Know Your Aging Type, Know Where to Focus Your Solution
The single biggest clue to knowing how your face will age is your mother and maternal grandmother.
There are three basic aging types: wrinkle prone, pigmentation or discoloration prone, and sag prone. The good news is once you figure which type you are there are skincare products out there with ingredients to help.
To determine what type you are, take a look at pictures of your mother, and maternal grandmother. If you see lots of lining in the forehead and around the eye, you are wrinkle prone. Brown patches indicate discoloration prone. Very loose skin or jowling along the jaw line indicate sag prone. (Another clue – typically wrinkle prone skin has a tendency to be dryer, while oily skin has a tendency to sag more.) You can also be a combination of multiple aging types.
Once you know your aging type, then you know exactly where to focus your solution.
Solutions for wrinkle type. Topical vitamin C. It belongs to a family of substances called antioxidants. Vitamin C is a special anti-oxidant because it gives you a double collagen boost. Not only will it produce collagen but it will prevent the breaking down of collagen. It should be applied in the evening because Vitamin C is sensitive to sunlight. (Also great for sag prone and pigmentation discoloration prone.)
Pigmentation discoloration prone. Your first line of defense is smart sun behavior. Start with diligent sun care and always use sunscreen. Apply plenty of sunscreen to your face, SPF 15 or greater. This will allow some repair as well as protection from further sun damage which is the cause the discoloration. To help minimize the appearance of discoloration, exfoliate regularly and use “skin brightening” face products with ingredients such as licorice root, alpha hydroxy acids (AHA’s) or fruit enzymes.
Sag prone. Look for peptides. They give you back and shore up your collagen. Peptides will promote stronger collagen fibers. When you are younger collagen acts like support beams that give your skin thickness and firmness. If you are sag prone as you age those roman columns give way, getting wiggly and wobbly. Peptides make them stand up a little straighter and reduce the look of sagging. Peptides come in creams and lotions. Put them on your entire face and be sure to include your neck.