I want to look younger... Is it possible?

                 Many of us these days feel we look tired, older for our age, look stressed, look gloomy or even grumpy, when actually we are not. What happens to our skin, as we age?
Skin slows down in recovery. Number of cells being formed and shed do not tally, resulting in a thinning skin. Sunlight exposure further speeds up the ageing process by stimulating the collagen dissolving enzymes. Loss of collagen tends to cause loss of support from underneath the skin.
              So, when skin ages, what are the changes that we can see visibly?

• Forehead lines

• Frown lines

• Crow's feet

• Sagging cheek

• Flat Cheek

• Droopy Smile

• Pursed lip

• Marrionette line

• Jawline sag - Jowls

• Neck Bands

• Under eye - sunken and tired looking eyes

Muscles can cause some of the ageing lines to form, eg. the upper third of the face showing forehead line, frown lines and crow's feet. Loss of fat and collagen leads to the static lines which do not keep changing with movement / facial expression.
The beauty triangle gets inverted with age.
Other changes include,

• Freckles

• Lentigenes

• Pigmentary disturbances

• DPN

• Skin tags

• Seborrheic keratosis

• Malignancies

            So, when does one start ageing? We all finish our growth as we complete our 18 - 20 yrs, while for some it goes till 23 - 25 yrs. So,when the process of growth has slowed down, the process of aging starts. So, one should think of taking care and protecting / delaying aging, right from 25 yrs of age.
            Initially, when the changes have not yet started, good antiaging creams under a doctor prescription help combat early sign at bay. Mild treatments like skin peels, microdermabrasion, aquajet rejuvenation, taken as a routine protect and help keep skin young and supple.
           As we cross our 30s, we need to pay more attention to the changes happening to our skin. These milder forms no longer work.
           Muscle relaxing agents like Botox, Xeomin, etx come as tiny shots into the facial muscles to keep the crow's feet, forehead lines and frown lines out of sight. They vanish and stay away for nearly 4 to 6 months at a time. repeated sessions give longer lasting results.
           For the under eye tear trough, cheek volume loss, jowls, droopy smile, lip rejuvenation nothing less than the best has to be used, which are hyaluronic acid fillers.. Not all hyaluronic acid fillers are the same. When one chooses to go for these, one should keep in mind the safety and efficacy of the content. Products with extremely high safety profile and excellent efficacy and long lasting , give very good aesthetic looks.
          From my experience with Juvederm, I can say, we are in the safest hands. Juvederm fillers come in different characteristics to suit individual needs. Products like Juvederm Volbella, Volift are the in thing for tear trough, lip enhancement, with the latest vycross technology. For the cheek, Juvederm Voluma is the best. Its nothing short of excellence. And to think that a single session can give results lasting for one and half to two years. After care is minimal with these office procedures. One can just walk in during an office break, get it done and walk back rejuvenated. Results are instant and build better with time.
             When we want a full face rejuvenation and tightening, but want to know other options, High intensity focussed ultrasound (HIFU) does a wonderful job at working under the skin, causing immediate collagen denaturation, stimulating new collagen synthesis, helping skin get a makeover. With HIFU, non surgical facial tightening is getting a new dimension. Its non invasive and ultrasonic. So nothing goes into the skin, but the job's done. This is combined with other antiageing therapies to prolong the outcome of results.
               Fractional Laser Resurfacing also causes collagen production. Microneedling Radiofrequence is a much advanced technology that works towards skin tightening on the dermal level.
              Freckles, Lentigenes and Melasma, age spots can be prevented by using good sunprotection. If already present, options that we use include skin peels, Q switched NdYAG, Laser Toning to get the spots out.
             Choosing regular skin care products with age maintenace is an important aspect which skips the eye. A good hydrating facewash, a night care cream, a day protecting cream, an antiaging cream, all need to work together. These comein various colours and characters. These have to be choses to suit your individual skin type to get the maximum benefit, which is done for you by your dermatologist.
                                                                    Stay rejuvenated.
Dr. Annie Flora,
Senior Consultant Dermatologist, Apollo Cosmetics, Apollo Spectra Hopsitals,
V.S Group of Hospitals,
M.D at Ray & Rio's Speciality Clinic, Egmore, Chennai.
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