Anti-aging

What is anti-aging?

This term and concept is applied to products in the cosmetics and esthetics sector that combat the consequences of aging caused by lack of hydration. Its objective is to prevent wrinkles, sagging, and enhance elasticity.

Anti-aging

It is sometimes common to find the term anti-aging to describe this property of cosmetics. This is incorrect, as it is a mistranslation of anti-aging and anti-aging in English.

The reason is that cosmetics with this property do not fight age, they fight aging or the effects of aging.

The Fundación del Español Urgente (FUNDEU) suggests using anti-wrinkle or anti-aging as alternative terms.

What is aging?

Skin aging is a process in which different intrinsic and extrinsic factors converge.

The intrinsic factor is not yet fully understood, but it cannot be prevented. It is related to the body’s natural process, hormonal changes and the decrease of certain natural elements that cause collagen degradation and loss of hyaluronic acid.

The extrinsic factor is the result of photoaging, pollution, poor diet and others.

Anti-aging treatments

Anti-aging treatments aim to treat or prevent skin aging, which shows up over the years in the form of wrinkles, loss of tone, flaccidity, etc.

The benefits of this type of treatment are:

• Decreases body fat
• Moisturizes the skin
• Removes stains
• Reduces wrinkles and fine lines
• Improves scars and stretch marks
• Increases skin radiance
• Acts against acne
• Reactivates the production of collagen and elastin.

As we know, in addition to hydration and skin care, aging is influenced by other external agents such as sun exposure, rest, exercise, diet, stress and certain diseases.

Therefore, we can help the body to limit or soften the effects of aging, but it is very important to have healthy habits.

Without the need for surgery, there are a multitude of treatments that smooth the skin, add volume, reduce wrinkles and improve skin tone.

• Botulinum toxin. Its injection produces temporary paralysis of the muscles, so its application must be uniform and general, to produce a lifting effect.
• Absorbable fillers fill the gaps produced by aging, showing almost immediate results on wrinkles and expression lines. They are applied by injections in different areas of the face and body. They also serve to add volume to the lips and cheekbones.
• Chemical peeling. It is used to exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin cells. This helps to improve skin renewal, provides radiance and corrects scars.
• Laser. There are different types of laser treatments that, in general, work by boosting collagen production.
  • Q-Switched laser. It is used to eliminate facial blemishes caused by sun exposure. It also removes tattoos.
  • Pulsed dye laser. It acts selectively in the treatment of vascular lesions.
  • Fractional laser. Improves the texture of aging skin and smoothes acne scars. As an added value compared to the previous ones, it offers a faster recovery and is less invasive.
  • Pulsed light. IPL device treatments use heat to improve skin tone and texture.
• Injected mesotherapy works on mature skin to boost hydration in areas such as the neck, face and décolleté.
• Electroporation to improve hydration and elasticity from deeper levels of the skin. This technique is the least invasive and offers very good results. The Mesolux electroporation equipment also achieves 100 times more power than other equipment on the market, thus allowing the introduction of any type of active ingredient.

As in almost all cases, the combination of different techniques will lead to better results. For example, radiofrequency helps to compact the skin and phototherapy homogenizes the skin tone.

Anti-aging cosmetics

Adequate technology has not yet been developed to deliver collagen, elastin or hyaluronic acid to the skin, so the topical products we apply will not restore the loss of these natural compounds.

However, some other products promote the natural synthesis of these substances. For example, retinoids, vitamin C (also oral) and copper peptide have been shown to promote collagen synthesis.

Retinoids increase hyaluronic acid levels, something that can also be achieved with glucosamine. Products that stimulate elastin production are not yet known.

Therefore, topical cosmetics used against aging should include active ingredients with properties to protect and revitalize skin cells:

• Hyaluronic acid. This organic substance disappears from our body as we age. This decrease in hyaluronic acid is directly related to the appearance of wrinkles. Its most important characteristic is its capacity to retain water.
• Vitamin C. It is a very powerful antioxidant that firms, provides luminosity, tone and increases collagen production.
• Retinol. It acts as a skin regenerator, attenuates blemishes, stimulates collagen and regulates excess oil. But it should be used in low concentrations as it is an alcohol.
• Coenzyme Q10. It is a natural nutrient, present in the cells of our body, with anti-aging properties, antioxidant and provides elasticity.
• Collagen. It is one of the most important protein substances in our body. It provides elasticity, so it helps to combat flaccidity and wrinkles.
• Rosehip oil. Stimulates collagen production, thus helping to regenerate scars and stretch marks.

Firming cosmetics

Firming cosmetics are part of the anti-aging group. In this case, cosmetics have the ability to provide firmness in the tissues.

However, it should not be forgotten that creams, serums and any other cosmetics that are defined as firming will not really tighten the skin without help. This is why it is so important to combine any treatment with appliances.

In this case, using technologies such as Mesolux transdermal electroporation, the active ingredients can be effectively delivered to the cells.

To do so, it should have collagen or elastin as an ingredient, but these substances, due to their molecular weight, cannot penetrate the skin.

Thus, firming cosmetics can temporarily firm the skin, but only exercise and healthy habits can help.

Hyaluronic acid

Collagen

Wrinkles