If you've followed the series from your 20s through to now, you know the basics: 

• sun protection is the holy grail to ageing well 
• good longterm lifestyle habits are key - eating mostly well, limiting alcohol, not smoking (or quitting) and exercising regularly are all good habits to implement sooner than later 
• obtaining personalised medical guidance for your skin is just as important as obtaining advice on other aspects of your health as is prioritising preventive care such as regular skin checks. Prevention is not sexy, or heroic, but it is the best bang for your buck longterm and far easier than undoing damage. 

In saying all that, it is never too late to begin exactly where you are, as long as you are mindful that the longer you leave it, the harder it is to reverse some of the changes, the more expensive and healing may be impeded from minimally invasive surgery due to thinner more fragile skin. 

Our life expectancy is now well into our 80s in countries like Australia, and many if not most of us, will work till 70 or beyond if we hope to maintain a similar standard of living post retirement. 

Focusing on judicious medical aesthetics is then not only about vanity but about continuing to look our best at every age and stage, to look functional and competent to our colleagues and if we are in a service role, to our clients and patients, as well as informing our sense of self and healthy self esteem. 

The desire to continue to like what we see and to feel good about ourself goes far beyond mere vanity for most of us, and at Skin Essentials we take a holistic view of this, with a roadmap drawn up especially for you, over time - weeks, months and years to come to help you age well. In return we ask for your commitment, consistency and your budgeting to allow you to follow recommended treatment plans. Without this investment, we cannot attain success. 

The fact remains, however that in our 60s, no matter how diligent we were in the earlier decades, there will be inevitable changes in our skin over our entire body but treatment and care in the earlier decades can influence how much the ageing process shows up on your face and body. 

Volume loss continues to be the biggest issue as we age in this decade: 

• there is loss of fat pads and their migration south in the face as well as bony loss around the mouth such that skin can seem to hang off a frame
• there is loss of skin elasticity, giving rise to fine lines and wrinkles and crepeyness in skin - around the eyes, around the mouth, and on limbs. 
• continued collagen loss also means that skin lacks the usual plumpness and glow of youth. In the 5 years immediately post menopause, there is as much as 30% collagen loss, and thereafter 2% per year instead of the previous 1% per year from our 20s. 

So what can we do in our 60s, if we are still active and our outside seems a mismatch to our inside? 

1. Surgery 

As always, beyond an age, I usually raise the idea of a face and neck lift with patients in this age group and their willingness to consider it. Will their budget and lifestyle allow for it? If so, it may be a feasible option and I can help refer to a plastic surgeon. 

2. Minimally Invasive Fat Loss and Skin Tightening 

For many people, surgery may not be an option or a path they wish to go down. Minimally invasive fat loss and skin tightening procedures may then be a suitable alternative as discussed also in the 50s age group. 

3. Volume Replacement 

It is important for patients to recognise that surgery along will not replace volume loss in the face - specifically, in the temples, around the forehead, in the cheeks and more. Even if they opt for surgery, to reposition ligaments and muscles and to remove excess skin, they will also need volume replacement for best results, otherwise they risk looking windblown, as the old face and necklift cases of the past often show. Some may opt to have the surgery first and then return to us for volume replacement via dermal fillers, skin therapies that replenish collagen, or both. 

4. Ablative Laser Resurfacing 

With deeply etched lines and wrinkles due to sun damage, this may be a sound choice and option for patients. There is usually downtime of 7-10 days and is a treatment undertaken in clinic if you are a suitable candidate. 

5. Medium Depth Chemical Peels 

Medium depth peels are another way to resurface superficial skin layers and reveal fresher less lined skin underneath. They can be used on the face, neck and decollete as well as hands, depending on the concern and like lasers, have an associated downtime of several days. 

6. Focus on other areas - hands, neck, decollete 

For many patients who start at a younger age, the 50s and 60s can often be a time to shift focus from the face to the other exposed areas of our body that can age us - our hands, our neck and decollete. 

They are all subject to sun exposure and ageing. Hardworking areas such as our hands may look thin, heavily veined and far older than our chronological age depending on how much work we do with our hands, while the neck has thinner skin and not a lot of fat, which is progressively lost with age, such that from our 40s onward, it can begin to age quite rapidly without a commitment to improvement. 

As always, at Skin Essentials our aim and goal is a longterm holistic relationship with you, personalised for you and your specific concerns with a focus on honest, ethical beauty. Ready to start a conversation?