Skin aging: this happens over the years

Beauty editors call it "sherlocken": the habit of looking for traces of aging with detective precision from time to time. And in doing so, they embark on a short journey into the past – with the future in mind.

In fact, our body is programmed in such a way that it shifts down a gear when it comes to regeneration from the age of 25. Continuously, year after year. And if he produces less of the steroid hormone DHEA, which is often also referred to as the youthfulness or anti-age hormone, at the latest with the onset of menopause, signs of aging develop even more clearly, sometimes like overnight …

"These relapses actually exist," says Dr. Felix Bertram, specialist in dermatology and plastic reconstructive surgery. He specializes in aesthetic medicine and runs two clinics near Zurich. "Of course we age continuously, but some processes accelerate the process." Strong stress or illness, for example, as well as an overly carefree lifestyle with lack of sleep, smoking, sunbathing. The body can cope with going overboard every now and then, but it's like with many things: It depends on the measure.

Even if aging cannot be stopped, something can be done about some of the side effects. Our experts are at home in different specialist areas and accordingly have very different strategies to soften the signs of the times. If you even want that. After all, the traces on the face or body also tell of the life lived – of what you have enjoyed or mastered.

1. Softer contours

"The first changes begin around the age of 30: the subcutis, muscles and bones become less or thinner, and over the years the nose and chin move towards each other. A youthful V-shape becomes more and more one, also due to the gravitational pull A-shape, "explains Dr. Felix Bertram. Hanging cheeks, bags under the eyes and expression lines can give the face a sullen expression. With dwindling subcutaneous fat tissue, hardly visible shadows arise: under the eyes, on the sides under the mouth and on the temples – long before wrinkles appear there.

What can be done

"The appearance of the lower third of the face has a great influence on how old you look. We use a completely new method for the pronounced Merkel wrinkle: we inject under the muscle a depot of hyaluronic acid and massage them in. As a result, the muscle that has become slack under the mouth region is pulled again. This is a great innovation, but one that requires a doctor who has a very good understanding of anatomy and is very familiar with the various muscle strands and their movements, "says Felix Bertram.

But also Make up can achieve a lot: "Almost every woman has the so-called tiredness shadow at the outer corner of the eye, it is sometimes even reddish and visually draws the eye downwards," says Lisa Scharff, organic make-up artist and beauty coach in Hamburg. Her tip: "Lighten it with concealer, it has an immediate optical lifting effect. It is best to choose half a shade to a maximum of one shade lighter than that of the skin or foundation."

2. Uneven complexion

"I have often met 50-year-old women whom I would easily have estimated ten years younger," says pharmacologist Dr. Katrin Kipper, who is among other things Scientific & Medical Director of the pharmacy cosmetics brand Vichy. "You've probably always protected yourself from excessive UV radiation and looked after yourself well. Your skin was still plump and even at 50." An even complexion is more a characteristic of young skin than a lack of wrinkles. Because over the years, the pigment distribution gets mixed up, and mini-inflammations also cause redness and enlarged veins that shimmer through. The result: the skin appears uneven and "speckled". Make-up artist Lisa Scharff sums it up like this: "The more uneven the complexion, the older the face looks."

What can be done

First and foremost, a conscious lifestyle is important. It can do so much that it becomes more difficult even for professionals to correctly estimate age. But cosmetics can also help. Lisa Scharff: "One Foundation can even out the complexion. And this effect then radiates on the entire appearance. "This way, the gaze, including that of the other person, does not get caught on individual supposed discrepancies, you appear" tidier ". If you want to invest more time and money, put yourself in the hands of professionals like Katharina Hensel, the head of the Hamburg "SBC Skin Biology Center" and expert for medical facials, has a pretty good trick: a so-called Cryofacial: "This is a treatment in which a stream of air slides over the skin at minus 32 degrees. Which not only feels amazingly pleasant, but also compensates for irregularities in the skin color, helps against couperose and increases the microcirculation and the oxygen supply."

The principle of nudging the skin functions from the outside with the help of cosmetics or treatments is usually supported by dermatologists. "From a dermatologist's point of view, it is important to stimulate the skin so that the metabolism remains active and permanent inflammation is curbed. Because they are the decisive factor in skin aging," says Dr. Susanne Steinkraus. The aesthetic dermatologist from Hamburg specializes in anti-aging treatments. She advises alternating different procedures to improve the quality of the skin. "This includes lymph drainage, LED masks for anti-inflammatory light therapy, hydrafacials, but also new ones Peptide peels and autologous blood injections like the so-called unicorn lift. "A special procedure is used to extract a serum from your own blood and infuse it into the skin with the help of micro-injections. The result of the expensive" unicorn glow ", like the other treatments, is not permanent. After a few months has to be repeated.

3. Wrinkling

"At the latest from 45, when the concentration of the hormone DHEA – dehydroepiandrosterone – drops, the skin becomes drier, loses volume and lipids," says pharmacologist Dr. Katrin Kipper. Elasticity and strength are reduced. The skin returns to its old shape less quickly. Sleep lines are imprinted on the décolleté and face. The loss of firmness is particularly noticeable on the neck through increased vertical wrinkling. Dr. Kipper: "The area of ​​skin there is thinner and has less moisture than the face and is often neglected in daily care."

What can be done

Marianne Schwarberg, an expert in the Research & Development department at Biodroga, relies on various active ingredients, mainly those from plants: "Look out for monk's pepper extract, hyaluronic acid in different sizes, biopeptides, moss cell extract and grape seed oil. They help, especially in combination for self-help for the skin. They stimulate collagen synthesis, cell division and the skin's own DHEA production. " Pharmacologist Dr. Katrin Kipper is convinced that Peelings and skin care creams can make the complexion appear much smoother in any case – without minimally invasive help: "Women who are going through menopause should use special care. My tip: Serums and creams with the Active ingredient Pro-Xylane: This is a stable derivative of a naturally occurring sugar molecule, xylose; a skin-thickening molecule that can improve skin volume. "

4. Changes in the hands

"Not only do you see more pigment spots here as you get older," says Katja Radtke, medical cosmetician and owner of four "Belleapelle" institutes in Hamburg. "Vessels are also becoming more unstable and visible, and the hands and arms are becoming more sinewy." Due to the dryness of the skin, the fine cuticles also suffer, they tear more easily and the quality of the raw material keratin declines. Longitudinal grooves appear, the nails become thinner and brittle.

What can be done

The same active ingredients that also make the spots on the face fade help against pigment spots on the hands. Fruit acids or licorice root extract approximately. Katja Radtke recommends regular needling treatments to her customers: "These are treatments that cause minor injuries and thus stimulate the skin's own repair mechanism. The earlier we start, the more we can turn the clock." Bring an immediate effect Injections with thin hyaluronic acid – they significantly cushion and smooth. Internist Dr. Anne Fleck, an expert in the field of innovative nutritional and preventive medicine, takes a more holistic view: "Many features of the appearance arise at cell level, too nutrition plays a huge role. Pay attention to cell-healthy food, especially from 45, 50! Linseed, DHA algae, wheat germ and omega-3-rich oils naturally strengthen the skin and nails, but especially the cell membrane. And that is the protective wall against influences that make us age. "

Conclusion

Specialists in aesthetic medicine in particular have been emphasizing more and more frequently that aging is a process that affects all structures of the body. Therefore, it is not possible to completely change everything with aesthetic interventions. But what we can do very well: "Develop an understanding that we are all getting older – and you can see that now. We can and should make our peace with it," says Dr. Felix Bertram. His colleague Dr. Susanne Steinkraus sees it similarly: "The age can be read from individual features. Aging processes are individual. Only recently a patient came to me who wanted, as she said, a general overhaul." Steinkraus refused. This woman looked sensational, recalls the doctor: casually dressed, great haircut, hardly any make-up, estimated to be around 60. "Of course she also had clear wrinkles, but this personality, so cheerful, and this completely natural charisma!" How old was the patient? "The woman was 80."

Would you like to read more about the topic and exchange ideas with other women? Then take a look at the "Skin Care and Cosmetics Forum" BRIGITTE community past!

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BRIGITTE 22/2020