Skin Care Through the Ages

The products and practices which kept your skin looking pretty in your 20's won't necessarily work as you hit your 30's, 40's and beyond. Like lifestyles and wardrobes, your skin care needs to be updated as time passes.

Here's a breakdown of common skin characteristics for each age group.

Your 30's - Keeping Up Appearances

• You can look vibrant and youthful, especially if you practiced sun avoidance over the years.
• Some superficial wrinkles may appear, the correct use of skin care products can do wonders to minimize lines and creases.
• Moisturizers cannot actually prevent aging, but they can keep drier skin from looking parched.
• The use of sunscreen, especially on the face, is critical. Because 30 plus year-old skin begins to dry, a moisturizing sunscreen is recommended.
• Using Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) products can actually smooth skin.

Your 40's - Challenges and Rewards

• Good skin care habits employed over the years shine through.
• Rosacea, a disease which typically affects fair skinned women over the age of 40 can occur.
• The most common type of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, can begin cropping up.
• The use of sun block has a dual purpose—staving off wrinkles and reducing your risk of skin cancer.

There are different types of chemical peels which produce different results, but all are similar in this respect: a chemical solution is applied to remove the damaged outer layers of skin so that new, regenerated skin replaces the old. As a rule, the deeper the peel, the more profound the results and the longer the recovery time.

• Age 40 and over can benefit chemical peels and resurfacing procedure.

Your 50's and over- Typically more Advanced Treatment

Generally this is the setting in which all the above treatments are combined with some customized tuck or lift procedures.