It entirely possible to have beautiful skin throughout your life! As you move into your sixties, you have to deal with skin issues that started in earlier decades plus new problems that can crop up.
Skin issues you may encounter as you move into your sixties:
- Dryness. Your skin has a hard time retaining moisture and natural oil production slows down.
- Dullness. Cell turnover continues to slow — a process that started in your forties.
- Dark spots. Between the lack of oil, the loss of collagen and elastin, and the dryness, dark spots can really start to stand out.
- Bone loss and skin sagging. What’s on the inside can impact what’s on the outside. Bone loss in the lower part of your face can lead to the formation of jowls; bone loss in your cheekbones can give you a sunken look.
- Actinic keratoses. Areas of scaly roughness — often seen on fair-skinned women — that can be a precursor to skin cancer.
Many of these problems can be treated at home. Very dry skin may need an extremely gentle cleanser — or no cleanser at all. Even a creamy, super-hydrating wash can be irritating to extremely dry skin. Your dry skin will need a mega-moisturizer. Look for lotions and creams that contain a high concentration of oils (like petrolatum) to help seal in moisture. Some doctors and dermatologists even suggest using Vaseline on the skin overnight — it seals in moisture and is gentle enough to use on the sensitive skin near your eyes.
If you’re still using a retinoid, it may be time to switch to a very mild formula. Try mixing your retinoid with your moisturizer to thin it out.
If you have actinic keratoses (AKs), talk to your doctor or dermatologist about photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this treatment, the skin is painted with a type of acid that is sensitive to light. When light hits the skin, a chemical reaction destroys precancerous cells and AKs. The treatment can leave you red, sore, and puffy for several days afterwards, but in the long run, your skin will be softer, healthier, and more even. Just one or two sessions can be enough to take care of actinic keratoses and precancerous skin cells.