Skin aging in your 30s: In your 30s, you might notice that your skin looks duller and drier. This is due to a natural decrease in cell turnover, the rate at which your skin replaces old cells with new cells — from roughly every 18 days to once every 28 to 35 days.⁸ Older skin cells reflect less light, leading to an increase in dullness. You might also begin to notice the first signs of sun damage accumulated in your teens and 20s. This includes wrinkles, fine lines, and dryness.⁹ Additionally, most people start to significantly accumulate senescent skin cells around age 30. However, the aging process likely starts even earlier. In fact, some evidence shows that the skin becomes less efficient at clearing away senescent cells in our 20s.

Skin aging in your 40s: Wrinkles become more pronounced as the skin loses more of its elasticity in your 40s. Accumulated sun damage triggers a decrease in collagen, the primary structural protein that gives your skin firmness and bounce. Collagen production decreases by 2% every year beginning in your mid 20s, which is why most people start to notice a difference in their 30s and 40s.¹⁰

Skin aging in your 50s and beyond: As you enter your 50s, you may notice that your skin has become much thinner. This is particularly true for women, thanks to a significant hormone shift post-menopause. This era also marks the beginning of bone resorption, the slow degradation of our bones, which can make the skin look less taut and full. Changes in skin pigmentation due to sun damage may also become more visible.¹⁰