The desire for perfect skin, a small face, bright eyes, and a slim body is not just an Asian passion, but a worldwide phenom. Many patients possess the same desire to have the flawless youthfulness of Korean celebrities like Kim Tae Hee, Song Hye Kyo and Son Ye Jin.
Anti ageing doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s a lot easier than you think to look like a younger, better version of yourself.
But first, you have to nail the basics: Create a healthy regime that does not accelerate the ageing process, and then match that foundation with anti-ageing treatments that are correct for YOU.
Whether you’re in your 20s looking to delay ageing symptoms (“prejuvenation”) or in your 40s trying to regain your youth, here are some anti-ageing non-negotiables.
From a young age, Koreans are taught to be incredibly savvy about their skin, especially whilst in the sun. Beyond applying sunscreen, many Koreans take great care to stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible.
Taking care to protect yourself from the sun helps prevent UV damage, which will inevitably contribute to ageing skin. This approach promotes a youthful appearance in the future with fewer fine lines and pigmentation (eg. melasma), all while protecting the skin from the daily oxidative damages of pollution and the weather.
Obviously, it’s impossible to avoid the sun in Singapore, so here are some good practices to adopt:
Even on cloudy days, over 90%1 of the sun's UV radiation reaches your skin. So, don’t scrimp on sunscreen!
In order to meet the high standards of K-beauty, Koreans are constantly looking for new ways of improving their skin-care routine. The famous 10-step skincare routine is a good example, and it goes like this:
While the process might seem intimidating (and expensive), committing to the art of layering can be a big game-changer in your skincare routine - Never overlook the importance of steps like exfoliating and toning when it comes to achieving healthy, youthful skin.
And while it is not strictly necessary for you to adhere to these 10 steps, the key here is to give your skin every bit of love and nourishment that it needs, consistently.
Do you look unexplainably visibly older than peers your age, feel unusually tired or experiencing more hair loss than usual? You might want to get your hormone levels checked.
Hormones play a huge role in the way our body functions and age. An anti-ageing screening can investigate if:
Ultimately, the goal of an anti-ageing screening is to help us target problem areas and determine preventive tactics to slow down the ageing process.
While we can't stop the ageing process, applying the right products and seeking the right treatments as early as in our 20s can help reduce the appearance of stubborn fine lines, wrinkles and age spots down the road.
For some individuals, this might mean inducing retinoids in their daily skincare routine, or opting for aesthetic treatments like injectables to slow down ageing.
As ageing occurs due to a lack of collagen, for a start, Skinboosters are a safe and excellent bet. Skinboosters work by:
Besides moisture loss and dehydrated skin, the appearance of pigmentation and scars can affect skin health and age. The PicoLo laser is fantastic for removing pigmented lesions.
You’ll need to choose the right clinic and doctor for your anti-ageing mission. Firstly, make sure that your chosen aesthetician has wide and proven expertise when it comes to popular anti-ageing treatments, right from injectables to lasers. This will ensure that you’ll have access to the best solutions available for your skin.
Also, because your anti-ageing journey is one for the long haul, your doctor needs to make you feel comfortable, understand your pain points, and offer you tailored treatment plans that suit your unique circumstances. As such, you might want to look online for credible reviews, and ask for recommendations from your loved ones.
It is never too early to stave off the effects of ageing.
It is never too early to stave off the effects of ageing.
Remember: The earlier you start, the better.
But start on the right foot and with the right doctor, or you might achieve the opposite just by working with the wrong one.
Most of us completely skip over our necks when taking care of our skin. This is unfortunate, as the neck is one of the most common (and evident) areas that will require anti-ageing treatments later on in life.
As we age, our skin inevitably loses its elasticity and collagen. After years of talking, laughing, and smiling, our skin around our eyes will find it increasingly harder to spring back. Those wrinkles, creases, and fine lines that we dread so much will set in permanently, causing us to look much older than we actually are.
This is why using eye cream and moisturising your neck should be two fundamental aspects of your beauty regime. Additionally, your doctor should be able to provide you with in-office jawline and neck lifting services, such as Morpheus 8, a skin lifting procedure especially helpful for tender areas like the eyes and neck.
Other ways of maintaining eye and neck skin health are:
Unlike salon-grade facials and extractions which stand a fair chance of worsening your skin, Medi-facials such as hydrafacials are performed under the supervision of a certified dermatologist, and involve the use of ingredients that are medically proven to benefit skin in the long run.
Additionally, medi-facials:
Do you have any questions? Feel free to contact me and we can set up a stress-free, no-obligation consultation to understand your skin concerns better.
Dr. Chloe Ho is Asia Wellness’ resident doctor. Her strong background in dermatology has equipped her to treat patients across all ages, including children. Dr. Ho is trusted among her patients to treat an array of ageing skin concerns, such as fine lines, wrinkles, dark eye circles and acne scars.
Her clinical experience varies locally and internationally, from the Singapore National Skin Centre to Harvard Medical School in Boston.
