The Blog GRAZIA Magazine: Dr. Josh on the Rise of ‘Pre-juvenation’

A growing number of young people are seeking out cosmetic assistance to prevent skin ageing before it occurs – otherwise known as ‘prejuvenation’.

For its feature article, ‘Forward Facing’, GRAZIA magazine delves into the deeper layers of this global trend and turns to Dr. Josh Wall, Medical Director of Contour Clinics, for his top-level insights.

“Studies are suggesting that we’re eager at an earlier age than ever to invest in cutting-edge treatments that pre-empt the passage of time,” GRAZIA reports.

The following is an excerpt from GRAZIA’s article:

It’s been dubbed ‘prejuvenation’, characterised by a proactive approach to ageing by treating the skin in anticipation of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage and sagging. Taking such measures is said to help the skin stay healthier, clearer and firmer for longer, which sounds like a no-brainer for those wanting to retain such visible markers of youth.

According to Dr Josh Wall, Cosmetic Doctor and Medical Director of Contour Clinics, the prejuvenation trend can be directly tied to our increasing interest in self-care.

“People are doing everything they can to create the best version of themselves,” he tells GRAZIA. “We are seeing a massive influx of younger people who are investing in their skin and investing in their aesthetic.”

At Wall’s Sydney-based clinics, this often begins with cosmeceutical products and practices that improve the overall quality of the skin, before younger patients begin looking to anti-ageing treatments.

PREJUVENATION IN PRACTICE

As two of the most common non-invasive treatments, anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers are often thought to be the most obvious when it comes to prejuvenation. And, as Dr Wall explains, their prevalence is only increasing among younger clients.

“The classic anti-wrinkle treatments are more popular than ever across multiple age groups, including this younger demographic. This is because if you treat areas before the wrinkles form, those wrinkles should then never form in the first place.”

Anti-wrinkle injections may be beneficial for treating static lines – which are present even when your face is at rest – before they settle in over time.

“You can see in some older people’s faces that they have visible lines even when their face isn’t moving,” says Dr Wall. “If you start anti-wrinkle injections early, you should never develop those static lines. And, even if you have static lines, if you get anti-wrinkle treatments often enough, over the course of a year or two those lines should disappear.”

Dr Wall also identifies collagen-stimulating treatments, such as micro-needling and laser, as popular prejuvenating options among his younger clientele.

“Collagen-stimulating treatments work by causing a controlled microdamage to the skin, and your body’s natural healing response is what produces the benefit of that treatment,” says Dr Wall.

“The skin has no stimulus to rejuvenate on its own. If you let the skin go, and you go out in the sun, it will just age gracefully over time; you’ll get wrinkles, you’ll get poor elasticity, you’ll get sagging. So what we need to do is damage the skin in a controlled way so that your body knows to heal and to refresh and to rejuvenate, which it does through producing more collagen.”

IS PREJUVENATION FOR ME?

It’s also essential to remain realistic about the faces we see on social media and on the red carpet. Beyond an endless reservoir of cash and the world’s top skin and surgical specialists at their disposal, Dr Wall advises that they’ve likely been getting treatments over a lengthy period of time – and yes, they may have commenced such procedures when they were significantly younger.

“If you’ve seen these Hollywood actresses who are in their seventies and their skin looks like they’re in their twenties, it’s because they started in their twenties. They’ve done some form of collagen-stimulating treatment every year for the past 50 years,” he says.

“If you do the right things – invest in a good cosmeceutical skincare range, do some form of collagen-stimulating treatment each year, [such as] a laser skin resurfacing, skin needling, or radiofrequency skin needling – you should maintain the skin that you have for a very long time.”

Read the full article, ‘FORWARD FACING’ by Kate Lancaster in GRAZIA Magazine