Anti-Aging Trends Are Reaching Younger People, and It's a Problem

Donya Momenian
·7 min read

Art by Liz Coulbourn.

Every so often, Kim Kardashian goes viral for revealing a new anti-aging skin care routine or treatment like her vampire facial, staying up to do LED light treatment, and most recently, her salmon sperm facial. In an episode of The Kardashians, she revealed that she got a salmon sperm facial and injections, which, according to Allure, has become popular due to its anti-aging properties. (It’s not exactly a shock that Kardashian would go that far since she did once say that she would even “eat poop” to look younger.)

Kardashian goes to these extremes because she can. And even though the average person can’t recreate them to a tee, she still has a major influence in the beauty world and is contributing to unrealistic standards. Through the likes of Kardashian, the idea that you need to go over the top and take any means necessary has now transcended the celebrity world and permeated culture via social media. On TikTok, at-home anti-aging methods trend often. From restrictive meat-only collagen diets to mouth tape and vampire sleeping, there is a plethora of unsolicited skin care advice from people who are not doctors.

For young people the messaging is understandably confusing – and many are getting the wrong impression that they should be doing strict anti-aging regimens while they’re still in their teens. Though older internet users were quick to lambast Sephora Kids, it’s the relentless emphasis on anti-aging online and in the media that has influenced young people to wreak havoc in the retinol aisle. And in the process, young people are using skin care treatments that could be damaging their skin early on under the guise that it will prevent them from looking older in the future.

It may feel like the whole world is as focused on anti-aging as your FYP is, and there’s a real reason for that. Anti-aging is a business, one that earned $37 billion globally in 2021 per Vox. Celebrities and influencers alike are trying to sell you a product, and whether they actually use it, get cosmetic procedures to get real results, or just have really good genes is up to you to guess.

“The average person should be cautious as these influencers could be being paid to say or promote certain things, which would be a conflict of interest,” board-certified dermatologist Gloria Lin, MD, FAAD of Schweiger Dermatology Group, says. “In addition, one person using this does not mean it is appropriate for the general public since everyone’s skin is unique.”

We could, instead, just listen to the professionals, and we’ll come to realize that anti-aging doesn’t and shouldn’t have to be so flashy and extreme as the internet makes it seem. “These trends have little to no scientific data to support their benefits,” Leah Ansell, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Treiber Dermatology Associates, says. “There are so many skin care trends, and I always come back to what real science and studies show.”

First and foremost, you don’t have to start anti-aging treatments before you actually begin aging, which varies from person to person. “Starting around that time when signs of aging start to become apparent is when anti-aging products can begin to be incorporated into a routine. For some people, this may be early 20s and others mid 30s,” says board-certified dermatologist Nava Greenfield, MD of Schweiger Dermatology Group. If you do plan to start anti-aging treatments, you should do so gently. “Vitamins A, C, and E along with glycerin and hyaluronic acid to control visible signs of aging,” Ansell says. “This can be used daily and started in your 20s for an easy and effective hydration/antioxidant effect.”

In fact, starting too early could have adverse effects on the skin. “As many products for anti-aging are formulated for older people, it may not be appropriate for teenagers since the skin changes over time,” Lin says.

What an Actual Kid Thinks About the "10-Year-Olds at Sephora" Outrage on TikTok

A lot of the extensive measures you might see influencers take are not as effective. In fact, they are sometimes even counterintuitive. For example, the “morning shed” trend on TikTok is centered around using various overnight face masks and tapes to prevent developing any wrinkles in your sleep. One of the most popular elements of this trend is taping your lips together, which poses breathing risks and can thwart a good night’s rest, potentially leading to larger implications. “I strongly recommend against mouth and chin tape,” Greenfield says. “Quality sleep is essential for the proper functioning of our bodies, and for anti-aging. During sleep, our body regulates breathing patterns to optimize rest and disrupting that will compromise the quality of sleep. Don’t do it.”

Skin taping can also create more problems for your skin. “Younger people tend to have more thin and delicate skin so wearing face masks and tape to sleep may cause redness and irritation,” Lin explains. “In addition, teens tend to have more oily skin, so the occlusion from the face masks and tape may actually clog the pores due to sweat and sebum build-up causing acne.”

Another strange internet phenomenon is centered around one of the most recent buzz words in skin care: collagen. Some social media users are taking it to the extreme and sharing intensely restrictive regimens focused on ingesting as much collagen as possible through meats and fats. These diets are an online fad, not a real anti-aging technique. “There is little rigorous scientific data to show the safety of this type of diet with the evidence being largely anecdotal for its use,” Dr. Lin says.

Greenfield explains, “My opinion is that if your goal is to have beautiful skin, you need a well-balanced diet and a range of fruits and vegetables to ensure skin has all the vitamins and minerals it needs. Collagen is only one of the many components of healthy skin.”

Though less extreme, another trend that you might see heavily emphasized on your FYP is retinol, but sometimes, its caveats aren’t emphasized.

Retinol, especially, is something that shouldn’t be used too early. “Collagen production begins to decline in mid to late 20s, so starting retinols or retinoids in the teen years may be unnecessary from an anti-aging perspective. It would be reasonable to start one in the mid to late 20s in order to help with anti-aging though,” Ansell adds. “The risks of starting too young include retinoids disrupting the natural skin barrier, creating overly dry skin, and making your skin more prone to sunburns. There is no reason to start at a young age, and it can dry and irritate the skin,” Ansell adds.

“While retinols and retinoids get a lot of hype on social media, these products can actually increase photosensitivity and risk of sunburns. This makes the consistent use of sunscreen even more important,” Lin says.

Instead of these internet trends, what everyone can and should start doing at a young age is protecting yourself from the sun’s UV rays. This can be as easy as applying a layer of sunscreen throughout the day, and it typically less expensive than retinols and other anti-aging products. Though simple, Ansell says, “the absolute best thing you can do from a young age is strict sun protection.” While suggesting sun protective clothing and a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, Lin explains that “much of the sun damage that appears on the skin later in life is actually from childhood and adolescent years since this is when people spend the most time outdoors. Sun exposure is cumulative and may not be visible on the skin until decades later, so it is important to do daily sun protection to prevent issues down the line.”

Though simple, sunscreen is a good reminder of what skin care is really supposed to be like.

It’s a simple essential. There’s no secret youth elixir that will prevent anti-aging. Anti-aging does not have to be considered a difficult task but rather one of the side effects of good protection. While following celebrity and TikTok trends can be fun, they shouldn’t be difficult or come out of a fear of looking a certain way. Instead, we should do things that make us both look and feel good.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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