Wrinkles are a natural part of aging. They typically form as skin elasticity and collagen production naturally declines with age, causing the middle layer of the skin (the dermis) to thin and crease. Factors like prolonged sun exposure, repeated facial expressions, and smoking can cause further damage to collagen fibers which may hasten wrinkle formation.
There are a number of at-home treatments that can be incorporated to best protect your skin from premture signs of aging.
Adequate Hydration
Water maintains skin hydration, blood volume, digestion, and healthy gut microbiome, which are all important to healthy, balanced skin. Drink 8 or more glasses of water daily to stay adequately hydrated. Tea and coffee count but plain water is best
Balanced Diet
Maintain a balanced diet as per Australian dietary guidelines to ensure you are intaking all essential vitamins, minerals, and fibres that are important for maintaining skin health and general wellness.
A sugary or fatty diet may cause disruptions in your gut microbiome, (the healthy bacteria that live in your gut to protect you from infections and support a healthy skin barrier). Avoid a sugary diet to maintain clean, and healthy skin.
Exercise
Regular exercise helps your body to naturally regulate blood flow, remove toxins from your body, and enagage your muscles to tighten loose skin by dropping excess body fat. As we age, our body is less inclined to produce muscle mass, so a regular exercise routine is important to support your strength and, by extension, your skin health.
Moisturise
Moisturisers are a useful addition to maintain adequate hydration in your skin, especially to the face. Many commerical plain moiturisers are available in our shop. Speak to any of our trained staff to help you choose the best moisturiser for your skin. For best results, apply a moisturiser 15 minutes before or 15 minutes after applying topical compounded treatments to allow time for adequate absorption of the compounded product.
Skin discoloration, also known as hyperpigmentation, affects many people and can look different on each person.
In some cases, skin discolouration is caused by overproduction of melanin, a naturally occuring substance within cells which provide your skin, hair, and eyes with their colour. When melanin-containing cells are damaged, overproduction of melanin may occur, leading to skin discolouration.
The most common causes of hyperpigmenation are hormanal changes, sun exposure, aging, skin trauma, infections, acne and some medications.
Image Source: Cichorek M et al., Open Life Sciences, 2013.