Skin Aging: accompanying it, not erasing it

Skin aging is the progressive change the skin undergoes over the years: it becomes thinner, less elastic, and more prone to wrinkles and spots. It is a natural, unavoidable phenomenon that should not be viewed as a disease, but understood, so it can be managed with balance.

At its root is the reduction of collagen and elastin, the proteins that give the dermis support and tone. Broadly speaking, two categories of causes are at play: intrinsic ones, written into genetics and time, and extrinsic ones, linked to lifestyle. Among the latter, the sun plays the leading role: photoaging, the cumulative damage caused by ultraviolet rays, is responsible for much of the wrinkling and discoloration; smoking and pollution add to this.

Aesthetic medicine can accompany skin aging with a gradual approach, never with the goal of a motionless face.

Prevention comes first

Since much of the visible aging depends on external factors, the first and most effective strategy is prevention: consistent sun protection, even in the city and in winter, appropriate skin care, and quitting smoking. It is an unglamorous but decisive investment that no later treatment can fully replace.

When to intervene

When it comes to softening signs that are already present, aesthetic medicine offers gradual tools — biostimulation, filler, botulinum toxin — to be used in moderation to avoid an “overdone” effect. In more advanced stages, when excess skin predominates, surgery may be indicated. The choice depends on the individual face and the specific moment, not on a one-size-fits-all protocol.

The healthiest approach, then, is one that treats aging as a journey to accompany, not an enemy to defeat. A face that ages naturally, well cared for, is a more ambitious result than a motionless one.