Looking good no matter what your age

If your goal is to look 20 when you're 50, you might want to start looking now for the fountain of youth or a genie in a bottle who can grant your wish. However, if you want to have healthy, vibrant skin when you're older - skin that leaves people wondering exactly how many years "young" you are - then the time to start taking care of your skin is now. And it's also a good time to visit a dermatologist, because there are many new procedures that can help maintain or take years off your skin.

Speaking today at Academy 2002, the American Academy of Dermatology's summer scientific meeting in New York, dermatologist

Marianne O'Donoghue, MD, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Ill., spoke about how the skin changes as you age and the skin care ingredients and dermatologic procedures that can keep skin looking great no matter what your age.

"There are a number of factors that determine how quickly the skin ages, ranging from genetics, ethnicity, skin type, and environmental influences such as sun exposure, stress and pollution," said Dr. O'Donoghue. "However, there are steps that individuals can take, whether they're 20 or 50, to keep their skin looking healthy and not a day past their age."

In Your 20s

The most important thing you can do for your skin no matter what your age is to wear sunscreen everyday, but particularly when you're young. "It's important to realize that you receive more than 80 percent of your lifetime sun damage before the age of 18," said Dr. O'Donoghue. "Wearing sunscreen throughout your life, not only prevents signs of aging, but also protects you from developing future skin cancers." Look for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Many products, such as moisturizers and foundations now include sunscreen.

As you progress into your 20s, you may notice less acne than in your teens, but women particularly may still struggle with hormonal acne along the jawline and on the chin. A mild cleanser with acne fighting ingredients, such as salicylic acid or sulfur, can prevent future outbreaks and clear up current ones.

If you're concerned about the appearance of acne scars, microdermabrasion or dermabrasion are two of the options dermatologists recommend. For mild scarring, microdermabrasion is known as a "lunchtime" procedure where crystals of aluminum oxide are blown onto the skin and then removed with a vacuum line thereby removing the outer layers of the skin. For more severe scarring, dermabrasion is a non-thermal resurfacing technique that removes the top layer of skin requiring one to two weeks of downtime. Both procedures create new smoother, younger skin.

In Your 30s

When individuals enter their 30s, most notice that their skin is less oily and their skin may even seem flaky and dry in places. However, acne breakouts can still occur, so it's important to use non-comedogenic cosmetics and moisturizers, ones that do not have acne-producing ingredients.

"Skin in the 30s may appear to be confused – oily one minute, dry the next," stated Dr. O'Donoghue. "The best advice is to find products that don't irritate your skin and that have anti-oxidants, such as vitamins C & E, and beta-carotene, which repair and prevent further damage.

In Your 40s

Oil production in the skin diminishes around this age, meaning it's important to keep moisturizing the skin. At this age, wrinkles around the mouth and eyes will become apparent. This is a good time to begin using an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) product to help remove the dead outer layers of skin, leaving your face with a fresh, younger appearance. Also, a dermatologist can prescribe tretinoin, a vitamin A cream that can help reduce the signs of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots.

If you're concerned about the appearance of those fine lines and wrinkles, this is an ideal time to consider botulinum toxin. Botulinum toxin is a purified form of one of the most potent toxins in the world, but when carefully injected by dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons in very low doses, botulinum toxin is a modern tool that can reduce the signs of aging. By paralyzing the affected muscle, botulinum toxin softens frown lines, crows feet and other wrinkles for up to six months. However, it's important that this procedure be performed in a controlled medical environment and not in a casual social setting.

In Your 50s

As you age, the skin begins to lose its plumpness and tone. Individuals may also notice more irregular pigmentation and "age spots." This is an excellent time to visit a dermatologist for a skin examination since a suspicious looking spot may be an actinic keratosis, a pre-cursor to skin cancer.

You also may notice a persistent redness across your cheeks and nose that may be rosacea, a common and treatable condition that begins as a tendency to flush or blush easily, and progresses to persistent redness in the center of the face that may gradually involve the cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose. A dermatologist can diagnose and provide you with the best treatment options for rosacea.

If you're concerned about wrinkles and looking for a way to turn back the hands of time, Dr. O'Donoghue recommends injectable collagen therapy. "We now have more than 20 years of commercial experience with bovine collagen, a tissue filler used for softening lines around the mouth, augmenting lips, and dealing with early degrees of muscle loss around the mouth, which comes with the aging process," said Dr. O'Donoghue.

This may also be a good time to consider a chemical peel. Chemical peels can range from very superficial to deep peels to rejuvenate photodamaged skin. The depth of the peel and concentration is based upon the level of photodamage as well as the expectations of the patient.

In Your 60s and Beyond

At this age, the skin may have numerous wrinkles and have a "pasty" appearance with very lax, or loose, skin. A procedure that may benefit the skin at this age is laser skin resurfacing. A popular option for treating photoaging, these high energy lasers work by emitting a beam of light that is absorbed by the water in the skin cells. CO 2 lasers continue to be extremely effective for treating patients with deep wrinkles and severe sun damage. Erbium or combination lasers provide a more superficial treatment of wrinkles, sun damage or irregular pigmentation.

"Lasers are effective for facial rejuvenation because they offer a relatively painless procedure and improved results over traditional cosmetic surgery," said Dr. O'Donoghue.

At Any Age

"No matter what your age, the staples in your beauty supply should include sunscreen and drinking a lot of water to keep your skin hydrated," said Dr. O'Donoghue. "Visiting a dermatologist can ensure that your skin will look its best for years to come. "