Ageing is an inevitable process, with many parts of society pointing out the negative aspects of ageing, including its effect on appearances and self-esteem. Nora Ephron’s best-selling book ‘I Feel Bad About My Neck’ portrays the author’s grief towards the ageing process. She writes “Our faces are lies and our necks are the truth. You have to cut open a redwood tree to see how old it is, but you wouldn’t have to if it had a neck”. We may not be able to stop the clock, but there are still ways to age gracefully and be fabulous at sixty.
Know the Ageing Process
The signs of ageing generally appear around the age of twenty-five. Our skin starts wrinkling and losing volume and density. Fine lines appear, particularly around the outer corners of the eyes when expressing emotion, becoming deeper and more visible. Further ageing is caused by a decrease in the production of hyaluronic acid and lipids, and a 1% annual loss of collagen. This leads to a sagging facial shape, wrinkled forehead and brows, and drooping mouth corners. Changes in our skin start to visibly reduce its density, resulting in deeper wrinkles and a duller looking complexion.
Identify and Avoid Ageing Factors
Ageing is separated into intrinsic and extrinsic causes. Intrinsic ageing occurs naturally due to reduced nutrient delivery and genetics. Fair-skinned individuals generally age faster than those with a darker skin tone. Extrinsic ageing is caused by oxidative stress due to free radicals. The older we get the less effective our skin is at fighting off these free radicals. Exposure to UV rays, pollution, smoking, and poor nutrition all accelerate the ageing process.
Cooling to Combat Ageing
Adopting a healthy lifestyle and minimising exposure to factors which age the skin are both important techniques in preventing the ageing process. Antioxidants and supplements can reinforce the skin’s defences, and anti-ageing beauty treatments, such as cryotherapy, can be used to help slow down the ageing process.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy works by increasing collagen production in deeper layers of the skin, making it quicker to repair itself, regaining elasticity and smoother skin. It also advances the production of hyaluronic acid, which helps maintain moisture, turgor, resilience, and suppleness in the skin. All of which help to prevent a variety of age-related skin issues.
