Stuck wondering where your carefree youth disappeared? The time when only a pesky spot or blemish could ruin your day? Ageing is sneaky and can be pretty distressing, but the reality is it will happen to each and every one of us.
While you may not be able to completely stop the effects of ageing, understanding how and why it happens can make the process a little less daunting and even help you slow it down.
While a large part of the ageing process is predetermined by genetics, it can be delayed by adopting healthy lifestyle factors such as sun protection, a healthy diet and exercise regimen, and effective management of stress.
What are the types of ageing?
Ageing is caused by two process – intrinsic (genetic) and extrinsic (environmental) ageing.
Intrinsic ageing is the inevitable ageing process that occurs naturally. Intrinsic ageing is affected by the degenerative effect of free radicals and the body’s inability to perfectly repair their damage.
It is a slow and continuous process that usually begins in the mid-20s, but may not be evident for decades.
No matter how well intentioned you are, some of the conditions that come with intrinsic ageing such as fine lines, wrinkles and loss of firmness are unavoidable. Over time the internal changes to the muscle, fat and bones take place, but are not shown on the skin.
The signs of intrinsic ageing include the loss of underlying fat, leading to sagging skin and hollowed cheeks and eye sockets.
The second type of ageing, extrinsic ageing, is one that you can control. The extrinsic factors often work together with the normal ageing process to prematurely age skin. Most premature ageing is brought on by external factors such as sun exposure, though it can also be the result of a combination of factors including smoking, pollution or sleeping positions.
This can result in thinning, laxity and fragility of skin and wrinkles. In addition, sun exposure can lead to dyspigmentation, premature wrinkling and telangiectasia (broken capillaries).
What can I do to make my skin look younger?
First and foremost sunscreen, exercise, plenty of water and healthy eating (including lots of whole foods) is the best approach to anti-ageing and can help keep your skin looking radiant, clear and youthful.
To help with damage already done, thankfully with the advancements in the field of non-invasive skin tightening, there are now many different avenues you can take to lessen an ageing appearance.
One of the newest and most advanced technologies on our radar is Ultraformer III – a quick, non-invasive, no downtime approach which targets ageing skin on the face and neck.
Using ultrasound technology, Ultraformer III can be used to treat a wide range of skin concerns including wrinkles on the forehead, around the eyes and deep wrinkles on the cheeks and neck.
Ultraformer III can be used as a preventative treatment, to slow down the loss of collagen in the skin and can potentially setback the need for a surgical facelift.
Before/after – 6 weeks after one Ultraformer III facial/neck lifting, combined with injectable treatment.
If you are interested in a treatment, get in touch with Dr Chee Zhen Lim and her experienced team at HD Cosmetic Clinic. Head to www.hdcosmeticclinic.com or call (02) 8095 9577.
