When is the right time to start focusing on age prevention? We associate the signs of ageing with later life, but science and logic say it must already be there, active inside most of us long before we even notice the first signs of ageing. We got the lowdown from skincare experts Lamelle Research Laboratories.
The truth is that ageing essentially starts at the moment of birth. Our youthful skins are just much more resilient when we’re younger, able to fend off attacks on the skin and bounce back to a state of balance very quickly. So, we assume that ageing is not a problem when we’re younger. But is that true?
Ageing actually starts a lot earlier than we’d like to think. Lamelle developed the Nourish range specifically for preventing ageing. To understand why, we need to look at how ageing works.
What causes skin ageing?
Let’s call ageing what it really is: accumulated changes in how your skin cells function over time. That’s right, ageing is not something that happens to you. It’s rather that your cells stop doing certain things as you get older. For example: your cells stop producing enough collagen, they produce less of their own hyaluronic acid, and you become more prone to collagen damage by MMPs from years of living in sunlight.
Why? Because cells get damaged by your environment all the time. The sun, toxins in the air, chemicals, stress, free radicals and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). All of these things – and many others – “attack” your healthy cells, all the time. Youthful skin repairs that damage well. But through the years it all starts adding up and the signs of ageing begin to show.
Anti-ageing superpowers and stages of life
Your body’s just better equipped and more focused on healing damage when you’re younger. For example: did you know that a foetus in the womb can heal their wounds without leaving a scar? Just imagine. Scarless healing is basically a superpower. If you could do that as an adult, you’d be a superhero. They’d give you a cape and ask you to help fight crime. But you can’t, because we lose that ability when we’re born (incidentally, reintroducing the enzyme that gave you that ability is one of our most advanced age-preventing technologies).
Also, your body’s focused on different things at different stages of life. When you’re a child, it’s main focus is your growth and development. So no wonder your skin’s so good at correcting damage. But, when you hit puberty, for example, the focus shifts to getting your body ready for reproduction. So, there’s a change that starts leaving the skin open to attacks from skin damagers. And it’s the same with every new stage in life – your body starts focusing on something new, leaving it more susceptible to damage.
It’s natural, but the damage your skin sustains builds up over the years. Until the accumulated damage starts impacting how your skin cells behave. That’s ageing: the years and years of sun exposure or free radical damage that eventually show up on your skin as wrinkles and fine lines. And the whole process really starts from the moment you’re born.
So, when’s the best time to start age prevention?
Well, if it starts from birth, it’s never too early or too late to start age prevention. A study showed that the decline in mental function we associate with “brain ageing” can show up as early as age 24. With the rest of the body expected to start following shortly after.
And we don’t all age at the same rate. Studies show on the biological ageing of over 1 000 adults at age 38 showed that we age at wildly different rates. Just about 20% of 38-year-olds had aged in line with their birth dates. Many were biologically much younger, but some showed extreme biological ageing – one person had the biology of a 61-year-old at age 38.
So, when it comes to skin, we might not know your genetic make-up or how fast you’ll age. But we do know one thing: the damage that leads to ageing is always present: free radicals, UV damage, DNA damage, collagen breakdown, stress, toxins. And one way to ensure you’re covered is to make age prevention part of your skincare regimen as early as possible. So Lamelle developed a skincare range specifically designed to help you do that.
Ultimate age prevention by Nourish
Specifically designed to prevent and repair DNA damage, Lamelle’s Nourish is a range of products – cleanser, SPF, moisturiser, eye cream etc. – that’s simple and easy to incorporate in your day to day life knowing your skin is taken care of.
Nourish not only protects against harmful ageing UV and free radical damage. It’s also filed with of some of the most potent antioxidants – from astaxanthin and alpha-tocopherol to Pycnogenol® – that neutralises ROS to prevent DNA damage.
And, on top of that, Nourish is made with advanced compounds that boost your body’s P53 gene and NER systems, which is what your body uses to repair existing DNA damage. This unique ability makes Nourish powerful enough to use even later in life, when the signs of ageing have already started to show. It’s really one of the most important skincare secrets for youthful skin.
You can ask your doctor or therapist today about getting the age preventative benefits of Lamelle’s Nourish range or visit www.lamelle.co.za.
