What does “Ageing gracefully” look like in 2024?

Over the last few decades, there have been huge shifts in how people take care of themselves. From fitness and skincare to diet and overall wellbeing, the perception of the ageing process has changed – and so has the way most people view any related procedures. In the field of plastic surgery and aesthetics, we have come to better understand facial anatomy, helping us discover why exactly it is that we age and our  treatments and techniques have evolved to address these changes. In 2024, a big focus is that people want to look healthy and natural.

Despite what some people may think about modern medicine we are definitely living longer. Average life expectancy is 80- double what it was 150 years ago. In fact it’s been predicted that the first human to live to 150 years old has been born. This is great but there’s no point living to 150 if you look and feel like it.

What gave aesthetics and plastic surgery a bad name in the past?

We all remember the days when Hollywood stars became notorious for that overdone, puffy or “windswept look”. Along with the sad impression that they couldn’t accept that they were ageing.

In the past, facial surgery used skin to pull up the sagging soft tissue of the face, in an attempt to ‘lift’ it back to its original position. The problem with this technique is that skin is designed to cover the face and not ‘support it’, so this created an unnatural or windswept appearance.

The reality is that some people are still fighting this ageing process too hard and losing the battle in the process.

One of our philosophies at Skin Therapy is that too much of anything is usually NOT a good thing.

Key to an elegant outcome is not to pursue treatments with an unrealistic expectation or to look dramatically younger but rather have a goal to look the very best for your age.

What are people doing in 2024 to “age differently”

Healthy skin is beautiful skin at any age.

Although the collagen and connective tissue in the dermis diminishes when we grow older, you can still take precautions to help minimise the sagging and wrinkles that can occur.

These days, many people have replaced the old school “facial” with medical grade treatments like microneedling and chemical peels. These treatments work on a cellular level to restructure cells, ordering them and improving your skin’s quality.

Medical grade (prescription strength) skincare products have become an essential ‘maintenance plan’. The majority of over-the-counter skincare products don’t address ageing concerns at a cellular level, which is why it’s so important to invest in highly researched, medical-grade cosmeceutical skincare products that are results-driven.

Using equipment like the Visia skin analysis, we can get an understanding of the current state of your skin and prescribe a treatment plan that prioritises your skin’s concerns as well as monitor your skin’s response to our treatment plan.

The trade secrets

When it comes to facial rejuvenation in 2024, we have a “tool box” of techniques which we can use to help patients look refreshed. When done well , the outcome can be beautiful and natural looking. Critical though, is for us as doctors, to understand the limitations of each treatment we are offering and when to advise something different.

Anti wrinkle injections (Botox)
These soften dynamic lines (lines which appear when you move your facial muscles), to give a refreshed/relaxed look. Besides the commonly treated areas, like the forehead, frown and crows feet, anti-wrinkle injections are also used to treat problem areas like neck bands, a pulled up chin or for jaw clenching.

Fillers
Dermal Filler is the injection of a gel like substance under the skin (usually hyaluronic acid) to replace bone thinning or fat pad loss. It is used to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness to the face. For the right candidates, and when done well, filler injections can create a powerfully natural result.

Facial Threads
Lifting and increased collagen and elastin.

Fat grafting
A procedure that is growing in popularity and can be done in your spet’s rooms.

Plastic surgery
With major advances in surgical techniques when it comes to facial surgery like eyelid surgery, facelifts, necklifts and browlifts… you can expect more natural looking results and discrete (if at all noticeable) scarring.

At Skin Therapy we love to approach facial rejuvenation as a team of people, working together offering a spectrum of options, from a medical facial to surgical procedures, helping our patients achieve their skin objectives and positively affecting the way they age.