Beauty Lifestyle

Your Anti-Ageing Questions Answered by a Skin Expert

Ageing is inevitable and with the right attitude and approach to life, it can be wonderful to grow older (and wiser!). For some of us though, the physical effects of ageing can be a challenge so if you are worried about with fine lines and wrinkles, you might be wondering how to get your complexion refreshed and rejuvenated.

To find out how best to navigate the signs of ageing, we caught up with Dr Tony Prochazka, Cosmetic Surgeon at Cosmetic Avenue in Melbourne to answer some of your most pressing skin questions.

Firstly, What Are The Key Causes Of Skin Ageing?

It’s no secret there are several factors that cause the skin to age. This includes genetics, pollution, poor diet, smoking and environmental exposures such as UV.

It’s also worth noting that as we age, our production of collagen and elastin diminishes and in turn, this leads to many visible signs of ageing – think fine lines, wrinkles and a loss of volume throughout the face. On top of this, our natural oils reduce as we age, which results in a drier and duller appearance of aged skin.

With all this in mind, it’s safe to say that some things are in our hands, while others are inevitable. That said, years of cumulative sun exposure is the biggest cause of pigmentation and uneven skin tone, which is why using SPF and limiting sunbathing is key.

What’s the actual difference between filler and anti-wrinkle injections?

Dermal fillers are made to fill and plump out the skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, whereas anti-wrinkle injections work by relaxing the muscles in the face to prevent new wrinkles from forming, they also smooth out existing lines.

I’m ready for anti-wrinkle injections, but am nervous I’ll end up with a frozen face?

This is a misconception that many have around anti-wrinkle injections and plastic surgery in general. In the majority of cases, however, the problem doesn’t lie with the procedure or product, itself, but the technique in how it’s prescribed.

At Cosmetic Avenue, we believe that anti-wrinkle injections are precision tools. Injections should be treated like a scalpel rather than a hammer and should be used for small-scale, localised treatments.

Ideally, they should be used to target specific areas of your face and wrinkles. They are not cure-alls that can reverse all the signs of ageing, but they can provide you with that refreshed and rejuvenated appearance.

Some patients misunderstand this and resort to anti-wrinkle injections as a final resort for ageing.

Many end up receiving excessive injections to target their entire face – something anti-wrinkle injections are not designed to do. The result? An unnatural result and an inability to create facial expressions.

What’s The Best Way To Tackle Fine Lines And Crow’s Feet? 

Anti-wrinkle Injections are brilliant for crow’s feet. Provided it is done carefully, it can be great at treating the lateral areas of the nose too. It works by weakening the muscles and reducing wear and tear around the forehead thereby reducing the formation of wrinkles.

The injections take less than five minutes. Immediately after, there may be a gathering of little bumps, then over the next few days lines will start to soften. All in all, the effect lasts for around 4-6 months. The best results are seen after a year or so of treatments.

Even when the treatment starts to wear off, wrinkles take longer to form as the skin’s had time to heal itself and rest, meaning that you can stretch treatments and less are required in the long run too.

Is there an ‘ideal age’ to have a facelift?

In a nutshell, no – what matters is your appearance and not age. It is a question of how much a person is bothered by something that can be fixed with a facelift.

In general, this process begins in the early forties, with the most common age for a facelift being in the mid-fifties. The oldest age is limited only by the health of a patient.

Say I take the plunge and opt for a face-lift, when can I get back to my usual social life?

The majority of patients resume normal social activities within two weeks. Your doctor will advise you on this point as there are some follow-up requirements to ensure the best result.

What is your advice to everyone of all ages regarding their skin?

My advice is to stay on top of prevention and have regular skin checks, which means protecting the skin against the sun.

You need to catch cancers early. Start good skincare and in-clinic treatments early, and always look after your neck and décolletage when you’re looking after your face.

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