what happens to our skin as we age..
20s Skin is settling down after the hormonal upheaval of teenage years, although oil production may still be relatively high. Towards the end of their twenties, many women experience a gradual shift towards dryness — and notice the very first fan of fine lines around the eyes and mouth.
30S More fine lines develop as collagen and elastin start to break down in the skin and the delicate skin under the eyes begins to thin. The complexion tends to become drier, quicker: Broken veins may start to show up, as tiny red dots — and towards the end of this decade, age spots and brown pigmentation marks may start to appear: Pore size may increase and skin may become noticeably rougher and coarser due to sun damage. Under-eye puffiness can start to become a problem taking increasingly longer to subside…
40s Deeper lines begin to etch around the mouth and eyes, as well as furrows on the forehead; skin loses more of its ‘bounce-back’ factor (due to a loss of elastin). Circles under the eyes may grow into pouches. Most women’s skins become noticeably drier — although around menopause some women experience teenage-style complexion rebellion in the form of increased oiliness and breakouts. As the start of menopause sets in, skin may become more sensitive — and that may endure till menopause is completed.
50S, 60S and beyond… By now, skin starts to acquire true character: fine wrinkles and lines may deepen into folds in your fifties and sixties as, post-menopausally, there is much less estrogen being produced. As well as wrinkling, skin can begin to sag and droop and some women may notice a jowly appearance. In the fifties, skintone is likely to become increasingly uneven, with an increasing number of age- or ‘sun-spots’.
