While the skin still looks plump, smooth and rosy at 30, it loses its elasticity and elasticity over the years. Around the age of 40, the aging process is slowly becoming visible: wrinkles, dry spots, a weaker connective tissue and often redness too. We say what can be done about it.
The hormone level, which falls with age, plays an important role in this change. Because this goes hand in hand with a decrease in the skin’s own lipid production. As a result, the skin stores moisture less well and becomes drier. The mature skin therefore has different care needs than the young one.
Don’t ignore the skin’s need for fat and moisture
Nevertheless, many stick to the usual skin care routine. A mistake, because aging skin needs significantly more nourishing fats and moisture than in previous years. Otherwise it reacts with itching, flaking and dry lines.
Vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, almond or argan oil, for example, are well tolerated and cover the skin like a protective film. So-called moisturizers, such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid and urea (urea) provide extra moisture.
It is better not to use alcoholic additives in creams and lotions in order not to strain the skin unnecessarily. Because alcohol dries out the skin and irritates it unnecessarily. This also applies to coarse peels, additives such as fragrances and preservatives as well as baths that are too hot and long.
An unhealthy lifestyle keeps the skin aging faster
Deeper wrinkles, which eventually show up around 50, can be somewhat balanced and plumped up with extensive care. But you can’t completely cream them away. Prevention is the most effective way here. According to dermatologists, aging the skin with a healthy lifestyle can be delayed quite a bit.
Strong sun exposure, cigarettes, too much alcohol, stress and lack of sleep are among the greatest enemies of the skin. If you avoid them as much as possible, you will not only do something good for your health, you will also keep your skin looking fresh for longer. Adequate hydration is also important for rosy skin. But in everyday life between different appointments, drinking water is often forgotten. It supports the skin’s moisture balance and can even out dry spots and small wrinkles.
Eczema: Mature skin becomes more sensitive to ingredients
If you ignore the dry skin and do not take sufficient care of it, you not only risk itching and redness. The disturbed skin barrier also favors eczema, i.e. inflammatory reactions of the skin. These can occur, among other things, if the skin suddenly becomes sensitive to certain substances such as fragrances and preservatives due to the changed skin situation and reacts with a defense.
If you don’t take care of your feet, athlete’s foot paves the way
If the protective barrier is attacked, fungal infections also have better entry opportunities. Athlete’s foot is one of the common fungal diseases of the skin. Often a nail fungus develops from this over the years. Those who apply cream on their feet regularly support the skin’s defense function. It is also important to keep your feet as dry as possible and to dry the spaces between your toes well after showering. After visiting saunas, swimming pools and sports halls, the use of athlete’s foot cream is recommended.
Lack of UV protection promotes the formation of age spots
Age spots also appear increasingly on the skin from the age of 40. Almost every second older German is affected. Age spots, also called lentigines, are yellowish-brown to dark brown skin-level discolourations of the skin. Too much UV radiation has been to blame over the years. But genetic factors are also suspected as triggers. Skin care with UV protection is therefore recommended even in younger years.
Every fifth actinic keratosis becomes skin cancer
Since it is difficult for laypeople to distinguish age spots from a malignant skin change, skin discoloration should be checked regularly by a dermatologist as part of the skin cancer screening. This also applies to the so-called actinic keratoses, which also appear increasingly on the skin in the middle of life – especially on the nose, forehead and ears as well as on the scalp, the back of the hand and on the arms. Here, too, the years of UV influences are to blame for the skin change.
However, the rough spots with a reddish-brown color carry a risk: In every fifth case, white skin cancer can develop from it, as dermatologists warn. Regular checks at the dermatologist are therefore part of the skin care program.
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