Why you need to be patient to see results from your anti-aging products........
Let's be honest, we all want to see instant results! There are some products that will give you this, but these 'instant results' are short lived, that is, they'll only last a matter of hours.
So why is it then, that effective anti-aging products take a while to work?
First, I want to be clear that I'm not talking about invasive or medical treatments, which are a whole different discussion altogether.
I'm talking about products that are purely non-invasive and are applied to your skin, have a daily regime or require regular application.
I think it's important to use products that are scientifically proven to work; at least then you know that there is some evidence to support its use, and that there are some people out there who have experienced the product working. I'd expect to, and will happily, pay a little more for products that have a proven scientific outcome.
It's also important to say that
you've got to follow the application instructions. If you use a product that's supposed to be applied morning and night, and you only apply it once per day or less, than you're not going to see a result - well not the one you want to see.......!
So, you've bought a product that is proven to work, and you've followed the instructions - so why isn't it working?
It's probably not that it's not working (although some products might not be right for your skin and will never work, scientifically proven or not!), you just have to give it time.......
According to Dr Kenneth Beer, Dermatologist, you need to use each product for a full cycle of cell turnover, before you'll see any benefits. Furthermore, Dr Obagi, Dermatologist, advises that for best results you need to use products for three full cell renewal cycles.
Why?
New skin cells are born in the deepest layer of the epidermis (called the stratum basale). As more new cells are born the older cells are pushed out towards the outermost layer of the epidermis (the skin or cutaneous membrane), however, as they move away from their nutrient source ( withint the the dermis) they become les active, begin to degenerate, and eventually die and fall off the surface of the skin.
Embedded within the dermis are blood vessels, nerves, glands and hair follicles. It is the dermis that supplies all oxygen and nutrition to the cells of the epidermis that produce new skin cells. The dermis also contains all the connective tissues such as collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin provide structure and support, and elasticity to the skin.
So what do anti-aging products do?
Most anti-aging products target one or more of the following (list not exhaustive):
Production of collagen and elastin
Inhibit damage by free-radicals/ limit oxidative stress
encourage lipolysis (fat breakdown)
inhibit lipogenesis (fat synthesis)
eliminate or reduce production of pigments
Stimulate cell renewal
All of these processes take place within the deep layers of the epidermis or dermis, which is where clinically proven anti-aging products get to work. The active ingredients within the products act on new cells and structures being produced. Therefore, in order to see the benefits you need to wait until the new cells reach the surface of the skin (Dr Beer's reasoning) . As the products continue to act on the new cells and structures within the deep layers of the epidermis and dermis, the results are compounded and maximum benefits are seen, hence Dr Obagi's comments.
How long does the skin renewal cycle take?
Well that largely depends on your age, but there are other influencing factors such as smoking, sun exposure, poor nutrition and hydration, which all slow the process.
The following can be used as an average for one skin renewal cycle:
Infants 3-5 days
19-21 yrs 14-21 days
30-40 yrs 28-45 days
40-50 yrs 45-60 days
50+ yrs 60-100 days
And that's why you won't see 'instant' results........ You need to look at the average skin renewal cycle time for your age. This is the absolute minimum time that you should expect to see results, but it may be longer.
And it may also be possible that the product you're using isn't right for your skin and you don't se any results, or worse, you have a reaction. If you do have a reaction, stop using the product immediately and seek medical advice if necessary.
References
Benvenuti NZ (2007) Quick question: how long should I use a skin care product before giving up on it? (online at www.futurederm.com) [Accessed 25/05/2017].
Connell A (2015) How long does it really take for skin care products to work? (online at stylecaster.com) [Accessed 25/05/2017].
Obagi Z (2014) How long is a skin cycle? (online at zoskinhealth.com) [Accessed 25/05/2017].
Tortora GJ, Derrickson B (2012) Principles of anatomy and physiology. 13th ed. Wiley: New Jersey.
Unknown (2017) The skin cycle. (online at www.skinauthority.com) [Accessed 25/05/2017].