Understanding ageing – Skin

Ageing is a natural part of life that impacts us all in many ways, physically, mentally and sometimes emotionally. Some of the most obvious physical changes we see and feel are the changes in our skin.

In this blog, we explore some of the changes that occur and offer Dr Tanja’s top tips for protecting your skin and slowing the ageing process.

Understanding ageing skin

From the age of 20, we lose an average of 1% of collagen per year. During the perimenopause (which is typically experienced between the age of 40-60) this process accelerates. We can lose as much as 30% of collagen over 5 years during this time period.

The image below demonstrates the cell changes that occur, which can cause:

• Dry/dehydrated skin
• Uneven pigmentation
• Skin laxity
• Lines and wrinkles
• Volume (fat) loss

So, what can we do during this time to support our skin health?

Here are Dr Tanja’s golden rules for a healthy, radiant complexion…

Use ‘Daylight Protection’ daily

Using a broad spectrum SPF50 sunscreen should be an essential part of everyone’s skincare regime. Applied daily, whatever the weather, sunscreen will protect your skin from:

UVA – these rays penetrate your skin deeply, which can cause genetic damage to cells. UVA accounts for up to 95% of the UV radiation reaching the earth and emits the same level of strength during daylight hours, all year round. UVA can also penetrate windows and cloud cover.

UVB – Overexposure to UVB penetrates and damages the outermost layers of your skin. It can cause sunburn and blistering. The level of SPF in your sunscreen determines the level of protection against UVB.

HEV – This is visible/blue light, which you would be exposed to using laptops, tablets and other electronic devices. Studies are now also showing this impacts the skin and contributes towards ageing.

Dr Tanja and her team’s go-to product for daylight protection is Heliocare 360. Offering a wide range of products for all skin types and skin concerns, Heliocare 360 is the perfect way to support and protect your skin health.

Perfect your skincare routine

It is important to care for and maintain your skin at home by following this simple daily regime:

• Cleanse
• Exfoliate
• Treat/correct
• Nourish
• Daylight protection

At the Dr Tanja Phillips Medical Aesthetic Clinic, we supply medical grade skin care ZO Skin Health, which is developed using evidence based research and offers high strength, active ingredients. These products penetrate to deeper layers of the skin and so actually get to where they are needed. It is due to the quality and the penetration of the active ingredients in medical grade skin care that the results outweigh most results from high street products.

Whatever your skin type or budget, we can find a solution for you. However you start, incorporating some medical grade skincare, will significantly improve the quality and health of your skin.

There are products to boost collagen production or offer antioxidant protection to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles or target pigmentation or redness. The possibilities are endless!

Nutrition

Look after your skin from the inside out. A balanced diet and hydration are all part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and will contribute towards strong, glowing skin. Try to include appropriate Vitamins and Minerals in your diet such as:

• Omegas 3 & 6
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B

You can also use vitamin and collagen supplements to support your skin. A liquid collagen supplement such as Skinade can be taken daily to enhance your skin, hair and nails. We all love this product and the results are noticeable after a couple of months, although some people notice results sooner.

We hope that with our guidance we can inspire you to take control of your skin’s ageing journey and make positive steps to optimise your skin health!