Anti‐aging trends in Australia

Abstract

Anti‐aging trends in Australia have changed considerably since the country emerged from the lockdowns associated with the SARS‐Cov2 pandemic. People now rely on social media influencers for skin care advice and skin care products, including professional skin care treatments that can be purchased on Internet platforms. The quest for the perfect ‘zoom face’ led to a 300% rise in cosmetic procedures across Australia in the year to April 2021. People now want to use less products on their skin, while looking healthy and natural (termed ‘skin minimalism’). The popularity of retinoid derivatives for preventing wrinkles has been superseded by non‐irritating actives like hyaluronic acid (HA) and niacinamide that provide skin barrier protection, skin hydration, plumping and anti‐inflammatory effects. Botulinum toxin injections remain the most popular non‐surgical cosmetic procedure, followed by HA fillers, and biostimulators that promote the synthesis of collagen and give longer lasting but more gradual results than HA fillers. Laser resurfacing is widely used for epidermal resurfacing and skin tightening, as well as non‐ablative lasers, intense pulsed light and radiofrequency or ultrasound skin tightening devices. Superficial chemical peels are still popular because they are relatively gentle, inexpensive, and require no downtime, whereas medium‐to‐deep chemical peels have largely been superseded by laser technology. However, the most efficient approach to prevent skin aging is adopting a healthy lifestyle and taking action against all factors of the skin aging exposome.