How old were you when you started thinking about your skin health? The answer is probably not young enough! According to Board Certified Nurse Practitioner Jennifer Adams, “Our skin should be top of mind as we enter our early 20s, because that is when people start to lose collagen at a rate of 1% a year.” That means by the time someone reaches their 40s, they have already lost 20% of their collagen. “Basically, everything starts to fall towards the floor, and it usually feels like it happens overnight,” says Jennifer, FNP-C, MSN, and owner of Haute Beauty Aesthetics. She says that the #1 beauty trend of today is “the longevity effect.” She describes collagen as a thick net that gives the face structure, and as you age, that collagen net gets thinner. Jennifer says that treating your skin with medical-grade skincare products could help someone have younger-looking skin for longer and require fewer corrective treatments as they age.
Skin aging happens gradually, and people usually seek out aesthetic treatments initially because of wrinkles between their eyes, on their forehead, and in their crow’s feet. Jennifer calls these wrinkles “dynamic” because they form with muscle movement. She says to think of your skin in those areas like a piece of fan-folded paper—when the muscle is contracted with movement, the skin makes a crease (wrinkle), becoming deeper and deeper over time. Neurotoxins work by weakening the muscle, resulting in no “crease” or wrinkle for a period of about 3-4 months. Jennifer tackles collagen loss by using bio-stimulating injections in the face and neck, which help regenerate with products like Sculptra (poly-lactic acid) and/or Radiesse (Calcium Hydroxylapatite) in a diluted form. “These two products are two of my favorite treatments due to the significant regeneration of collagen (Sculptra) or collagen and elastin (Radiesse) in the area we inject it,” says Jennifer.
The #2 trend in skincare is… sunscreen. Jennifer says, “The sun is our biggest enemy and accelerator of aging. We need to do everything we can to protect ourselves from it to reduce the signs of premature aging.” At Haute Beauty Aesthetics, they offer multiple options for medical-grade sunscreens that can and should be used every day as part of one’s morning skincare routine. By using a good sunscreen, you slow down the effects of the sun on aging and maintain a glow rather than having overdried, sun-damaged skin. Jennifer says she and her 11-year-old daughter use the medical-grade tinted sunscreen daily, which is important in preventing sun damage from an early age.
The final skincare trend that we’re seeing in 2024 is the use of retinol. Products like retinol, when used overnight several times a week, help speed cell turnover. The quicker your cells turn over, the more youthful your skin appears, improving fine lines and wrinkles. As we age, the elasticity and bounce back of our skin starts to slow down or stiffen. Retinol should be used sparingly because it can be drying and irritating to the skin at first, so it’s important to use it under the care of your practitioner. Retinol helps reduce hyperpigmentation, as well as acne and scarring, and it can improve skin’s texture. It’s important to include your neck and décolletage in your skincare routine, as these are both areas very exposed to the sun and its aging effects, and often give away a person’s true age.
A good medical-grade skincare routine followed by strategically timed treatments can be the ultimate game-changer when it comes to aging gracefully. Make sure you schedule a consultation with an injector and find the proper skin care and treatment regimen that will work for you.