Finding an anti-aging skincare routine that works for you might take some time, especially with so many products out there and beauty treatments and cosmetic procedures that are often said to preserve youthful skin. For this reason, we checked in with skincare expert Dr. Simran Sethi, M.D., founder of RenewMD Beauty & Wellness, who shared insight on 3 popular beauty treatments that anyone over 40 should avoid. To learn about their negative effects on aging skin, read on for tips and helpful information.
1. Agressive Chemical Peels
These common procedures, often referred to as hemexfoliation or dermapeeling, involve trauma or injury to your skin's layers in an attempt to create a more youthful look. Undergoing aggressive chemical peels like TCA or VI Peel, Sethi says, will disrupt the skin’s barrier and the skin renewal cycle. If the skin’s barrier is further disrupted, she notes that this sensitivity and inflammation can make skin dry, uneven and dull, especially in darker skin tones. "The ‘skin renewal cycle’ is the skin's natural self-rejuvenation that begins to slow down in your 40s," adds Sethi. "As women approach menopause, their ability to produce their own, natural and strong lipid skin barrier decreases, and here is when anti-aging reinforcements begin."
2. Carbon Dioxide Laser Resurfacing
This procedure was frequently used a few decades ago to erase fine lines and acne scars, Sethi explains, saying that it involves burning off the entire top layer of the skin (the epidermis) to stimulate production of new skin. Undergoing this type of laser resurfacing requires a week or two of downtime (when your skin is visibly healing, peeling, scabbing, etc.), involving a lot of post-procedure care. She notes that this is especially more difficult for anyone over 40. "In your 40s, the skin renews at a slower rate and has lesser ability to produce skin-barrier-sparing lipids, making the recovery of aggressive peels much longer and uncomfortable," she continues. "The longer your skin in its 40s tries to heal from a procedure, the more sensitive it will be, and this disrupts the skin’s skin renewal process and lipid barrier formation."
3. Fillers To Lift Skin
While Sethi acknowledges that some fillers have their great space in aesthetics, she notes that they should be used judiciously in people 40 years and older. "As the face matures, it loses elasticity and volume, and many people begin noticing ‘jowls’ and pronounced folds, especially around the mouth (marionette lines and nasolabial folds)," Sethi says. "These changes are a result of gravity and reduced skin elasticity, and the usual correction involves lifting the skin. However, if fillers are used to lift the skin and fill in the areas that have lost volume, the fillers can actually make people appear overfilled and artificial, instead of more youthful and naturally contoured," she continues. According to Sethi, the best options for natural skin lifting, volume building and a general youthful boost are "technologies like Ultherapy and radiofrequency treatments," which she dubs to be "non-invasive treatments" that address the root cause of skin sagging and volume loss, and give more natural results.
