Decade by decade, aging presents common skin challenges, but you can still turn back the clock and actually undo signs of damage. Our local OKC aestheticians and medical spa experts weighed in on the skin care must haves and essential treatments for every age. 

20s – Elizabeth Gallardo, owner and founder of Beaute Totale

In your early 20s, your skin is bouncy and bright from great collagen production. As you move towards your late 20s, signs from past years of laying out in the sun or tanning beds and stress from college start to creep in. Your collagen production has slowed and fine lines start to appear. Your skin in your 20s varies from acne to melasma or hyperpigmentation.

1. What skincare products are necessary in your 20’s?

Everyone should be in a home care regimen, we wouldn’t brush our teeth with shampoo right? Of course not, every area on the body has a specific code of ethics. Try using at least these 3 important components: Cleanser, exfoliant, and moisturizer. All according to your skin type and concerns.  

2. Which services do you recommend for skin health in your 20’s?

The human body sheds dead skin cells off the surface of our skin from 30,000 to 40,000 every minute of the day.  YIKES! Although normal, we can help our skin maintain its glow and health by providing a deep cleansing facial once every 3 months unless we are targeting a specific skin concern, in that case it may be once a month.  Ask your skin specialist for your best practice. It may be facial time!

3. Any big “no-nos” to avoid in your 20s?

Sleeping without washing your face. So easy to do when one is tired, but here’s why it’s a “no-no”. Overnight, your dead skin cells can accumulate along with saliva and oil, thereby creating a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If you feel your skin is sandy or bumpy you may have already started accumulating some skin friends (bacteria).

30s and 40s – Ashley Willeford APRN, owner of Elevate Wellness and Aesthetics 

Your 30s is when you start to see some early signs of aging, as well as the first effects of sun damage that most likely happened in your teenage years or in your 20s. Your skin’s repair system slows down, which means that skin can appear duller as a result, and decreased collagen production means that your skin will appear less tight.

Aging seems to appear rather dramatically and suddenly in your 40s due to the onset of hormonal changes. Estrogen production declines slowly during perimenopause, which typically starts in the mid- to late-40s, causing increased dryness and less elasticity. Through all these changes, your skin routine can and should remain a constant in your life to maximize your glow goals.

1. What skincare products are necessary in your 30s and 40s?

You may need to incorporate two different kinds of cleansers—a gentle exfoliating cleanser plus a mild lotion-like cleanser—to accommodate your skin’s needs for both cell turnover and hydration. We recommend Revision’s Papaya Enzyme Cleanser and Revision’s Brightening Cleanser. Adding a topical retinol or a peptide-based serum to help with fine lines and skin firmness is a must during this age. Antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, will help repair some of the sun damage that has started to develop over the years by brightening dull skin, and rejuvenating collagen. At Elevate, we provide complimentary skin consultations and will customize your skincare routine in the same visit.

2. Which services do you recommend for skin health in your 30s and 40s?

We have two popular, non-invasive skin treatments that we recommend for this age demographic: SmoothGlo and HydraFacials.

SmoothGlo is an innovative sequential skin treatment that utilizes two proven technologies delivered one following the other in one session, resulting in visibly fuller, brighter, firmer, and more youthful-looking skin. The treatment focuses on three layers of rejuvenation: skin tone, texture, and volume as well as hyperpigmentation/brown spots, redness, and veins. It delivers immediate and cumulative results achieved in 3 to 4 visits with minimal discomfort and little to no downtime. SmoothGlo was created in response to consumers seeking skin treatments that address multiple signs of aging in one session.

HydraFacials are crucial to regaining moisture and exfoliating the skin. HydraFacial’s three-step process is: 1. Cleanse + peel by gently exfoliating, and a relaxing resurfacing brings out a new layer of skin. 2. Extract + hydrate with a painless suction that removes debris from pores while intense moisturizers nourish and quench your skin. 3. Fuse + protect, antioxidants and peptides saturate your skin’s surface to maximize your glow. We suggest adding on a dermaplane to this service. 

3. Any big “no-nos” to avoid in your 30s and 40s?

As with any population looking to slow down the effects of aging, we recommend staying adequately hydrated, getting plenty of rest, and applying SPF regularly. Skipping out on the sunscreen can age your skin dramatically. While we all enjoy a night out on the town, excess alcohol intake can bring on the signs of aging, too. Always skip smoking of any kind.

50s, 60s, and beyond – Mindi Mackey, APRN-CNP, Belle Ame Medical Spa

Through many years of sun exposure, ozone depletion, poor diet, smoking, alcohol, etc. skin becomes less supple and more uneven in its skin tone. As the skin ages, wrinkles form, creating an aging appearance and less healthy skin texture. If done correctly through the years, skin damage can be prevented through careful attention to skin care products, diet, hydration, sleep, and stress management.

1. What skincare products are necessary in your 50s and older?

Here are five products we recommend to keep the skin appearing healthy, youthful, and radiant after 50.

1. Retinoids – a Vitamin A compound which helps repair sun-damaged skin through exfoliation, increasing cellular turnover to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

2. Hyaluronic acid – helps skin attract and retain moisture by drawing 6,000 times its weight in water. Topical hyaluronic acid serums diminish lines by plumping wrinkles, improving skin elasticity, and increasing firmness.

3. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) – is an effective antioxidant, which protects the skin from free radicals, chemical compounds that travel through the body causing damage and aging.

4. Hydroxy acids – powerful exfoliants which help get rid of dry, damaged, discolored skin cells. Through the use of AHAs, the skin is able to absorb skincare products promoting smooth, even, glowing skin. In aging skin, beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) have been shown to be effective in reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

5. Peptides encourage your skin to naturally produce collagen and elastin, which in turn give skin a more youthful appearance and higher durability to the environment.

2. Which services do you recommend for skin health in your 50s, 60s, and beyond?

Some of the challenges women face after age 50 are loss of collagen and elastin and skin sagging. Here at Belle Ame Med Spa, we have several treatments to help combat aging and improve skin’s texture, tone, and wrinkles.

Neuromodulators are an FDA-approved injectable treatment that can improve the appearance of dynamic expression lines thus reducing wrinkles. We also recommend microneedling as it can help with pore size, fine lines and wrinkles, oil production, and skin tone by creating a micro-injury that stimulates the skin to create collagen. Chemical peels are very popular for this demographic. They improve the appearance of skin texture, tone, and wrinkles through customized chemical formulations designed to exfoliate through damaged and dilapidated skin.

Another treatment that is frequently used is a dermal filler, an injectable hyaluronic acid, used to “fill” the wrinkle lines to create a more even appearance as well as contour facial structures to restore the appearance of youth. 

3. Any big “no-nos” to avoid at this age?

Often, women try to replace their loss in facial volume with filler. Belle Ame focuses on the natural look when it comes to fillers. Too much filler can have dire consequences on your appearance and can prematurely age your face rather than rejuvenate it. It is always acceptable to slightly underfill and come back for more than to overfill.