The Skin Nerd: These are the three age-related skin questions I get asked all the time

The Skin Nerd: How can I prevent ‘turkey neck’?

Ageing is a gift - and inevitable of course, so before we start discussing age-related skin issues, don’t be fooled into thinking that I suggest we try to stop the path of time. The only type of ageing we are looking to prevent here is accelerated ageing (that’s ageing before your time), and we can help prevent it with healthier lifestyle choices and by using the most suitable skincare products. 

Like other areas of life, our skin condition, texture and appearance change as we age, and your skincare priorities should adapt accordingly. Whilst each person has unique skin, there are some general elements that those of certain age groups should incorporate into their regime for optimal and long-term skin health. Here, I share my skincare wisdom to guide the resolution of three timely skin queries.

What can I do about crow’s feet?

‘Crow’s feet’ is a (rather unkind) term for wrinkles that appear at the outer corner of your eyes. When it comes to ageing, you may notice these first as the skin around the eyes is 40% thinner than that on the rest of the face. Because of this, the delicate skin struggles to retain moisture, making it one of the first places people notice wrinkles forming. 

Whilst most of us get crow’s feet, there are some things that can trigger early formation. To get nerdie, elasticity loss and facial expressions are the key causes of crow’s feet. Over time, your skin’s elasticity decreases, and repetitive facial expressions like smiling and squinting lead to wrinkles around the eyes. Sun exposure and diet are also culprits. 

To reduce the risk of UV damage ALWAYS wear sunscreen (and follow the correct procedure when it comes to topping up throughout the day.) Smoking is a big no-no too. As well as being hugely detrimental to your health, it can also expose your skin to the toxins that cause premature ageing.

4 ways to prevent crow's feet

• Protect yourself from the sun: Avoid being exposed to direct sunlight for too long. UV rays are strongest in the middle of the day, between 10 am and 4 pm, so where possible, this is the time to seek shade to reduce your exposure to UV Rays. Always remember to protect your skin with a hat, SPF and sunglasses – which are key for protecting the eye area and pigment.
• Keep on top of your eye health: Don’t put off getting glasses or contact lenses if you need them! Wearing these (if required) is not only essential to your eye health but also helps you to avoid excessive squinting.
• Stay hydrated: Nourish from the inside out with a balanced diet and plenty of water. Dehydration can highlight any fine lines or wrinkles, so it is also important to also prioritise hydrating skin care products within your regime.
• Be mindful of the amount of time you spend frowning: Easier said than done, we know! The reason frowning makes a difference is because Crow’s Feet are an example of a dynamic wrinkle – those that appear with movement such as facial expression. These habitual movements cause wrinkles that fade away or soften when your face returns to a resting position during youth but become more static with age. Static lines are those that stay even when the face is expressionless.

How can I prevent ‘turkey neck’?

Turkey neck is another distasteful name sometimes attributed to the loose and often wrinkled skin below the neck. During the ageing process, the neck muscles weaken and the skin surrounding it loses elasticity. Although this is completely natural, the formation of turkey neck can be accelerated by factors such as UV damage, excess neck fat and where you carry your fat - some people find that they carry excess fat under the chin and in the neck area and this can stretch your skin, causing creases with time.

Ingredients to help reduce signs of turkey neck

- Hyaluronic Acid: although this humectant occurs naturally in the body, its production slows down as we age. Supplementing with topical products can help the skin to retain moisture more effectively and soften the appearance of wrinkles.

- Vitamin A - Ap plying a retinoid daily can help to boost collagen production and promote skin cell turnover.

- If you don’t apply SPF to your neck each day, you are putting your skin at increased risk of UV damage in this area too, so always include SPF in your daily routine and take this application (and reapplication) down the neck and decolletage.

Can I avoid age spots?

Unless you live in a cave, this can be tricky. Age spots are light brown to black, flat pigment marks that appear on the skin after prolonged sun exposure. A common part of ageing, ‘age spots’ are named as such as they grow in numbers and intensity as we not only accumulate years in chronological age, but also from damage accumulated over years of exposure to the sun . When your skin is exposed to sunlight, your body creates extra melanin to protect the skin from UV rays. It is this excess melanin that leads to age spots. Common hot spots are areas of skin that are commonly exposed to the sun, including the face, backs of the hands, shoulders, back, arms and tops of the feet.

If you’re seeing age spots or hyperpigmentation, vitamin A is the key ingredient for this, along with vitamin C which helps to inhibit one of the enzymes that plays a huge part in the creation of melanin, the pigment in our skin. Wearing SPF will help to prevent future damage and a session with a dermatologist (try instituteofdermatologists.ie) may also be useful. Age spots are harmless and do not require medical treatment, but anyone concerned about the appearance of new marks or other changes to the skin should visit a doctor for an examination.