Your Skin in Your 50s

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

28 Oct 2008 05:56 PM

Once menopause hits, you can expect your skin to change dramatically. The average age at which a woman reaches menopause is fifty-one... so your fifties is a time for big changes!

Some changes you can expect in your skin in your fifties:

• The cell turnover slowdown that started in the forties continues into the next decade and beyond -- the dead skin cells are slower to leave and the new cells are slower to replace them. This can leave skin looking dull and feeling dry.
• Skin is much dryer, thanks to the body's hormonal changes and continuing cell turnover slowdown.
• Brown spots increase and become more prominent.
• The skin starts to lose the underlying fat layer, making deeper folds and wrinkles more noticeable in the face. You may see smile lines (running from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth) or hollows underneath the eyes start to develop.
• Crow's feet (at the corners of the eyes) become more prominent thanks to collagen and fat loss.

What can you do to help keep your skin supple and healthy in your fifties? Start by switching your cleanser. Abandon the stronger soaps and cleansers that can strip oil from the skin. Try a creamy, moisturizing wash instead. And don't stop there -- make sure you use a moisturizer on your face every day. Look for a lotion that will act as a humectant (to draw water in) and an occlusive (to keep that water from evaporating).

Pay close attention to your eyes. The skin underneath your eyes is supposed to be the most delicate skin on your body! Losing collagen can make crow's feet and hollows beneath your eyes more apparent. An eye cream with silicone can help plump things up again -- use nightly for best results.

If you're using a retinoid (a vitamin A derivative) to help stimulate skin cell production and encourage collagen production, great! In your fifties and beyond, it may be a good idea to switch to a moisturizing formula.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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