When we are our young, most of us have healthy, bright and elastic skin that heals rapidly if injured. Later in life, visible signs of growing older include wrinkles, sagging skin and an increasing number of age spots, freckles, moles and other changes to pigmentation caused by sunlight. As we age, the skin becomes thinner and blood vessels become visible, our pores may also increase in size.There are changes beneath the surface too, as the collagen and elastic fibres that allow our skin to stretch start to degrade.

The level of hydrating sugars in our skin reduce, leaving our skin dryer and rougher. And there will be changes in skin tone, fat distribution and elasticity that mean facial contours also alter. Older skin retains less water and becomes dryer and thinner, making it more susceptible to irritation and infection, while wounds take longer to heal.