Early Signs Of Premature Skin Ageing To Look Out For
None of us wants to think about getting older, especially when we’re still in the prime of our life. It’s hard to comprehend something that seems so far off, but the twenties and thirties are the time to take pre-emptive action, especially when it comes to our skin.
Sadly, as you get older, your body’s internal processes slow down, and it takes much longer to recharge itself. This gradual slowdown of cell recovery and renewal can cause signs of ageing like wrinkles, discolouration, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots. When this happens earlier than expected, below the age of thirty-five, we call it premature ageing.
What Causes Premature Ageing?
One of the biggest factors in premature ageing is excessive sun exposure. UVA and UVB rays damage the DNA in skin cells, causing mutations and loss of elastin and collagen. This means that over time, skin loses its elasticity and firmness. That’s why it’s so important to include an SPF in your morning skincare routine.
SPF protects your skin from harmful UV rays that cause sunburn, sunspots, wrinkles, sagginess, leathery skin, dullness, uneven pigmentation, and in the worst scenario, skin cancer. Thank goodness that SPF has been proven to help prevent such damage and serious illness.
iS CLINICAL® Extreme Protect SPF 40, is one of the cutting-edge SPFs stocked by Skinstation. We love this formulation because it uses advanced Extremozyme® technology, combining micro-fine zinc oxide and micro-encapsulated organic active sunscreens to offer multi-level broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection with powerful antioxidants that abate oxidative solar damage.
Other causes of premature ageing include smoking, diet, alcohol, caffeine intake, tanning beds, stress, illness, environmental pollutants and of course genes. That’s an awful lot of things for our skin to contend with on a daily basis. It’s no wonder that our skin is suffering as a result, and that the anti-ageing market is so popular!
Signs Of Premature Ageing?
None of us ages in exactly the same way, but there are some things that indicate premature ageing. Age spots, also known as dark spots, sunspots, and liver spots are flat spots on your skin caused by years of sun exposure.
Hyperpigmentation, which is caused by an overproduction of melanin, causes the darkening of certain parts of the face, often across the bridge of the nose, cheeks, and forehead.
Other patchy discolouration, redness, freckles, and uneven skin tone can develop across the face and chest area too. Aside from the sun, environmental factors, hormones, genes, eczema, and other skin conditions can also cause damage to skin cells and bring on hyperpigmentation or skin discolouration.
Skin may also become dry, itchy, inflamed, flaky and more susceptible to dehydration as we grow older. This can be down to genetics, hormones or simply that your skin is not getting enough hydration.
As we enter our thirties and forties, collagen production begins to slow too. This vital component gives skin its shape, bounce, and plumpness. Lack of collagen means that it’s easier for fine lines and wrinkles to form. So, places where we use more muscles like the eyes and forehead tend to be the areas we notice first.
When Does Your Skin Need Anti-Ageing Products?
You already know the answer. Now!
Granted that it’s impossible to fully escape the ageing process, but you can reduce the signs of ageing in your body. The earlier that you begin, the more chance you have of putting it off for longer and of slowing down the process. It’s a great idea to use an anti-ageing skincare system where products work synergistically and in tandem with one another as soon as possible. Obagi® are a great brand to look at when it comes to comprehensive anti-ageing skincare systems as they have three: ELASTIderm®, Professional-C and Obagi-C® Rx Systems.
You can also address specific concerns like wrinkles, dark spots, and discolouration with targeted products. Originally developed in the US by Dr Sheldon Pinnell and Russell Moon, SkinCeuticals is a brand that’s well-known for its transformative anti-ageing cosmeceutical serums.
Their formulations combine powerful antioxidants and advanced ingredients that actively repair damage to skin and prevent future damage from occurring. One of our favourites is SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum, a layerable, twice daily, dark spot corrector serum which has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of the common causes of skin discoloration including acne scars and sunspots to leave you with brighter and even-looking skin.
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