Anti-ageing therapies can remove many of the signs that you are getting on in years. It all depends on how much you time and money you want to spend

Ageing is inevitable, of course, but that doesn’t stop the older lot from wanting to turn the clock back. After hair, which most people over 40 are now adept at colouring, the skin is the next organ which betrays a person’s age, especially since it suffers the most exposure to the sun. No wonder dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons have a whole new clientele knocking at their doors, asking for removal of dark spots, fine lines, and sunspots.

“We prefer to use the term preventative ageing, which allows us to take small measures to improve our skin’s resilience and keep the unwanted lines and wrinkles at bay,” says Dr Simal Soin, specialist in cosmetic dermatology and founder of Aayna.

These clinics offer fillers not only for foreheads and cheeks but also for hand and neck ‘rejuvenation’, making wrinkles disappear. There are stem cell treatments, invasive treatments such as botox and fillers and non-invasive such as laser and chemical peels. To get into technicalities, there are platelet-rich plasma therapies for skin and hair, monopolar radiofrequency devices for collagen induction, and mesotherapies with different antioxidants and serums.

How exactly do these treatments work? Dr Nivedita Dadu, who runs her own dermatology clinic in Rajouri Garden, explains, “As the skin loses collagen or muscles become tense, wrinkles and frowns appear. Derma treatments help in building collagen to ease off these lines.”

But what about the wide range of anti-ageing cosmetics available in the market? Are they effective? Dr Monisha Kapoor who has her own plastic and aesthetic surgery clinic, says, “While off-the-shelf products help to some level, they don’t cater to individual needs. Each person needs a different skincare routine and products to match those needs.”

On the different treatments, the doctors say they are safe and there is no downtime. But they are unanimous on the fact that you need to check the credentials of the doctor and the clinic and not walk into any neighbourhood shop. These can be checked easily on the state medical council site ­­— for Delhi, it’s the Delhi Medical Council website. The machines need to be US FDA approved. One does find senior therapists claiming to know what has to be done but most procedures are done by doctors, especially if they are related to injecting something such as fillers, platelet rich plasma, botox, microneedling, radiofrequency. Some easier procedures can be done by trained aestheticians, however those too under a doctor’s supervision.

The pricing varies, taking into account the doctor’s expertise, region, area being revived and the amount needed. It could be from a few thousands to a few lakhs. Minimising wrinkles is an expensive deal. Regular treatments improve the quality of skin, decrease laxity, fine and coarse wrinkles, folds, uneven skin tone and texture. And the future is brighter as many more breakthroughs are expected, say doctors.