Prevent Premature Skin Aging: What You Should Do in Your 20s and 30s...

The problem with aging is that we tend to not think about it until we see it in the mirror. Sure, a large range of treatments and options exist to help combat the signs of aging once they happen, but there are a number of proactive ways to take care of your skin in your 20s and 30s. 

Stay hydrated 

Naturally, any advice about your health begins with hydration. Your skin is no different! Staying hydrated can help keep your skin healthy and hydrated from the inside.

In addition to upping our water-intake, avoiding alcohol and smoking are also key to putting your best skin forward.

Be gentle with your skin

If you haven’t already, it’s time to develop a regular cleansing and moisturizing routine. Keep in mind that gentle, non-abrasive cleansers are best (avoid those St. Ives scrubs), and you’ll want to be gentle with the skin, too. Scrubbing your face can irritate the skin, in turn, accelerating the aging process. After cleansing, instead of rubbing, pat your skin dry.

Choosing the right moisturizer for your skin type is also critical. Having dry skin and dehydrated skin are two different issues, and your moisturizer needs depend on your skin type. Selecting a moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid (like this medical grade hydrator) should be effective for hydration, but if your skin is still dry, you’ll want to consider a ceramide-based moisturizer that will also protect the skin’s barrier, like Mint & Needle’s Intense Hydrating Cream. 

Relax… 

Easier said than done, right? 

Try to make a conscious effort to relax the muscles in your face throughout the day. Repeated expressions and frowning will cause fine lines and wrinkles over time. 

On a related note, to help avoid frowning, consider deploying stress management techniques that work best for you. Mint & Needle’s principles align deeply with mindfulness, as we encourage our patients to seek an improved mindness wellset to maintain balanced mental, physical, and emotional responses. 

Protect yourself from UV rays

Keep a bottle or two of a quality SPF on hand year-round. Sun rays are just as harmful in the winter (even more so when reflected off snow)! It’s also helpful to understand how your sunscreen works. To learn the key differences between chemical and physical sunscreen, check out our recent blog. 

To prevent premature aging, you’ll want to avoid tanning beds altogether. Advances in products and technology in the past decade have opened up many safe alternatives. To get a safe, natural-looking summer glow, try Mint & Needle’s sunless tanner. 

Boost your collagen 

Collagen is a protein in your body that provides your skin with its beloved strength and elasticity. Without it, we’d be left with dry, cracked, and wrinkled skin. Collagen is produced naturally by the body, but as we age, the body’s production of it slows. Starting in our mid-20s, we begin losing collagen.

Fortunately, there are several Collagen Induction Therapy options. Collagen Induction Therapy is a minimally-invasive treatment designed to improve appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and scars by stimulating existing collagen and elastin. For more on treatments and cost, check out our blog.

Not in your 20s and 30s? It’s not too late! Making lifestyle changes now and incorporating the advice above will help improve your skin, maybe even reversing some of the previous damage. For a more noticeable shift to enhance your natural, youthful appearance, book a consultation with us, and our Mint & Needle medical team will review your treatments options.