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Are we really over the hill by 28?

A new study reveals that women start worrying about wrinkles at the age of 28, and they're willing to spend as much money as necessary to fight ageing, writes Deirdre Reynolds

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Wednesday Oct 1 2008

They used to sprout up occasionally, over man trouble, drunken office party antics or credit card D-Day, but now it seems that it's the ageing process itself that's giving Ireland's 20-somethings grey hairs.

A new survey has revealed that women here are getting older younger. And if you were born in 1980, sorry ladies -- but you're already past it.

The study by beauty brand Olay Regenerist revealed that women start worrying about wrinkles at a fresh-faced 28. And rather than sun beds and slap, they've turned to Peter Pan-style potions in a bid to preserve their complexions.

Wrinkles, crow's feet, grey hair, broken veins and even baldness are just some of the evolutionary effects bothering beauties as young as 20, according to the research.

But it's definitely all downhill after 28 -- the average age that women believe time will start taking its toll, and incidentally, the same age as ancient actress Kelly Brook or OAP pop star Jessica Simpson.

Meanwhile, it appears that ageing gracefully has gone out the window. By the time they're staring down the barrel of their 30s, most women conceded they'd be willing to spend as much money "as necessary" to look more yummy mummy than craggy granny.

"This study goes to show that women are seriously worried about their looks and want to make sure they stay looking young from an early age," said Sarah Clarke, from Olay Regenerist. "While 28 might not seem that old, for many women just the fact that the dreaded 30s are approaching can be enough to get them worrying about their skin showing the signs of ageing."

The multimillion anti-ageing industry is offering women every imaginable beauty product to prevent nature from doing its thing -- not to mention surgical and non-surgical solutions such as Botox and fillers.

But never mind 30. Some beauty boffins believe women should be angsty about ageing by their 21st birthday.

"Skin ageing is not just about wrinkles," told L'Oreal scientific director Raniero de Stasio. "It's all about keeping a fresh look.

"A wrinkly face can look young if skin is kept radiant, supple and elastic, so it is really important to start a healthy skincare regime from your early 20s. Daily cleansing and moisturisation is really important to keep skin fresh and supple.

"Once you reach your early 30s, it is really important to also include a night cream and eye cream in your skincare regime. By the early 30s, skin is starting to show the first signs of ageing, so it is important to use a product designed to target those specific signs."

The 'Because You're Worth It' brand has no shortage of weaponry for women waging war on wrinkles, including encouraging creams called Age Re-Perfect Pro-Calcium De-Crinkling Eye and Lip Contours, Collagen Skin Re-Modeller Redefining Day Cream and Revitalift Double Lifting Eye Contour Cream.

And it's just signed Eva Longoria -- a Methuselahian 33 -- as the face of new hair colour Excell 10. But if you're hoping to pause your appearance at its peak, you may have to don plastic gloves a decade before the Desperate Housewife.

"The first greys can start to appear any time from your 20s depending on your genetics," Stasio explained. Often women with dark hair experience greys earlier than blondes because the greys show up more clearly on the darker base.

"Early greys should be covered using a tone-on-tone colourant rather than a permanent

colour as it contains no ammonia and is less damaging to hair. As the percentage of greys increase, however, it is necessary to move to a permanent colour to fully cover greys."

Meanwhile, a growing number of 20-somethings reckons they're beyond the help of miracle creams and colourants -- and are resorting to nip/tuck to fool Father Time.

Today's school kids should brace themselves for a generation of grannies who have more in common with Joan Rivers than Helen Mirren, if cosmetic surgery and injectable trends are anything to go by.

'Breast augmentation was always the domain of younger women, but this year we've seen a big increase in the number of women in their mid-to-late 20s enquiring about other treatments," revealed Eilish Carty, director of Cosmedico Clinic.

"Women of 25 are calling to find out if they're too young for Botox or fillers. The reality is they probably are far too young, but you get women obsessing about these small lines on their face. If they're like that in their 20s, imagine what they're going to be like when they get to 40.

"Botox only freezes a line," she explained, "but that line will eventually reappear.

"One area of Botox costs €300 and you get that done around twice a year -- so by the time you're 40, you'll be Botoxed out of it.

She added: "From an aesthetic point of view, they are wonderful products -- but they're not supposed to be for younger women. I don't know any 28 year-old with wrinkles."