5 things that happen to the face with age and how to treat them
As we age, the face goes through many changes, and understanding what happens to the face as it ages is crucial for identifying your main concerns and how best to address them. These may be a sprinkling of Botox to soften and smooth, dermal fillers to lift and contour, radiofrequency microneedling to firm, lift and tighten or skin boosters to restore the skin’s natural moisture and suppleness – and you’ll usually see the best results by combining treatments.
If you’re experiencing changes to your skin, we have outlined five of the most common things that happen to the face with age and how to effectively treat them so you can enjoy healthy, radiant skin for years to come.
Lines and wrinkles become more prominent
As you age, lines and wrinkles will become more evident in the face. A decrease in collagen (which keeps the skin firm) and elastin (which keeps it bouncy) means that the skin doesn’t bounce back so easily from expressions, and the lines around your eyes, mouth and cheeks become embedded.
These wrinkles don’t just affect the face, but the neck and decolletage are prone to visible signs of ageing too. The skin here is much thinner than on your face, which means it collapses easily into wrinkles and folds, and there are fewer oil glands to keep the skin supple.
The solution: Botox is the gold-standard treatment for softening lines and wrinkles on the face and often also the neck. It relaxes muscles by temporarily blocking nerve impulses to the injected muscles. This reduces muscle contractions that cause lines and wrinkles.
Botox is most used to treat frown lines, crow’s feet around the eyes, and forehead lines, but it’s also an effective treatment for tooth grinding, gummy smile correction, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) and migraines. It’s quick, very effective, and the results last for several months.
You are more prone to hyperpigmentation
Brown spots, broken thread veins and a general mottling of the skin will become more prominent. This is especially true if you have spent a lot of time outdoors during your life and haven’t protected your skin from the sun.
The solution: When it comes to effectively treating pigmentation, the main options are prescription skincare or chemical peels. A practitioner will need to assess the pigmentation in your skin before deciding which treatment will produce the best result.
Skincare options include Cyspera, which is a highly effective skin pigmentation cream used to remove brown spots, reduce pigmentation marks, and treat melasma, leaving a natural light skin complexion. Its key active ingredient is cysteamine, which is proven to be even more effective than hydroquinone. It is found naturally in human cells and reduces melanin in the skin’s epidermis.
The skin becomes drier
Your skin will gradually become drier as it loses its ability to hold moisture. This usually happens during perimenopause as the skin functions less effectively as a barrier resulting in moisture loss and leaving the skin vulnerable to external elements. This may also cause the skin to develop a rough or ‘crepey’ texture.
The solution: The best way to replenish dry skin is to hydrate it from the inside out. Profhilo is an injectable skin booster made of hyaluronic acid (HA), a potent moisturising factor naturally found in skin, muscle, and joints. Its ability to draw 1000 times its own weight in water into the skin makes it ideal for binding and retaining water molecules, hydrating the skin from within to leave it fresh and radiant.
If your skin concerns result from menopause, replenishing your hormone supply is critical. Studies confirm that oestrogen increases epidermal thickness and collagen production, making it well-suited to women going through menopause who have dry, lax skin. Anecdotally, we often find that menopausal women on HRT appear to require fewer dermal fillers than those who are not.
The youthful fat pads start to shrink
The fat pads which fill out your face making it bouncy and youthful, begin to shrink with age, making the facial contours look sunken or gaunt. When we lose this supportive fat, which gives the face volume and structure, your skin will start to sag, often collecting below the jawline.
The solution: If you’re hoping to restore some fullness in the right places, fillers are the best option. When carried out by an experienced medical practitioner, fillers allow us to create a very natural, well-rested appearance, more like how you looked before the ageing process hit. We aim to restore harmony and balance to the face so that you come away looking healthy and rejuvenated – and without any obvious signs of treatment.
Bones in the face start to recede
Lastly, the bones around the eye socks, the brow, the nose, upper jaw, and the chin will begin to recede with age. As a result, the eye socket gradually widens, making them appear tired and hollow, and the jawbone becomes less defined, prompting jowls to develop and the tip of the nose to droop downwards.
This change occurs in women from the mid-thirties onwards, and it’s a result of the ageing process that can usually only be improved by rebuilding volume using expertly placed filler.
The solution: This is where medicine meets art. Through a combination of experience, a highly artistic eye, a deep knowledge of facial structure and a thorough understanding of what the latest treatment technologies and products can and can’t deliver, we can help patients achieve individual facial balance and harmony, enhancing their natural beauty and facial features and addressing those that detract from the overall appearance of the face.
When it comes to rebuilding volume, we’ll use filler to make minor adjustments, for example, raising the tip of the nose, strengthening a receding chin, or adding definition to the jawline.
But there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Every patient needs their own bespoke and carefully tailored treatment plan that considers their age, skin condition and personal objectives, as well as their facial structure.
If you’d like to find out more about our treatment options or to establish what’s right for you, click here to enquire or to book a consultation.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that results and benefits may vary from patient to patient taking into consideration factors such as age, lifestyle and medical history.
