Skin treatments at 50 - where to start?!

[Gingerpear]

I am 50 and think I need to start sorting out my skin! I've never had any skin treatments and there are so many options out there, it's difficult to know where to start.

I have lost that youthful glow to my skin, and I have a bit of sun damage, some seborrhoeic keratoses, and fine lines especially under my eyes. My face just generally looks a bit saggy and dull.

I have seen people recommend so many different things - chemical peels, picotoning laser, other types of laser, skin botox, polynucleotides, LED light therapy, microneedling..... the list goes on!

Has anyone had any skin treatment that had great results where you saw an ongoing noticeable difference? They all look good but as they are all quite expensive, I want to make sure I go for the right one(s)!

I will, and let us know how you get on with the Medik8! ☺️

I’m 41 but micro needling, dermaplane and a skin peel is a good place to start, if you go to a good beautician , that will have a look at your skin and make you a plan, don’t go in head first, they will also recommend skin care , which will save you buying stuff and not using it, book an appointment with someone recommended in your area and start there, I have a six week plan then break for six so a treatment every two weeks and my skin is amazing, don’t go rushing in and trying all kinds get your skin looked at first, trust me it will save you a lot of money.

"It took empty nesting to give me the headspace to think about myself."

Interesting comment. My past 6 months have been a shit show, and I have not taken care of myself. I've wondered why not, as it only takes 5 mins morning and night to do so.

You are right though. It's the headspace to think about yourself.

I'm trying to clear the decks, but thanks for that comment, as now I know what the problem is.

@FormFiller yes I totally resonate with that too. I was married for 20 years, and have two teenagers. I separated from my ex two years ago.

It's only in the last 6 months that I've even had any headspace or energy to focus on myself and my needs! And I feel like it's given me a bit more zest for life, as before I got married I loved fashion, beauty, skincare etc but somehow over the years and with all the demands, there didn't seem to be any space for it. I'm only now seeing just how much my energy was drained from being in my marriage 🙈

I'm now realising how important it is for our mental, emotional and physical health to focus on self care and looking after ourself, in whatever way works best!

@Gingerpear @FormFiller For me too! My children are only little but my youngest had a lot of medical problems (NICU, etc, he’s fine now) and I really lost myself in all that. But I’ve lost over 4st recently and started taking better care of my skin too. It’s made a world of difference emotionally as well as physically! My morning and evening skincare routine really makes me feel more balanced and centred. I look forward to it rather than dreading it because I feel exhausted.

Have an LED mask on my list too after this.
Just to add I had micro-needling and CO2 on the same day, swelling was bad for 3-4 days.
I took one week off work and it was just enough time.

Where did you get your keratoses frozen off?

Was it expensive? 😊

Ah, that must have been so tough with your youngest ❤️ So glad to hear he is now ok. Well done for the weight loss, that's amazing!
I think it's so easy to lose ourselves in being a mum/ wife/ partner and with all the challenges life can throw at us. And it does make such a difference when we start doing something for ourselves!

How do you find the right person to treat you?

There are the very very expensive celeb-orientated therapists written up in magazines.

Then there’s the really dodgy beauticians near me that advertise that they do everything but in reality just put increasingly massive eyelashes on the local 15 year olds.

Are we allowed to receive recommendations on here? If so, London reccs would be gratefully received.

@largeprintagathachristie yes I've wondered about that too. I've got an appointment booked in a few weeks time with a dermatologist who also does cosmetic treatments. I need to get treatment to remove keratoses but I'm hoping she will also be able to give me advice on specific treatments for my skin.

I looked at quite a few beauty/skin clinics, and there seems to be quite a lot of beauticians/therapists/nurse practitioners who can give consultations and offer treatments. It's difficult to know who would actually be good without a personal recommendation.

I was thinking that a dermatologist would probably be best to assess skin and give advice? Especially if they also do cosmetic treatments.But I'm sure there are also other practitioners out there who are good!

What part of London are you in? I’m in London also and can recommend my beauty therapist but might be a bit of a trek depending on where you are.

I’ve also been using Thérapie for a treatment my beautician doesn’t offer. They have very highly rated clinics across London.

Before spending money on any of those treatments the single most impactful thing you can do at home first is get a consistent retinoid into your routine because it genuinely addresses dullness, fine lines, and sun damage through the same mechanism that makes professional treatments work, and starting there gives you a much better baseline so that if you do decide to invest in something like microneedling or polynucleotides later your skin will actually respond better to it.

@curiousbyprocess0614 I’m really confused by all the things on offer, can you recommend a ‘consistent retinoid’ please.

I'd recommend the medik8. Start with the level 3 and gradually move up in strength.

I agree with Medik8. I’m about half way through my first tube and can tolerate it every night but it took a while to get there. I’m excited to move on to the next strength.

Apols for delay in responding @user593
would love your recc

i live in north east London but work centrally.
But let me know regardless.

I’d definitely look into local Therapié clinics. They all seem to have good reviews and are based across London. My beautician is based in Richmond.

Botix twice a year , sympathetic filler.

Retinol is the over the counter version you can stat with, and I can't point you to the specific brands to avoid any bias but what I can tell you is to look for a percentage between 0.025 to 0.05% on the label and start using it just a couple of nights a week rather than jumping straight to daily use.