Our skin is our body's largest organ. It makes up around a tenth of our body weight and covers up to two square metres. It stores water, fat and vitamin D, and it warns us of painful and potentially harmful surroundings. Skin keeps out disease, cushions against impact, helps to regulate our body temperature, and shields us against ultraviolet light. Our skin, in short, is the perfect wrap.

Skin varies in thickness, colour and texture from person to person. Sun exposure, never wearing UV protection, smoking and alcohol intake all accelerate the natural aging process. Limiting these factors, particularly by using sunscreen whatever the weather and wherever you are, and choosing an age-related skin care regimen can help slow down the aging process. Here's what you can do any each stage of your life to help yourself feel comfortable in your skin.

Teenagers' skincare is best based on hygiene. Clean your face properly before you go to bed. If you have mild pimples, use a simple over-the-counter face wash and spot treatment. Visit a dermatologist if they become severe. Most cases of acne can be controlled easily using medication. Use a protective lotion of at least SPF15 on all exposed skin but especially on your face and hands. Most of a lifetime of sun damage to your skin happens before the age of 18.

By your early twenties, the collagen and elastin that keep your skin springy will have started to break down. Some very fine expression lines will begin to form on your face. Keep smiling. You're still in time to minimise further damage. Take particular care of your face and hands. Because they are exposed all year round, their skin is the most prone to sun damage. Use sun protection daily and, if you have short hair, don't forget the back of your neck.

In your thirties, cumulative damage can be seen as collagen and elastin breakdown accelerate. Year round sun protection is a must. You can regain a more youthful glow to your face using an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) cream under a doctor's guidance. Avoid the sun as AHA makes the skin more sensitive and prone to burning. Use a body scrub at least once a week and take the time to remove harsh skin from your feet as split skin means you can easily pick up infections. Use non-comedogenic products on your face to avoid acne.

In your forties your skin will be much drier and renews itself more slowly. Using a moisturiser more frequently (men too, please note) will compensate for your skin's reduced ability to produce protective oil. Light exfoliation will help reduce the dull look. A brisk scrub with a bristle brush before your morning shower will help shed dead skin cells. Use a light scrub less often for your face. If you have acne scars, microdermabrasion can soften their appearance.

Sun damage will show up clearly when you are in your fifties and wrinkles, age spots and spider veins will become visible on your face. Women going through the menopause will notice their skin becomes drier and thinner. Cumulative sun damage can't be reversed but its worst effects can be masked slightly by using a good moisturiser, exfoliating regularly and using sun protection to slow down further sun damage. Remove hard skin from your feet and use a good foot care lotion to prevent deep drying out. If an unusual spot appears, visit a dermatologist as it may be an actinic keratosis, a pre-cursor to skin cancer.

Your sixties are the reaping-what-you-sowed decade. Skin care in a pot will not remove wrinkles though some skin care products are able to disguise them temporarily. Using moisturiser will help to protect your skin from dryness. If your lines truly bother you, the only way to remove them is by chemical peel, microdermabrasion or a laser procedure that will remove the top layer of skin cells making it look smoother, or by a surgical facelift.

In your seventies, your skin becomes undeniably thinner, age spots are more prominent and subcutaneous fat is lost making the skin look much looser all over. Thread veins are clearly visible, especially on the face. No harsh scrubs and as little direct sunlight as possible will help preserve what little elasticity is left. Good moisturiser and gentle cleansers will help protect your skin.

Why skin ages

Collagen and elastin, the protective mesh that keeps skin springy, gradually breaks down as a person gets older. Sun damage accelerates the process. Cosmetic creams can mask the effects but they cannot repair deep structural damage. Over time, the skin's ability to defend and repair itself becomes less efficient so its appearance and health decline.

 

Sun damage goes deep, affecting even the basal cells that work to replenish the skin. Fewer basal cells working at a lower rate means that skin is refreshed at a much slower rate. Meanwhile, the microvascular system that feeds nutrients and oxygen to the skin and removes waste deteriorates, further reducing the skin's ability to function properly. The reduced availability of nutrients, cumulative sun damage and slower skin repair and renewal cause the skin to age visibly.

 

Summer skin treatment  

Sun exposure can interfere with skin treatment procedures and, in most cases, will affect post-treatment recovery. If you plan on having cosmetic surgery or other work done, you will need to keep out of the sun for a while beforehand and while your skin heals after treatment.

Acid-based or heat-based treatments should not be done on sunburned skin because it will damage the skin. Tanned skin is also vulnerable and can lead to hyperpigmentation after treatment.

Laser treatment for hyperpigmentation works by 'burning' melanin in the skin. If you are tanned, laser treatment cannot work properly and, at worst, can cause other problems.

Laser treatment for hyperpigmentation, hair removal, or skin smoothening, is best done in the winter when your tan has faded and when your skin will be covered up and out of the sun for a while afterwards.

Vein removal is best done in the wintertime. After treatment for varicose veins you will need to wear compression stockings which are uncomfortable in the heat. Sclerotherapy, an injectable treatment for small capillary veins, causes temporary superficial changes in the skin which are aggravated by sun exposure.

Injectable treatments for removing fine lines are wrinkles can work safely in the summer but not if they are the type which is affected by sweating. If you want to have Botox injections, for instance, it's best to have the work done when the weather is cooler.