Anti Ageing Talk at Potential Personal Training Part 1

Here at Winslow Skincare we aim to provide knowledge to our clients on how to maintain healthy skin both in the treatment room but also at home as well. This week we visited Potential Personal Training, in Lindfield, West Sussex,  to talk about the triggers of premature ageing and how to fight the ongoing battle of ageing skin, both at home and through professional treatments available at the clinic.

This blog post series will provide a summary of the workshop and some advice and tips for what you can do at home starting today!

“First and foremost at Winslow Skincare, we believe that ageing is not the end! There is so much you can do both at home and in the treatment room to fight the signs of ageing and prevent and reverse the signs premature ageing as well. That’s why believe our consultations prior to any treatments are so important, its critical to clarify what you want to achieve and the subsequent treatment and products used can really target that area and focus on achieving the result the you are looking for.”

Now more that ever anti ageing has become more important. In medieval times the average person lived until they were 35 years old, the ageing process doesn’t even get under way until our 30s leaving little time for many to worry about the ageing process.

However in 2010, it is reported that the average person lives until they are 65, leaving much more time for the signs of ageing to show. People also tend to carry on working longer and compete with younger people for jobs, friends and partners. All of this means we are now much more concerned with fighting the signs of ageing than ever before.

In terms of Anti Ageing there are three main triggers

• genetics
• environment
• time

Genetics play a big part in the skin, if your mother had good skin then it is likely you will have good skin and vice versa. However it is still important to play by the Anti Ageing rules

• avoid sun exposure
• no cigarettes
• plenty of exercise
• stress management
• mindful nutrition
• good skin regimen

Our environment is also very important:

• pollution
• exercise
• diet
• stress levels
• exposure to UV rays

Also another tip, we often associate pollution with its most obvious source, car fumes, busy cities etc. However, do you think about the pollution you are subjected to in your own home, even your kitchen? Yes, your gas hob emits nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and formaldehyde (HCHO) all of which are both harmful to our health and skin. To avoid this often ignored source of pollution remember to turn on the extractor fan to extract as much pollution as possible out of your home.

Next we would like to talk about one of the biggest factors in the ageing process. UV rays, more specifically UVA rays. There are two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB. Think B for Burning and A for Ageing. The UVB rays only go so deep into the skin and have a much shorter wave length meaning they do less damage to the skin. You will only contact with them on a hot day or when on holiday sunbathing on the beach.

UVA rays can be much more dangerous, they are present all year around, sun, sleet, snow and rain. They can go through light clothing, windows and all non broad spectrum sun protection. It is these rays which cause premature and photo ageing. To protect against these UVA rays you should always use broad spectrum protection which protects against both UVA and UVB rays, and this is why it is so important to wear SPF protection all year round.

Exposure to UV rays can change a persons genetic function and thus change the inherited script to how their skin ages, so genetically you could have great skin that you inherited from your mother but you can actually change that by over exposure to UV rays. You cannot have unprotected sun exposure and expect to have no major impact on your skin. Reactions to UV rays are not visible to the eye as they happen under the skin. 90% of the damage we do to our skin is done before we are 18 years old and it takes up to 20 years for that damage to come to the surface. So be Sun Smart:

• avoid sun beds
• protect your skin all year round
• wear minimum SPF 15 daily
• look out for broad spectrum SPF protection

Time – as mentioned earlier the ageing process typically starts in our 30s. After this point lots of factors will cause our skin to age:

• cell renewal turnover slows down
• fibroblast activity reduces resulting in less collagen production
• cells that regulate pigment decline = hyper and hypo pigmentation (age spots
• flow of nutrients between dermis and epidermis weakens with age
• number of blood vessels declines = decrease in blood supply and less volume in the face