I’m so tired of the term anti-ageing. Why? Because it cannot be done. Ageing happens to us all, every day. Each hour we are alive, we’re getting older. And there is nothing we can do to stop it.
As women, we are presented with many ways to ‘reverse’ the signs of ageing, and one of them is injectables. From Botox to filler, there are a variety of treatments on the hugely growing beauty market we can dabble in.
And there’s nothing wrong with this! I have lots of friends who have Botox regularly, and they look fantastic.
But not everyone wants to use this method, and there are other, non-evasive ways you can try to not stop, but perhaps slow down the ageing process. As a beauty editor, I’m privy to lots of methods, and I want to share them with you, so you don’t have to wonder if they work from afar.
Collagen powder
Rachna Murthy, Co-Founder of Face Restoration, tells HELLO!: “As we age, our bodies naturally produce less collagen, leading to the appearance of fine lines. You may notice a gradual loss of collagen and elastin, which typically starts in your 20s and continues steadily, with about one per cent collagen loss each year.”
Since becoming privy to this, I’ve been putting 10 grams of collagen in my morning latte each day. I tend to use Bare Biology’s Bovine offering, which is grass-fed, and I genuinely have seen a big difference in my hair (it’s grown massively) and my nail health, mostly. My skin seems particularly clear, too.
© Getty ImagesI know that the difference won’t be noticeable straight away, and like all these things, it takes time, but it feels great to know I’m giving my body some serious goodness, which will benefit my outer shell in the long run. For a treat, I am also a big fan of the Ancient and Brave ‘Cacao Collagen’. It tastes like a hot chocolate when added to hot milk and has the purest ingredients.
Red Light therapy
Red light therapy used to be something that only celebrities experimented with, but now, it’s not just a trend, but an integral part of anti-ageing practices.
© Getty Images“Red light therapy supports the skin’s health by enhancing ATP production, the energy source for cells, which improves all essential cellular processes, giving the skin a big boost, ” says Kate Kerr, award-winning Aesthetic Facialist and Director of Kate Kerr London Clinic. “While LED rarely achieves full results on its own, it’s a fantastic tool to complement a tailored skincare regimen and clinical treatments for optimal outcomes.”
I use a device for my face, hands, hair, and lips. Yes, that sounds hugely fiddly, and perhaps a little over the top, but I genuinely enjoy the ten minutes of peace I get when I’m using them (albeit separately), and I also do feel it’s made me look better. In particular, the Current Body ‘LED Hair Growth Helmet’ has really slowed down hair loss for me, adding some inches to my previously shoulder-length hair.
I’ve been using it every evening for over a year now and haven’t looked back; my hair is so much thicker than before.
Eating ‘well’
Although I’ve never eaten poorly, there was a time I didn’t put nutrition first and reached for processed foods unwittingly. Now, I’m eating for energy and health as well as skin, hair, and nails. I try to limit my ultra-processed food intake, and it’s actually pretty easy to make that switch when you discover what it can actually do for you.
© Getty“Skin, hair, and nails are made from the nutrients in your food. If you are not eating enough protein, healthy fats or key vitamins and minerals, your body will prioritise other functions, and you’ll often see that in dull skin, breakouts, brittle nails or thinning hair. What we eat has a huge influence on how we feel and how we look,” Emily English, otherwise known as Em the Nutritionist, tells HELLO!.
© GettyOne of the UK’s biggest food content creators adds: “Think colour and healthy fats. Antioxidant-rich foods like pomegranate seeds, red peppers, raspberries, spinach, and tomatoes help protect skin from inflammation and oxidative stress. Red peppers are especially brilliant, just half a pepper contains over one hundred per cent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which helps support collagen production and repair.”
Keeping hydrated
“Hydration is key,” Emily says. “When the body is dehydrated, the skin can become dull and more prone to breakouts. The pores aren’t as flexible, so oil gets trapped more easily by dead skin cells, which can lead to blemishes. Drinks that dehydrate you, like coffee, tea, alcohol, sugary drinks, and energy drinks, can make this worse.”
© Getty ImagesAlthough it can be laborious, I have made a consistent effort to get my two litres in, and I don’t think I’ll ever regret it.
Beauty supplements
Taking a tablet designed to aid your beauty is part of many people’s self-care routine. “Our hair and skin are the first to suffer the effects of fluctuating hormones. During those times, taking an additional supplement may be helpful,” says Anna Marcovici, founder of Manifesto.
© Getty ImagesA lot of beauty supplements on the market contain a variety of superfood extracts, which give your skin and hair a noticeable boost when you keep up with the said dosage. I have noticed that when I don’t take anything, my hair lacks volume, and my skin doesn’t feel as glowing. Now, this could be mind over matter, a powerful notion. But I’m pretty certain about this.
Conclusion
It’s very easy for me, as a 39-year-old woman, to say that I don’t need or want Botox right now. Of course, I look older, but I haven’t experienced noticeable ageing yet. I would never say never when it comes to injectables, and I don’t berate them at all; many people use them and look incredible. That being said, for now, I want to do all that I can naturally, with the incredible knowledge and products that are available to me as a consumer.