Expert Spotlight

Dr Terence Scamp
Plastic Surgeon

Where beauty lies

We all recognise a beautiful face when we see one, but do we ever stop to think about why it is attractive?

According to plastic surgeon Dr Terrence Scamp, a beautiful face is one that looks youthful and healthy, which is a sign of fertility. How youthful your face looks is often related to its shape, as the overall shape changes with age.

“The young face has been compared with an egg with the narrower part of the egg pointing down. When you are young, you have a fine, streamlined jawline and full cheeks and a full upper face. As you age, you start to get jowly and heavier in the lower face and neck, and your cheeks start to lose bulk. The egg turns upside down,” Dr Scamp explained.

These effects are caused by changes in the strength of the bone, and disappearance or movement of fat from the cheeks over time. The skin of the neck may also start showing folds, which is related to the muscles losing their tautness.  

Besides changes in shape, the skin also undergoes changes with age.

“The first thing that gives your age away is your skin,” said Dr Scamp. “Having clear, unmarked skin is a sign of good health and youth. As we age, people with olive-toned skin may develop black or brown pigmentation, leaving an uneven skin tone. People with fairer skin may not only have brown spots but also reddish discolouration from abnormal blood vessels.”

Another sign of ageing is the development of lines and wrinkles. Lines that appear with muscle movement are referred to as dynamic lines, but these may later develop into static lines, which means they are there all the time. With increasing age these lines can become deeper creases, particularly those between the nose and lips where they develop into ‘nasolabial folds’.

Combating the signs of ageing

Skin changes with ageing are accelerated mainly by UV or sun exposure and smoking. “Both of these lead to accumulation of free radicals in the skin, which are active molecules that injure the elastic network of the skin, causing it to lose its smoothness,” Dr Scamp explained.

Dr Scamp’s advice on holistically combating the signs of ageing includes:

Taking care of your diet and exercise

“If beauty is a reflection of health and vitality, the best way to look young is to lead a healthy lifestyle, in terms of diet and exercise.”

Protecting the skin from UV exposure

“Protect your skin by using a sunblock, wearing a hat or protective clothes, and being sensible about time of day of sun exposure.”

Using good skin care products

“The use of good skin care preparations containing topical antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E help neutralise the formation of free radicals.”

Procedures that may help your skin look younger include:

• Microdermabrasion – helps accelerate the exfoliation process to remove surface skin layers
• Laser resurfacing treatments – removes the surface skin layer, which is where sun damage occurs, and stimulates collagen production
• Anti-wrinkle treatment
• Filler treatment for reshaping the lips and chin, and filling in lines
• Surgical procedures for more dramatic changes.