For Anyone 60+, These Research-Backed Skin Care Tips Will Help Firm Skin

With every stage of life, folks should embrace new ways of caring for themselves. The body changes with time, and routines should be adjusted accordingly. This is true of the whole body but especially true of skin care.

The skin—being an outward-facing organ that's exposed to a tremendous amount of external and internal stressors—deals with a lot over the course of a lifetime.

While it's true that it's a resilient organ that has profound rejuvenation properties, dealing with decades of stressors still comes with residual effects. 

Skin health post 60 is often characterized as being more thin, dry, fragile, and sensitive. This is because the skin atrophies with time, due to structural changes in the dermis. As the dermis thins out, the skin isn't as able to combat irritants, stay hydrated, and appear vibrant. 

As board-certified dermatologist Anar Mikailov, M.D., explained in a recent podcast episode: "Fundamentally, there are biological processes that lead to skin, muscle, joint, and bone aging. In terms of bone, most people have heard of the term osteoporosis. Well, for skin there's a new term called dermatoporosis1 that's basically the same concept, which is chronic cutaneous insufficiency or fragility," he explains. "About 40% of individuals in their 60s and over will have some manifestation of this, and these manifestations can be both visual and functional." 

The good news is that there are meaningful ways to address this atrophy—and help restore skin strength in the process. 

Skin atrophy comes as the result of a thinning dermal layer, which is the layer of the skin made up of collagen and elastin. So one of the best ways to support thinning skin is to address its root cause: collagen loss. 

Collagen declines due to a variety of reasons, such as UV exposure, free radical damage, inflammatory diet, restrictive diets (especially insufficient protein), stress, lack of sleep, hormonal shifts, and irritating topical products.

This decline starts at some point during our 20s and then continues at a rate of about 1% per year thereafter2.

This loss picks up during menopause. During menopause women experience a significant drop in collagen production: Research indicates a 30% drop in collagen3 over the course of about a five-year period. This loss levels out to a 2% drop thereafter.

So supporting your collagen layer and collagen production is essential to avoid further loss and thinning. 

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Thinning skin doesn't come with just aesthetic changes but behavioral ones as well: Thinner skin is more fragile and sensitive. 

This makes complete sense: One of the organ's roles is to act as a barrier and buffer against external irritants. Thick buffers are typically more protective and better able to shield against stressors than thinner, more permeable ones.

Since the skin is less able to keep irritants out, it is more prone to, well, irritation. 

Research has even shown that folks perceive their skin as more sensitive with age5, becoming increasingly so with each decade. 

If you find yourself in that camp, you may need to switch up your skin care routine. Opt for a thicker, more hydrating barrier cream.

Look for ingredients naturally found in the skin barrier, such as fatty acids, cholesterol, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and amino acids, which will help fortify the moisture barrier. Barrier creams have even been shown to reduce the risk of not only skin inflammation but internal inflammation as well. 

Sleep is an important part of skin health, no matter your age. Sleep influences the skin's appearance immediately and in the long term. With just one bad night's rest, you can see the effects, from dullness and dark under-eye circles to increased flushing and puffiness. 

Over time, chronic sleep issues can lead to collagen loss, sagging, and fine lines. In fact, research shows that getting three fewer hours of sleep a night results in four times as many wrinkles, compared to getting a full night's sleep. 

Unfortunately, many folks report having worse sleep quality as they get older. Research notes that there are significant changes in sleep architecture6, such as advanced sleep timing (i.e., earlier bedtime and earlier rising), longer sleep onset (i.e., takes longer to snooze), shorter sleep duration, and increased sleep fragmentation. 

And with poor sleep quality, skin quality is sure to take a hit. To help address this, we recommend creating a healthy sleep environment, practicing good sleep hygiene, sticking to a calming nighttime skin care routine (read more about that below), and utilizing a science-backed sleep aid. 

While skin care and lifestyle routines are the basis for all skin health, admittedly, they don't have as dramatic results as professional interventions might.

When you're looking for something to really move the needle, it might be time to visit a dermatologist or esthetician for pro-grade treatments.

And no, that doesn't mean you have to jump straight to surgery. There are several non- or less-invasive treatments to consider for those who might have an aversion to the scalpel, such as PRP/PRF, lasers, ultrasound therapies like Sofwave, and more.

For those 60+, the skin needs a more specific approach to care—one that prioritizes collagen production, skin barrier integrity, and lifestyle interventions such as sleep.