As you are all too aware, your skin will change with each decade of your life. Some years will be more forgiving than others, and hormone surges will wreak havoc on your skin at some point; however, we can all take steps to slow down the aging process by taking a few simple precautions and using the right products at the right time in our lives.

 

20s

One change you may notice in your 20s, according to Marsha Gordon, professor and vice chairman of the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, is that your face will thin out, particularly in your cheek area. Starting in your 20s, the collagen in your skin begins to breakdown, as well as the fat in your face. Some people people may welcome this change. If you had full cheeks in high school, a thinner face could reveal stunning cheekbones.

 

A dramatic increase in estrogen in your 20s will make your skin appear amazing, however it could also result in pimples around the time of your monthly cycle. While for many your skin may look the best it ever will in your 20s without any work, the skin practices you follow in your 20s will reveal the skin condition of your future. If you do not use sunscreen in your 20s, you will have more wrinkles and sunspots in your 40s and 60s.

 

30s

In your 30s, your skin will continue to thin due to loss of collagen and fat. While this may have been highly beneficial in your 20s, it can start to become a concern for women in this age range. You will also begin to experience fine lines, wrinkles, dry skin, age spots, and inflammation-based skin conditions such as rosacea. Oh, and you will likely still have acne because your hormones are still changing. You can still fight back and minimize the effects of aging significantly in your 30s.

 

40s

Mid-life also brings on more hormone changes and as a result, new skin concerns. Quite possibly the most significant change most people experience in their 40s is the drastic loss of elasticity  . Many people claim the skin changes in their 40s became apparent one random day overnight. The changes you might expect to see are additional dry and dull skin, dark spots, broken blood vessels, skin slackening, more noticeable wrinkles, sunken eyes, and loss of firmness. The changes you experience in your 40s can be quite recognizable. The good news is that if you have been taking care of your skin in your 20s and 30s, the changes will be less dramatic than if you did nothing to protect your skin over the years. And, it is important to note that if you experience menopause in your 40s, even more skin changes will occur.

 

50s and 60s

The average age of menopause for women in the US is 51, according to the Mayo Clinic. With menopause comes loss of nearly one-third of your collagen and a raging increase in inflammation. Throughout your 50s and 60s, you can expect even thinner skin, saggy skin, deeper visible lines, spider veins, more dark spots, stretched pores, hollowed sockets, even drier skin, and possibly skin cracking. And, to top it off, you might develop new issues you have never experienced such as skin tags, peach fuzz, benign bumps, and frequent skin redness.   

 

Aging is an adjustment at each stage of our lives whether you are a woman or a man. At the end of the day, the sooner you start using sunscreen and properly caring for your skin the longer you will have youthful and resilient skin. Be sure to adapt your products and skincare routine as your skin changes to keep your skin looking fresh and radiant at any age. And, do not forget to drink plenty of water, eat right , and get enough sleep to look your best each and every day.