Is it possible to slow down the ageing process?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO SLOW DOWN THE AGEING PROCESS?

Whether we like it or not we are going to get older. As the years pass us by, our skin definitely tells a story, particularly in our face. We all know people whose skin appears flawless and smooth, and we can’t believe their age whilst someone else might be the same age and have wrinkles and lines making them look much older.

As we get older our skin loses its elasticity and muscle tone naturally. This is out of our control. It gets drier and thinner which causes the skin on our face to wrinkle and sag. The rate at which this happens is biological and in our genes and sadly the skin is less able to repair any damage.

Assuming these factors are out of our control, we can only concentrate our attention on what we can control and the sooner we take action, the better.

The sun, smoking and air pollution play a large part in premature ageing and it is thought that the sun alone causes 80% of damage to the skin. The UV rays from the sun promote the production of free radicals which can destroy healthy skin cells.

In this country, because the weather is so unpredictable, we love the sunshine and welcome it when it comes along. As well as it being a source of Vitamin D, it does wonders to lift our mood also.

Before we concentrate on tips to assist slowing down the ageing process, we need to understand the signs that our skin is changing, particularly in the over 50’s even though it applies to any age.

Your skin may look more jowly, any wrinkles and lines deepen and your skin tone becomes uneven.

You may notice blemishes on your hands and face which seem to suddenly appear.

This is because you are losing collagen and the skin is losing its elasticity, leading to saggy, thinner skin. The cells renew more slowly and sebum production is slower when we are older.

When we are younger our skin constantly sheds dead skin cells but this natural exfoliation slows down as we get older. Many women are happy to embrace the ageing process and why not?

Our faces generally tell a story after all, but not everyone feels this way.

SO IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO?

• Exfoliate your skin regularly because this will encourage new skin cells to form. 
• Eat healthily with foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Limit sugar and alcohol.
• Give up cigarettes which can cause early wrinkling of the skin.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water.
• Get a good night’s sleep.

• Always use a sunscreen on your face as this reduces damage from the sun and premature ageing.
• It’s important to use moisturisers that are rich and nourishing. Many companies these days have sunscreen in their moisturisers.
• Hydrating face masks help put moisture back into the skin.
• Regular facial massage will help with boosting blood flow.
• Products containing collagen and vitamins (A,C&E) will aid firmness to the skin.