Aesthetic Treatments by Age: What Suits You & When?
“When should I start having treatments?” is the question I hear most. The honest answer is that there is no universal age. Your skin, genetics, lifestyle and goals all matter, so age is a guide rather than a rule.
Different decades bring different changes to the face. This guide sets out the treatments most relevant at each stage, with one principle above all: the best results come from a consultation-first approach.
20s & early 30s: Prevention and Early Maintenance
Protect, hydrate, prevent
Collagen production is still healthy and volume is generally well preserved, but the earliest signs of ageing appear. Fine lines around the eyes and forehead may show, particularly if you are expressive or spend time outdoors, and childhood sun damage can begin to surface as uneven tone, early pigmentation and subtle texture changes.
Start with skincare
Gentle cleansing, moisturising and daily broad-spectrum SPF.
Retinol introduction: Start with low-concentration over-the-counter retinoids at night
Preventative anti-wrinkle injections
For developing dynamic lines, especially frown lines or forehead creases. Low, conservative doses reduce repetitive movement so lines deepen less over time, without a frozen look.
Skin-quality treatments
Hydrating facials, gentle chemical peels and skin boosters support hydration, radiance, barrier function and healthy cell turnover.
30s & 40s: Early Correction and Collagen Support
Work with your body’s own repair mechanisms
From the mid-thirties, collagen decline becomes more noticeable. Research suggests we lose roughly 1% of our collagen per year from our mid-twenties, and by the late thirties the cumulative loss starts to show as reduced firmness and elasticity, deepening lines, and early volume loss in the mid-face, temples and around the mouth.
This is when many patients first seek treatment, often after noticing a change in photographs or on video calls. Early intervention can be effective in suitable patients.
Anti-wrinkle injections
Carefully dosed treatment can soften forehead, frown and eye-area lines, and help with neck bands and downturned mouth corners in suitable patients.
Profhilo
A high concentration of pure hyaluronic acid (HA), designed to deeply hydrate tissue and boost collagen and elastin production rather than a volumising filler. High-concentration hyaluronic acid is dispersed through the tissue to stimulate collagen, elastin and adipocyte production, improving hydration and firmness. Typically two to three initial sessions, then maintenance every six to twelve months.
Polynucleotides
Injectable DNA fragments that stimulate fibroblast activity and tissue repair. Well suited to thin, crepey skin under the eyes and on the neck; results may vary.
Conservative dermal fillers
Small amounts placed strategically in the cheeks, temples or perioral area to restore a refreshed look. The emphasis is subtle correction, not dramatic augmentation.
Microneedling & chemical peels
Effective, well tolerated options for texture, pigmentation and early sun damage that complement injectable treatments.
40s & 50s: Active Treatment and Combination Approaches
Collagen and elastin loss accelerates and gravity becomes more apparent. Laxity increases, the jawline can lose definition and deeper folds develop around the nose and mouth. For women, perimenopause and menopause add further change: falling oestrogen means thinner, less hydrated skin, slower wound healing and faster collagen breakdown.
Fillers & anti-wrinkle injections
Targeted volume restoration and softening of dynamic lines.
Biostimulator: CaHA
Calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres in a gel carrier give some immediate support, then stimulate your own collagen production over the following weeks. Used for lifting and firming the cheeks and jawline, and for skin laxity on the neck and body; results may vary.
Biostimulator: PLLA
Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) works gradually, prompting new collagen to rebuild volume and firmness over time. Usually given as a short course of sessions spaced weeks apart, with results developing over several months; outcomes vary.
50s, 60s & Beyond: Restoration and Realistic Expectations
Volume loss, laxity, texture and pigmentation changes often occur together. It is a common misconception that non-surgical treatment only works for younger patients: improvement relative to baseline is often significant in patients over fifty.
Beyond the skin surface, ageing affects the whole facial framework: the underlying bone gradually resorbs, fat pads lose volume and shift downwards, and the skin thins as collagen and elastin decline. Injectables can address each of these layers, so the aim is to choose the right product for the right job rather than to fill everywhere.
Dermal fillers for structure and volume
Hyaluronic acid fillers can restore support to the cheeks, temples, chin and jawline, and soften deeper folds such as the nasolabial lines and marionette lines. Restoring support in the mid-face often lifts the lower face indirectly, which is why we look at the whole face rather than the line alone.
Biostimulators: CaHA and PLLA
Ideal where skin is thinner and quality is declining. CaHA offers support and lift with collagen stimulation; PLLA rebuilds firmness gradually across a course of sessions. Both work with your own tissue, which can give a softer, more natural result than volume alone.
Profhilo & polynucleotides
For crepey skin, dehydration and loss of radiance on the face, neck, décolletage and hands. They improve quality rather than shape, and pair well with structural treatments.
Anti-wrinkle injections
Carefully dosed treatment can soften forehead, frown and eye-area lines, and help with neck bands and downturned mouth corners in suitable patients. At this stage the focus is on balance, keeping expression natural and avoiding a heavy brow.
Lips & perioral area
Vertical lip lines, thinning lips and downturned corners can be refined with small amounts of filler, skin-quality treatment and, where appropriate, anti-wrinkle injections.
Neck, décolletage & hands
Skin boosters, polynucleotides and biostimulators can improve texture and firmness in areas that often show age before the face does.
Why a staged plan works.
Thinner, less elastic skin responds best to gradual, layered treatment. A typical programme might start by addressing the structural laxity, then biostimulators (CaHA or PLLA) to rebuild collagen and support the deeper tissues, dermal fillers for volume in key areas, and ongoing Profhilo or polynucleotides to maintain hydration, firmness and radiance, staged over several months. I may recommend a different order or approach depending on what we find at consultation.
What to expect
Healing can be a little slower with age, so bruising and swelling may last longer than in younger patients, and we plan treatment timing around your calendar. Some products, such as PLLA, build over several months, while others show an immediate effect. Results vary, and maintenance intervals differ between products and between individuals. Your medical history, medications and any supplements are reviewed at every consultation, and treatment is only recommended where it is suitable and safe for you.
If surgery may be right for you, we will discuss the differences openly. In other cases, non-surgical treatment may be an alternative or a complement. It depends on your anatomy, goals and tolerance for downtime.
Age Is a Guide, Not a Rule
A patient in their thirties with years of unprotected sun exposure may have more advanced skin damage than a patient in their fifties with excellent skincare habits. Genetics, ethnicity, hormonal status, smoking history, weight fluctuations and overall health all shape how your face ages.
That is why I assess skin quality, facial structure, volume distribution, dynamic movement and general health before recommending anything. The right treatment is determined by what your face needs, not your date of birth.