Skincare Through the Ages

You can help your skin glow—no matter how many candles are on your next birthday cake. 

Dr. Brad Lemke of Lemke Facial Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery, shares skin smarts for every new decade 

By Kelsey Bewick

In Your 30s
An ideal age to ramp up your skincare routine, your 30s are also a good time to nix habits that spoil your skin like smoking, sleeping on your face and soaking in the sun. While red and brown sunspots may begin appearing, preserve your healthy glow by incorporating an eye cream, SPF and moisturizer.  Take the weight off your face by sleeping on a U-shaped travel pillow and upgrade to a satin pillowcase to reduce friction.

In Your 40s
In this decade there’s still adequate time to enforce protective actions. Droopiness and pigmentation issues may be bothersome, but you can still preserve some of your skin’s smoothness and firmness. Use brightening creams to combat color discrepancies caused by thinning skin and sun exposure. Smooth and soothe with regular exfoliation and heavier moisturizers. For more troublesome wrinkles, you can consider a more heavy-handed approach with skin-firming injectibles—such as Botox—every few months.

50s and Beyond
There comes a time when you simply cannot stop the aging process, says Dr. Lemke. More defined pigment and skin sagging issues as well as skin growths like cysts may begin popping up. Steer clear of the sun and use wrinkle-removing creams and anti-aging products to maintain your skin. Or take a more aggressive path and employ chemical peels and various surgical treatments to tighten your skin and fight gravity’s effects.