30s Glow Guide.

Your 30s are probably the most interesting years in your life, for your skin and in general too. For most of you with acne, the breakouts have stopped (your hormones are much more in a state of balance) and you may start seeing some early signs of ageing, a fine line here and a wrinkle there. Don’t worry though, modern medicine and basic common sense have a lot to offer and can help you pull through your thirties with healthy beautiful skin.

I always like to start with the basics, so here is the regular spiel:

Cleansing: The importance of washing your face twice a day to keep it free from oil and bacteria along with getting rid of makeup in the night must now already be ingrained into your routine. If not, it’s never too late to start.
Moisturizing: Irrespective of the season, moisturizers should always be used. They will change based on your skin type and season. Washing always removes moisture from the skin, which in turn accelerates aging. Whenever you moisturize your face don’t leave the neck and hands behind. These are the first to show signs of aging. You can read all about moisturizers and which one is suitable for you here
Sunscreen: Please use a sunscreen 365 days of the year. We all know about the damage UV rays can do to the skin including premature aging. Thus a sunscreen of SPF 30 and above should be used every time you step out.

This said, let’s get a bit more specific about the changes your skin is now experiencing and how you can help it maintain its health. I would like to address this based on two types of changes you may be experiencing:

Physical Changes: As you age, your metabolism slows down. This leads to effects like weight gain. Also, the cell regeneration in your body slows down, meaning your skin ages a lot faster than it can heal itself.
Psychological Changes: Most of us in our thirties have higher responsibility levels and varying degrees of mental fortitude to deal with these responsibilities and the pressures they may bring. Believe it or not, stress is by far one of the worst factors in terms of causing harm to your skin and overall health.

These changes ask for specific attention to certain aspects of your life that you may have taken lightly in the faster, younger years.

Hydration: As you age, your skin finds it difficult to maintain its natural hydration levels. This means that you have to ensure that you consume your daily quota of water (About 2.5 Litres for women and 3.5 Litres for men, in general) You can read more about dehydrated skin here
Nutrition: You can no longer afford to eat whatever you like, whenever you like. It is essential to keep a watch on the calorific value of what you eat and also the basic nutritional value of what you eat. Seeing a nutritionist is not the worst of ideas. One of the things to look out for in foods is a copious amount of antioxidant-rich foods. These antioxidants help in removing toxic free radicals from your body which are detrimental to the health of your skin. You can read more about diet and skin here
Exercise & Relaxation: A routine that involves an adequate amount of physical exercise and relaxation activities is extremely important from the point of view of de-stressing. These activities release the good chemicals in your body – endorphins which help regulate your entire physical and mental system.
Sleep: This is probably something most of us take lightly in our twenties. Sleeping is like resetting your system, giving your body and mind time to recuperate from the battering they have taken through the day. Try setting a sleep routine – things and activities that help you fall asleep on time and in a relaxed state.

Now that we have you on a healthy lifestyle, let’s talk about my recommendations on what ingredients to look out for in beauty products you introduce into your skincare routine. The products themselves may be a cream or a serum; for a specific purpose or an all-in-one. And as always I recommend that you speak to your dermatologist before trying anything new.

Retinol: Retinols are vitamin A derivatives that are very effective in reducing recent fine lines and wrinkles. These also help in minimizing pores and blemishes.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps in reducing toxic radicals which cause skin damage. It also helps in stimulating collagen production thereby increasing the elasticity of the skin.
Hyaluronic Acid: HA boosts collagen production and improves the hydration of the skin and hence its elasticity.

Also as you age, the effects of age are seen more profoundly on certain areas of your face, like around your eyes. Hence make sure that you pay specific attention to this area and have suitable products for the purpose.

As for beauty procedures I recommend for the 30s, they would be mild treatments nothing drastic but definitely effective in helping maintain smooth supple skin. These would include:

Medical Face Clean Ups: A simple procedure in which a trained aesthetician carries out a clean-up of whiteheads, blackheads, etc. Recommended to be done between once a month to once in three months based on exposure to pollution and other environmental factors.
Microdermabrasion: This is a simple treatment that helps you exfoliate your skin but with a tightly controlled machine that carries out the procedure with the help of exfoliation crystals. This does help get rid of dead cells in the upper layers of your skin and helps you get a more healthier-looking skin. You can read more about this procedure here
Ionization: The primary purpose of this procedure is to help certain medicated serums and creams penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin, giving deeper moisturization and longer-lasting effects of the same. Read more about it here
Chemical / Medical Peels: Peels can vary in composition based on the purpose for which they are used. These are safe and time-tested methods of helping rejuvenate and regenerate skin. You can read more about these here
Laser Skin Rejuvenation: This I think is the most effective method for skin rejuvenation. This helps in achieving an even skin tone and a near-instant glow. I recommend you to read more about this treatment here

Unfortunately like most things in life, even here it is never a case of one size fits all and I recommend that you see a dermatologist to identify the line of treatment most suitable for you.

With a little effort and diligence, you can push off those years away from your skin and make your 30s your second 20s.

Disclaimer:

The objective of this article is to educate the reader and help them make wiser choices under the guidance of a trained dermatologist. It is not meant to be used by patients for self-diagnosis or for avoiding proper medical treatment. The images used in the above blog are only for visual representation purposes. Actual procedures and results may vary from patient to patient.

About Dr. Sejal Saheta and InUrSkn:

Built on more than a decade of experience of Dr. Sejal Saheta, we are an honest and affordable skin and hair care clinic in Powai, Mumbai. Our goal is to make each patient comfortable and happy with their appearance with the least amount of intervention.

Dr. Sejal Saheta has dual degrees of MD and DNB in dermatology and venereology and has worked alongside some of the senior-most doctors at the largest hospitals in Mumbai.

Located in Powai, InUrSkn is the largest skin and hair clinic in the central suburbs of Mumbai and offers the latest technology in the safety of world-class infrastructure.

We are happy to be a part of your journey to reach your health goals. If you think we have been able to help you, please do review us:

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How can Dr. Sejal and InUrSkn help?

No matter what your skin and hair needs, Dr Sejal Saheta ensures personal attention to each patient and creates customized and scientifically-backed treatment plans for each patient. Through her years of experience and use of technology at her clinic (InUrSkn – Skin and Hair Clinic) located in Powai, Mumbai, she has been able to consistently deliver great results in the field of dermatology and trichology to thousands of patients. All of the above is done with the best-in-class machines within the comfort and safety of world-class infrastructure.

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April 2024