"It wasn't like this until last year, but this year it feels like it hit me all at once."
"It's not even like I wasn't taking care of myself, so why is it all showing up at once now?"
This is a question often asked by people around the age of forty, when the mirror starts looking different.
Hello, I'm Kwon Si-jin, the director preparing to practise here in Myeongdong ^^
We're getting ready to open in Myeongdong soon, and because questions from this stage of life come up so often, I wanted to set this down as information first.
A large part of what starts to show at forty is what accumulated before then, arriving at the surface now. It didn't suddenly appear out of nowhere; rather, right now is simply when it has become visible.
That's why care at this stage begins by separating what has already arrived from what has yet to come. I hope this article helps you set that standard.
Why it all seems to appear at once now
Skin change generally accumulates slowly and then becomes visible at a certain point.
Pigment isn't easily seen until it rises near the surface, and firmness only shows as a change in line once a certain threshold is passed.
So the phrase "it was fine until last year, then suddenly" comes up often, when in fact it usually isn't sudden — it's the point of arrival.
This matters because looking for the cause only in the recent past makes it easy to work on the wrong thing.
What has already arrived — pigment
Pigment is what gets mentioned most at this stage.
But pigment isn't one thing, and the approach divides by type.
- Melasmaseveral causes tend to overlap, so it doesn't finish in one go and recurrence is common
- Sun spots and lentiginesthey form where sun exposure was long, with relatively clear borders
- Frecklesthere's an inherited element, and they follow a rhythm of darkening in summer, fading in winter
- Post-inflammatory pigmentleft where acne or a wound passed through
Approach them all the same way without dividing by type, and some will lighten while others darken instead.
So pigment begins with separating what to erase from what to watch.
What has already arrived — firmness and line
Firmness changes more slowly and more broadly than pigment.
The signs mentioned often at this stage are these.
- The difference in line between lying down and sitting up grows
- A folded mark remains even without smiling
- Makeup settles less well than it used to
That said, as above, a blurred line isn't always sagging. Swelling, fat, muscle and bone structure have to be looked at together before a direction is set.
Slowing what hasn't arrived yet
Half of care at this stage concerns what will accumulate from here, not what you do today.
The items generally discussed as affecting that pace are these.
- Ultraviolet lightit bears on both pigment and firmness. Cloudy days and indoor windows count
- Sleepthe window in which recovery happens
- Sudden weight changelarge change over a short period stays in the line
- Smoking and alcoholfrequently mentioned in relation to recovery speed
These are duller than any procedure, but they're on the side that makes the difference five years out.
Impatience costs the most
Honestly, the mistake seen most often at this stage is a plan to undo everything at once.
Take several procedures at short intervals and the next stimulus arrives before the skin has secured time to recover.
Redness then lasts longer or a sensitised state continues, and cases arise where the procedure you actually needed can't be done later.
A plan that tidies one step each season turns out to be the faster route.
How the order is decided
When several concerns overlap, the order is generally decided like this.
- Firstif the barrier is weakened, recovery comes first. In that state any procedure loses efficiency
- Nextstop what is progressing (inflammation, spreading pigment)
- Thentidy what already remains (marks, contours)
- Alongsidesun protection runs with every stage
Reverse this order and the same procedure gives a different result.
Start with what you can change in daily life
There are things worth settling before any conversation about procedures.
- Sun protection regardless of seasoncloudy days and indoor windows count. Rather than one application in the morning, reapplying is advised when you're outdoors for long
- Not washing harshlythe more often you scrub, the thinner the barrier, which raises the threshold for the procedures you actually need
- One new ingredient at a timestart several at once and it becomes hard to identify what doesn't suit you
- Keeping sleep hours regularregularity is mentioned more often than total hours
They sound dull, but these items are the ones that cost nothing and leave a difference five years on.
When you can't decide where to start
If several concerns make the order hard to settle, one question can narrow it.
"When you look at a photograph, what do you notice first?"
A mirror becomes familiar because you see it daily; a photograph looks like something seen for the first time.Whether pigment or line catches your eye first changes the starting point.
That said, as above, if the barrier is weakened its recovery comes before anything.That order alone doesn't change.
In these cases there's no rush
- When weight has changed a lot recentlythe line is still settling
- When the skin is sensitisedrecovery comes first
- When an important date is nearfor procedures that can leave swelling or redness, allowing margin is better
- What shows now is what built up before
- What has already arrived is settled in order
- What has not arrived yet, we slow down
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is it too late to start now?
A. It's hard to call it late. But results tend to be more stable on the side of slowing change than undoing it, so the plan differs depending on where you set the goal.
Q. Pigment or firmness — which first?
A. It differs from person to person.But if the barrier is weakened, its recovery comes before either.
Q. Can home care alone be enough?
A. It depends on the item.Sun protection and barrier care are largely home care's part; pigment or contours already settled have limits. Dividing which is which comes first.
Q. How do I confirm an effect?
A. Keeping a seasonal photograph in the same lighting and angle is surest.Slow-changing items are hard to judge from memory alone.
What has arrived, and what has not
Skin at forty is a record of past time and a direction for what's ahead. Tidying what has arrived in order, and slowing what hasn't — going with both is the better route.
DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon.We'll share news of our opening and treatment information first on our blog and Instagram ^^
Thank you for reading this far.This was Kwon Si-jin, director of DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article meant to provide general medical information; the effects and side effects of any procedure may differ from person to person. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open. (Medical Service Act, Article 56)