Ageing gracefully without overdoing on anti-ageing
Leave it to Amy Schumer to hysterically coin one of the biggest fears plaguing women since donkey's years on The Ellen show: the at-risk chin. The coinage may be half a decade old but women even today curse the mirror and pick their own appearances apart and few, if any at all, do it with the audacity and humour so relatable.
Coming back to the at-risk chin ¾ grouped with eyes, hooded and sinking, jaws protruding, crow's feet and turkey necks (the terms alone so odious, it's no wonder they're scorned!) ¾ the process of aging is seen as criminal, one bizarrely shrouded with surprise and annoyance. Common perception: youth equals beauty and aging is disgraceful.
Kick-starting from the age of 25, your skin produces 1 percent less collagen every passing year and elastin levels (needed to keep skin tight) decline more and more rapidly as you age. The first signs of ageing are deepening laughter lines and wrinkles. These are caused by skin sagging. This can be due to loss of hyaluronic acid, responsible for retaining water and moisture, lower productions of elastin and lipid-storing cells, necessary for taut, supple skin, and slower cell turnover which means your skin is more prone to acne scars and sun damage.
Moreover, reduced micro-circulation means lesser amounts of oxygen, ergo, nutrients, are travelling to the surface of the skin and this is what steals your radiance away, an enviable trademark of a blissfully-ignorant 20-something-year-old girl.
Follow American video creator and skincare expert Cassandra Bankson on social media and feed off of her knowledge of various products targeting problems like hyperpigmentation, sun damage or cystic acne. Genuine reviews and an unfiltered knowledge of how your skin works will help you choose a cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen (the ABCs of any good skincare routine).
Before rushing on this advice prematurely, however, pause to find out your skin type and needs. Products for all skin types don't really fulfil what oily skin needs. Serious issues like rosacea and melasma do not benefit from off-the-shelves help. This is why, consider consulting with a dermatologist first.
Dr Jasmin Manzoor from the Dermatology and Venereology Department at Evercare Hospital Dhaka is an avid advocate of enhanced beauty. Preaching awareness and destigmatising cosmetic treatments keep her busy. People new to the idea of cosmetic-treatment, know this: targeted treatment is a multi-pronged approach. And the options are endless! These treatments come in all form of lasers, fillers, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and other skin-resurfacing treatments that can steady your coup de vieux (getting old) boat. Face-lifts, or rather "cutting and pulling" as the bygone era had it, is not necessary anymore. Happily, middle-age good skin is very easily achievable without the scalpel.
Clients enjoying positive results also rave about the services at The Powder Room by Esha Rushdi and the ubiquitous GALA Makeover Studio & Salon by Navin Ahmed. Whoever you choose, simply make sure they know what they are doing.
To the unrealistic and hyped-up campaigner of #wokeuplikethis or the judgmental neighbourhood auntie looking down on non-invasive cosmetic work; no, nobody "wakes up like this" and no, we are not supporting the complete obliteration of facial expressions. But where we do stand is to tweak a dark spot here, lift an eyebrow there and to, ultimately, feel good about ourselves. But don't give all in to these temptations and know when to stop. Remember to follow your dermatologist's advice and not pound yourself with fillers. Most chemicals are synthetically or naturally made, sure, but an excessive surge can just as easily result in the most impassive-looking face without any sign of life whatsoever. Go easy and, again, the idea isn't to desperately cling on to our lost youth but to simply embrace ourselves a little more happily at 50 just as at 25.
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Model: Farzana Shakil
Make-up: Farzana Shakil Makeover Salon
Styling: Sonia Yeasmin Isha