There is a ginormous question that continues to surround the pursuit of beauty: just because we can change aspects of our appearance, does that mean we should?
Costhetics works hard to report the latest news and information on the myriad of surgical, minimally invasive and non-invasive treatments now available to help people erase signs of ageing. Some wonder however, whether these procedures are erasing who we are as individuals and if we wouldn’t be better off ageing gracefully.
Millions of people are grateful to cosmetic surgery for enhancing assets (with breast implants, for example) to correcting perceived flaws (with rhinoplasty). When it comes to replicating the look of youth, the challenge is far more difficult. This is due in large part to each individual’s personal sense of ageing and aesthetics.
Remember, graceful ageing doesn’t imply that you have thrown up your hands and said, “I surrender to the gods of wrinkles and lines.” It’s quite the contrary. Graceful ageing puts you in control. You embrace what you can’t change and do what you can – with skin products, treatments, and routines – to help what you can’t change.
You Do You, Costhetics Wants to Help
Before we go any further, we wanted to remind you that Costhetics is a judgement-free zone. We don’t tell people how they should look or what they should do in pursuit of their goals. If you’re comfortable with cosmetic surgery, that’s great. If you are a fan of cosmetic injectable treatments, go for them! If you want medical-grade skin care products, shop until your heart’s content.
The only exceptions to our no-judgement policy are treatments and procedures we feel are untested, unproven, and unsafe to your health. We don’t support them and encourage our readers to steer clear.
Foundational Knowledge Lets You Adapt and Improve Your Beauty
The key to graceful ageing is the understanding that biological changes occur as we grow older. These changes, some on a molecular level, lead to badges of ageing including:
- Age spots
- Baggy eyelids
- Furrowed foreheads
- Crow’s feet
- Laugh lines
- Saggy neck
A variety of surgical procedures, neurotoxin injections, and other fixes exist for these problems. “But is all this (cosmetic enhancement) really making us look younger? Or just weirder?” asks the news article Pursuit of Youth Isn’t Always Pretty.
When performed by less experienced or less qualified doctors, the results of cosmetic surgery may make you look smooth-skinned and wrinkle-free, but you may also look more like a mannequin than a human. Other issues people have with poorly performed cosmetic surgery include:
- Over-filled fish lips
- Too smooth porcelain forehead
- Surprise brows that are perpetually raised
- Cadaver lids that are so lifted the person looks dead
“I didn’t look like a normal healthy person. I looked like I was wearing a strange mask,” complained one post-procedure patient interviewed for the article.
4 Tips for Ageing Gracefully with Beautiful Skin
There’s a reason soft, plump baby skin is prized. It doesn’t last. As we age, our skin naturally becomes thinner, less supple, and more susceptible to damage. There’s nothing you can do about these realities of ageing, but here’s what you can do to minimise their effect on your skin:
- Get Into a Long-Term Relationship … With Sunscreen! – If you aren’t using sunscreen regularly, you are inviting UV rays to turn your complexion into something only a prune would envy. One Australian study found a test group that applied sunscreen daily “showed no detectable increase” in skin ageing after 4.5 years.
- Moisturise and Lock In the Hydration – Skin produces less sebum over time, making it more likely to become dry. You can combat this problem with the right hydrating cleanser and moisturiser. The keys to success lie in proven ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and glycerine, which have been shown to help skin cells lock in moisture. Vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, retinol and polyphenols are often included in anti-ageing formulas because they deliver a more concentrated dose of antioxidants directly to the skin. Other must-have ingredients include: alpha-hydroxy to remove the skin’s outermost layer, vitamin B3 (niacinamide,) to fight inflammation, and natural fats (ceramides) to plump skin.
- Use a Gentle Touch with Your Skin – It’s always important to protect your skin against trauma, but even more so as you age. You need to do all you can to prevent undue stress on already vulnerable skin. Don’t scrub when you cleanse, and pat skincare products into your skin rather than rubbing it.
- Bring Out the Dead – Your skin is a wondrous thing. It pushes dead skin cells to the surface as new cells are created. Unfortunately, this replacement process slows as we age. The dead skin cells cling longer, giving skin a dry, dull appearance. There are excellent physical and chemical exfoliants you can use at home to rejuvenate skin.
- Get Colourful with Your Diet – Are you familiar with the acronym GIGO? It stands for garbage in, garbage out. When you fail to nourish your body, you fail to support skin health. Many fruits and vegetables are antioxidant-rich and can help your skin repair and maintain its healthy glow. Grill up colourful veg and throw a fatty fish on the barbie. Your skin will thank you for it … especially if you stay upwind of the grill smoke!
For Graceful Ageing Success: Partner with a Pro
If you are interested in learning how intentional ageing can keep you looking your best longer but aren’t sure where to start … start with Costhetics!