People lose self-esteem when they grow older. Seeing the effects of aging on your face in the mirror can’t help. But there are ways to slow this process.
The number of approaches to facial rejuvenation are almost as plentiful as the number of human faces.
There are natural methods that involve diet, healthy living, and skin protection. There are also technological advancements that use lasers and chemistry to achieve and maintain a younger look.
What follows is an overview of these treatments, from the common sense to the cutting edge. Read on for our comprehensive guide to imparting that youthful glow back to your face.
Natural Protection and Maintenance
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Our first suggestions span the spectrum of natural remedies you can use to keep your face looking young and even reverse or slow the effects of aging. It’s natural (pun intended) to turn to these solutions first. Most of them are inexpensive and easy to incorporate into your routine right away.
Let’s get started.
Always Use Sunscreen
The sun comes as a such a welcome respite from the gloom in the summer. We want to soak it up. But even children know it’s important to use protection when you do so.
According to the National Institutes of Health, there are many risks to prolonged sun exposure. They go beyond skin cancer.
The sun’s UV rays can interfere with the processes that affect skin growth and appearance. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can create skin with decreased elasticity. Your skin can become tissue-paper thin or thick and leathery.
Fortunately, many moisturizers come with a Sun Protection Factor, which is what SPF stands for, of 15 or more. This makes it easy to get the protection you need without incorporating an extra product into your skincare regimen.
Get Enough Sleep
“You can sleep when you’re dead,” the saying goes. This cliche ignores the health benefits of sleep. It’s better to live a longer life in which you’re well rested than burn your candle down to a stub.
Pay close attention to the amount of sleep you actually need. Don’t cut corners because you think you can’t afford to get a full night’s sleep. You’ll pay for this assumption later.
Some adults are able to sleep six hours and feel refreshed, but many need a full eight or even nine hours per night.
During sleep, our bodies repair and regenerate. This process extends to our skin.
Evaluate your sleep habits, and see how you’re feeling. While some people can get by on just six hours of sleep, many need eight hours or more to feel their best.
Give Your Body Healthy Fuel
Your skin will rejuvenate faster and more thoroughly when it’s drawing on high-quality fuel sources. These include raw fruits and vegetables. You can also limit your intake of refined foods that fail to provide your body with adequate nutrition.
Among fruits, citrus fruits and berries with high amounts of Vitamin C are especially beneficial to your skin.
Even more essential to healthy skin is cutting out tobacco use. If you smoke, now is the time to stop. We know you’ve heard this a million times, but there’s a reason.
Smoking contributes to the body’s natural aging processes, discoloring your skin and making it wrinkly. But by quitting, you can not only stop this unnatural aging but even reverse it.
Of all the reasons to quit smoking, having healthier skin is one of the most evident in the mirror and to the world around you.
Don’t Wash Your Face More Often Than You Need
This suggestion might not be so obvious, but it’s possible to wash your face too much.
Like sleep, the amount of face washing you need is individual to you. It depends on your level of daily activity, your skin type, and the way your skin reacts to washings.
As a starting point, we suggest washing your face only twice a day. That’s one splash in the morning and another in the evening. You can pair your wash with a product like Exposed Skin Care- Facial Cleanser.
If this doesn’t work for you, consult a dermatologist to get more custom recommendations on how often to wash.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!
It’s back to the no-brainers with this suggestion.
Moisturizing keeps your skin vibrant and refreshed through the day. Forget it, and you’ll notice yourself developing wrinkles and aging quicker.
Use a moisturizer after you wash and before applying makeup. Washing can strip away some of your face’s natural oils, and makeup can add chemicals. You need a protective barrier underneath the makeup.
Harness the Magic of Coconut Oil
Our final natural facial rejuvenation secret is one of the most magical. Coconut oil has a plethora of uses when it comes to making your face look young. You can use it to wash your skin, and it also has moisturizing properties.
Just a small amount of coconut oil whenever your skin is dry can work wonders. You can even use coconut oil in your hair to give it moisture.
Be on the lookout for breakouts, as some people do experience them from coconut oil. But if you don’t, you’ve found a long-term skincare solution that is easy to apply and economical. Buy your coconut oil in bulk, and store it to use for as long as it lasts.
Cutting-Edge Approaches to Facial Rejuvenation
You can supplement your everyday skincare routine with the following treatments. They make use of medical and aesthetic technology available to us in the 21st century.
Since some of these treatments can be extreme, we’ll start with a few words of caution.
Pre-Treatment Warnings
All of these are things to keep in mind before, during, and after pursuing chemical and technological facial rejuvenation treatments.
- If you get a light chemical peel, facial waxing, or microdermabrasion, stop the use of glycolic acid and retinoids three to five days prior to your treatment. If you don’t, you may be in for facial scabbing.
- Temper your expectations. If you opt for a less aggressive treatment, you won’t see all of your wrinkles and scars completely disappear. But it’s reasonable to hope for your skin’s natural glow to return with some pigment blending and acne reduction
- Think long and hard before pursuing a deep chemical peel if your skin has any natural pigmentation. This is not a treatment to pursue lightly, as it may change the color of your skin drastically.
- There’s a higher risk of scarring with a procedure like ablative CO2 laser skin resurfacing. Know the risks of any procedure before you go through with it.
- If you are going to take advantage of an aggressive treatment, it’s best to get your entire face done rather than just a portion of it. Otherwise, you may experience more unnatural color contrast than usual.
- If the doctors warn you against crusting “for a few days,” take that to mean at least a week.
The Treatments
Now that you’re aware of the risks and know some things to watch out for, let’s delve into these treatments and what they can do for your face.
Intense Pulse Light (IPL) Treatments
Also known as photo facials, these procedures can reduce the effects of sun damage and rosacea. You can decrease discoloration and tighten skin that sags.
These treatments involve using pulses of light to penetrate deep into your skin tissue. Each treatment lasts around half an hour. It is a less invasive process than the next treatment on our list.
Ablative Laser Skin Resurfacing
While this is a more invasive procedure than IPL, it is also one of the most effective. Ablative laser treatments, which can include CO2 lasers and fractional treatments, remove the outer layers of skin. This reveals newer skin that is less wrinkled, which means you see fewer lines on your face.
Click here for more information about laser facial rejuvenation treatments.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels have the same effects as laser treatments in that they remove the outer layers of skin to reveal the newer, younger looking skin underneath.
They accomplish this by making the skin blister and peel off after the application of an acidic solution.
Dermabrasion
In dermabrasion, surgical methods are using to scrape old skin away and soften irregularities on the skin’s surface.
This procedure is one of the more extreme. Educate yourself on the risks before proceeding.
Microdermabrasion
As the name implies, this is a less extreme version of dermabrasion. It involves minimally invasive methods of sanding the skin.
Microdermabrasion is especially useful on light scarring and discolorations.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are commonly known as injectables. They are solutions that professionals can pump into your face to smooth lines and reduce the effects of aging.
Botox
Botox does not technically qualify as dermal fillers. It works not just to smooth but actually blocks nerves from contracting, which relaxes your wrinkles.
Plastic Surgery
At the far end of the spectrum is plastic surgery. Though not exclusively limited to the face, there are facial procedures in plastic surgery that can tighten, cut, and smooth out the wrinkles that come with aging skin.
Let Your Light Shine
Your skin can glow even in old age if you follow one or more of these suggestions.
When it comes to facial rejuvenation, it’s important to be aware of the risks involved in cosmetic procedures. But the rewards can be great as well.
If you’re not willing to dive into the deep end, there are plenty of things you can start today to make your face look younger and healthier. For more advice, check out our section on skin therapy.
