THE EXPERTS

AGEING GRACEFULLY
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Ageing
Gracefully
Singapore’s top aestheticians reveal how to preserve youth through
beauty products and even non-invasive cosmetic procedures
THE EXPERTS
Dr Karen Soh is the Medical Director and
founder of Privé Clinic (www.priveclinic.com)
and has been trained in anti-ageing medicine,
with certification from the American Board of
Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. She
is extensively trained in botox, laser and light
therapies, Dermal Fillers and Pigment Light.
Privé has also won several awards including
the Singapore Excellence Award.
Dr Martin Huang is the Director of The
Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, MD Specialist
Healthcare, The Specialist Surgery and Laser
Centre and Pacific Healthcare Holdings in
Singapore. He has won several local and
international academic awards during his
career. These include the prestigious American
Society of Maxillofacial Surgery Award for the
most outstanding paper published in the 1996
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal.
Dr Low Chai Ling is the Medical Director of
Sloane Clinic (www.sloaneclinic.com) and
is certified as an international master trainer
for Restylane treatment, with a Diploma in
Dermatology in Cardiff, Wales. The Sloane
Clinic is the first in Southeast Asia to
have introduced the Fraxel Laser, the PPx
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Photopneumatic Therapy and the Mixto
MicroResurfacing Treatment.
How are the skincare needs different
across the three age groups?
Dr Karen Soh: During your 30s it takes 30 to
35 days for your cells to renew. As we lose
collagen, skin may appear to be darker with
small wrinkles and lines. The delicate skin
beneath your eyes will also begin to thin; your
T-zone area will be oilier while the rest of the
face will tend to be drier. Sun damage begins to
show its effects as pigmentation starts to affect
the skin.
During your 40s, cell turnover slows to 40 to
45 days. Lines begin to deepen around your
mouth, eyes and forehead, under eye circles
may become pouches, more pigmentation
spots appear with noticeably drier skin. Premenopausal women will also experience more
sensitive skin.
After age 50, cell turnover slows to 60 to 90
days depending on the level of skin damage.
Lines may deepen into folds, pores – especially
on the nose and cheeks - become more visible.
Age spots may begin to develop and your skin
becomes even more sensitive as you enter postmenopause. As less oestrogen is produced, your
skin will age more quickly, become more fragile
and not retain moisture as well as it used to.
Dr Low Chai Ling: Our skin looks and functions
very differently at our 30s as opposed to when
we are 50. The needs of our skin change at
every stage of our life therefore the skincare
routine should be adapted to suit its specific
needs. The key is not to treat the problem
only but is about prevention. Start early to
slow down the ageing process and prevent
problems such as pigmentation, wrinkles, fine
lines and sagging skin from cropping up in the
first place so you can look younger longer.
Your skin may appear thinner and finer, but
also clogged and unclear in your 30s. Collagen
production and cell turnover starts to slow
down so overall, complexion may appear a little
less than luminous. You will start to notice the
appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Your 40s tend to be the decade when your skin
really starts to show signs of ageing such as
wrinkles and age spots, blotchiness, sun spots
if you spent your youth sunbathing and a lack
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HEALTH & WELL-BEING
AGEING GRACEFULLY
AGEING GRACEFULLY
Pigmentation can be treated with laser
treatments such as Pigment Laser which
effectively targets and disintegrates the
melanin. In your 40s, use products rich in
hyaluronic acid, great for its water-retaining
properties. Vitamin A (or retinol) is a popular
choice in products for older skins as it can
stimulate collagen for a plumper skin effect,
increase cell turnover for a smoother finish
and reduce wrinkles. The area around the
eyes is especially important as signs of
ageing tend to be more visible in this area.
For your 50s, try red algae, astaxanthin
which is the current buzz-word in antiageing. Studies have shown that they are
effective at helping to boost collagen and
elastin production in the skin and are 6,000
times stronger than Vitamin C.
after age 50, cell
turnover slows to 60
to 90 days depending
on the level of skin
damage. Lines may
deepen into folds, pores
become more visible
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of elasticity and moisture. Skin pigmentation
problems are also exceedingly common after 40.
Most are caused by abnormal (usually increased)
production of the skin pigment melanin. Those
lines around your mouth and eyes that appeared
in your 30s are likely to be deeper.
Cell turnover slows and dryness increases
as oil production slows down as we age. At
your 50s, it is time for a richer, more emollient
moisturiser. Both collagen and elastin will be
attacked by sun-generated free radicals but
antioxidants can help to minimise the damage.
skin care, skin rejuvenation treatments, skin
tightening treatments, botox and fillers. Those
in their 50s will experience similar problem as
in their 40s though at a greater magnitude.
What skincare regimen would you
recommend for each of these age
groups?
Dr Martin Huang: People in their 30s generally
have reasonably good skin though some may
have issues such as mild acne. Aging is just
starting to show so this is a good time to start
taking serious care of the skin, by using medical
grade skin care, and considering non-invasive
skin treatments to maintain good skin and slow
down aging. Some may also benefit from light
botox treatments to address wrinkles that may
start to show. KS: What you’ll need to do when you’re in your
30s would be to use a day moisturiser with
minimum SPF15 to keep skin hydrated and
regulate pigmentation production. Also, you
should exfoliate more frequently to ensure you
are removing dead skin cells and stimulate
the production of new cells. At age 40, you
should start using gentle facial scrubs such as
those with round grains or microbeads and a
rich day moisturiser with high SPF and apply
it to your face and neck. Lastly at age 50, you
should use anti-ageing creams, repair serums
and firming moisturisers that will strengthen
the skin’s barrier. Pay attention to your ears as
they show the telltale signs of your age. Use a
facial scrub on your ears twice a week.
People in their 40s usually show definite signs
of aging, such as sun damage (pigmentation,
broken capillaries, rough skin texture, fine
wrinkles) and sagging which results in the
development of grooves and depressions,
jowls, and enlarged pores. Many in this age
group would benefit from medical grade
LCL: Combat fine lines and wrinkles
with regular exfoliation to get rid of
dead skin cells. Consider scrubs in
microdermabrasion formulations which
have finer natural granules than traditional
scrubs and exfoliators which cause less
irritation to the skin.
MH: All would benefit from medical grade
skin care. However, the skin care would
be tailored to individual needs. For those
in their 30s affected by acne and oily skin,
then skin care for acne-prone skin would be
necessary. Otherwise, milder skin care that
maintains a healthy skin color and texture is
recommended, such as mild alpha hydroxy
acids (for exfoliation), Vitamin C and other
antioxidant based products (to reduce
pigmentation and improve skin texture).
For patients in their 40s, stronger skin care
is often required, such as stronger alpha
hydroxy acids for exfoliation, hydroquinone
for reducing pigmentation, and the same
antioxidants for skin texture. In the 50s age
group, in addition to the skin care used by
the 40 age group, adding Vitamin A cream
to the skincare program is often necessary
for its anti-aging effects. What are the non-invasive treatments
that can help reduce skincare concerns
of the various age groups?
KS: You can consider Ultrashape Countour
I Ver3 treatment that is a non-invasive
body fat reduction and body contouring
solution designed to get rid of unwanted
fat by using ultrasound waves and radio
frequency vacuum (RFVac) technology. If
you have wrinkles or saggy skin, ScarletRF,
a treatment offered at Privé Clinic helps
to remodel collagen and elastin, giving
women the benefits of reduced wrinkles and
improved texture firmness. For those looking
at tackling pigmented skin, you can also
consider Revlite treatment that offers relief
from signs of pigmentation and rejuvenates
skin at the same time by using shorter pulses
of energy and less heat to rid brown spots,
fine lines and sun damage.
LCL: A woman in her 30s seeking help
in terms of adult hormone-related acne,
acne scarring and pore reduction can opt
for treatments such as The Sloane Clinic’s
Pore Reduction programme which includes
Laser Peel, microdermabrasion and LED
Red light therapy to minimise pore size and
refine their complexion. The Divine Whitening
programme using Pigment Laser and Vitamin
Therapy which targets pigmentation is a
popular treatment among women in their 40s
to addresses the pigmentation irregularities.
Give your skin a new lease of life in your
50s with non-surgical alternatives to tighten
and lift skin using a combination of Ulthera
(ultrasound skin lifting) and Thermage
(radiofrequency skin tightening) treatments in
our 3D Facelift programme. This non-invasive
MYTH 1: The older I get, the less attractive
I become. With advancements in medical
technology, FDA-approved non-invasive aesthetic
treatments such as Ulthera, Thermage, botox and
hyaluronic acid fillers can help individuals turn back
their ageing clock. There is nothing more attractive
than someone who has “aged well”.
MYTHS of AGEING
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
MYTH 2: I will start using anti-ageing skincare
when I am in my 30s. Most women in their 20s
believe that wrinkles won’t appear so anti-ageing
products do not exist in their skincare regime.
However, fine lines can appear in your 20s,
especially if you are often under the sun without
any protection.
facelift programme targets both the deeper
and more superficial layers of collagen to give
skin instant skin lifting and tightening. Voluma
High Definition Lift, a natural hyaluronic acid
helps to lift sagging visages and contour face,
restoring deflated cheeks or chin for a more
youthful look. Lip fillers can also address the
issue of a loss of lip definition to transform
thin pruned lips to more defined lips.
MH: Expression lines are best addressed
with botox. Grooves and depressions are
effectively addressed by filler injections.
Aging skin can be rejuvenated with medical
grade skin care and a variety of skin
treatments using machines that deliver
various types of energy that will correct skin
problems and rejuvenate the skin, such as
Intense Pulse Light, non-invasive lasers, and
radio frequency (RF) energy. Sagging skin
can be addressed with specific treatments
for this purpose, such as Thermage. More
powerful techniques of addressing sagging
tissues include thread lifts, surgical face
lifts and neck lifts. Aging of the upper and
lower eyelids often needs to be addressed
surgically for best results.
MYTH 3: My skin will age just like my mother’s.
Genetics does play a part in the ageing process
but lifestyle and skincare too affects the health
of your skin. Prevention is always better than
cure; you can take care of your skin with a good
skincare regime before wrinkles appear.
MYTH 4: Surgery should be reserved for later
in life. More people are realising that surgical
options can be effective solutions for enhancing
our quality of life during its prime.
MYTH 5: We should age gracefully by doing
nothing about it. Actually, there is nothing
graceful about aging, and doing nothing about it
only makes it more disgraceful! 107