Our Best Anti-Aging Advice for Women

Time and sunlight will inevitably take a toll on your skin, causing it to crease and fold along familiar fault lines. Additional factors like stress and smoking only speed things up, making you look well beyond your years. While some women feel that fine lines and wrinkles add maturity and wisdom, many more want to know how they can reduce these signs of aging.

At Laughlin Plastic Surgery in Annapolis, Maryland, Dr. Laughlin and his team offer cosmetic skin services to help promote anti-aging for your complexion and roll back the ravages of time.

Educate yourself about the aging process 

To understand how anti-aging medicine works, you have to understand how your skin changes over time. 

Your skin consists of three major layers: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The epidermis is the thinnest layer, but also the one you’re most familiar with. This is your “skin” as you know it, the layer that sheds and makes skin cells, and holds melanin, the pigment that determines skin color.

Below it is the dermis, the dense skin layer that contains a network of collagen and elastin, the proteins that support your skin structure. The dermis also contains your hair follicles, nerve endings, sweat glands, and more. 

The hypodermis is the deepest layer of skin, also known as subcutaneous tissue. It is fatty, and connects to the muscle and bones below the skin while providing insulation against changes in temperature.

Understand how skin changes over time

When you’re young, your skin is lush with collagen and elastin, and your cells replace themselves at a rate that keeps you baby-faced. However, as you begin to age and your skin absorbs more and more UV light, production of these proteins begins to slow down. 

Without its former volume and elasticity, your skin will gradually begin developing wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging as gravity takes effect. Luckily, there are ways to slow down and reverse the aging process, at least to a degree. 

Protect your skin against the sun

Perhaps the most effective way to prevent wrinkles is to protect your skin from UV radiation. 

Known as photoaging, the effects of sunlight on the skin are subtle, insidious, and accumulative. Many people don’t concern themselves with sunscreen, especially in their youth, but years of sun damage can add up. Not only does this put you at risk for skin cancer, but it speeds up the formation of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. 

Regardless of your age, you should invest in a daily-wear sunscreen. Simply wearing sunscreen every day can noticeably slow down aging, and it’s never too late to start. 

Seek professional anti-aging treatments

If you want to alleviate wrinkles that have already formed, you will need the help of an expert. At Laughlin Plastic Surgery, we offer a number of non-surgical procedures to help improve your skin tone and texture.

Among these is microneedling, one of the most popular minimally invasive cosmetic treatments. Using a roller equipped with tiny, sterile needles, Dr. Laughlin can create micro-injuries that stimulate a healing response. As your skin repairs itself, it reinforces the area with a new layer of collagen.

Chemical peels and microdermabrasion can also help, stripping away old skin to reveal the newer, healthier skin underneath. You might need multiple sessions to see significant results, but you can correct a multitude of skin flaws, including acne scarring and enlarged pores.

Frustrated by signs of aging? Dr. Laughlin can help you find solutions and build a skin care plan to prevent further wrinkles. To schedule an appointment, call 410-297-0654 or visit the contact page for more information.