Women over 40 warned of daily skin care step that can 'damage' skin and cause ageing

Our skin goes through many changes over the years and is particularly bad around menopause, according to founder of Church Crescent Medical Practice Dr Aarthi Sinha.

She said: "As we age, there is also a general shrinking of the bones of the face and the fat pads drop as they are no longer held firmly in place.

“This can appear as flattening of the cheeks, hollowing of the mid-face and sagging of the chin and jowl area. These changes can be exacerbated during the peri- and post-menopause phase due to the lack of oestrogen.”

Making certain lifestyle choices and following the right skin care routine can rectify some of the unwanted signs of ageing, the doctor explained.

Similarly, common skin care mistakes can strip your skin and cause visible signs of damage. The expert suggested ditching harsh cleansers and being wary of collagen creams.

Dr Sinha said: "Many washes and soaps are too harsh and often strip essential oils from the skin and damage the pH of the delicate skin barrier.

“There are lots of products advertised for menopausal skin, particularly collagen creams. Most collagen creams do not increase skin collagen levels.

"They may feel nice but don’t do much for the skin. Instead, an injectable treatment is often needed to stimulate your body to produce collagen.”

Collagen helps improve the skin's elasticity and firmness, therefore combatting sagging and aiding a more youthful appearance.

People naturally produce collagen but the levels at which this happens start to decline in their mid-20s.

Instead of remedying this with collagen creams that might not work, the expert recommended regular exercise as a natural way to boost the skin.

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“Exercise increases blood flow to the skin, promoting regeneration of natural skin factors along with collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid," Dr Sinha said.

Exercise benefits more than just the skin as this helps to "increase your bone density", another thing that is important to do in later years.

This comes as a plastic surgeon shares how you can improve the look of wrinkled, damaged hands.