. You’ll enjoy healthy, glowing, gracefully aged skin for years to come.
Aging is inevitable, and so are most of the physical signs you may see on your face starting in your 40s — sun spots, wrinkles, frown lines, and more.
It happens to everyone, and it doesn’t lessen your self-worth. Your beauty is worth more than the texture and appearance of your skin.
But keeping a skin care regimen or getting minimally invasive treatments can help you age more gracefully. Graceful aging always starts with preventing sun damage (make sure you wear SPF daily!).
Do what you need to do to continue feeling beautiful and confident as you age.
