Sometimes, if I walk into the consultation room without checking the chart first, I honestly can’t guess the patient’s age.

 

Their skin looks like they’re in their 20s, but in reality they’re often much older.

 

And what these people have in common is not “one or two extremely expensive procedures.”

It’s that they keep a consistent routine that matches their age and skin needs.

 

Today, I’ll break things down into two groups—teens/20s and 30+—and summarize procedures and daily care that can help slow the pace of skin aging, in a slightly more clinical framework.

 

Teens & 20s: Why pigment control often comes first

From the late teens, melanin-related issues start to show up more clearly, such as:

freckles

solar lentigines (sun spots)
post-acne hyperpigmentation

As these increase, people tend to cover more with makeup—thicker foundation and concealer.

 

But when heavy makeup becomes the norm over a long period, a pattern can follow:

sebum doesn’t release smoothly
cleansing becomes more frequent and more irritating
the skin barrier weakens

 

And that can lead to dryness, redness, enlarged pores, and earlier loss of firmness.

 

So for teens and 20s, the core priority is often not “wrinkle treatment” first—
it’s organizing the pigment load and the sebum environment early.

 

Pigment management is usually approached by combining steps like these:

consistent daily sunscreen
brightening / anti-spot skincare matched to your skin type
if needed, pigment lasers or toning selected after proper assessment

The goal is not “strong lasers many times.”

The more practical direction is:
don’t leave excessive pigment untreated for too long—address it at the right time, before you end up permanently covering it with heavy makeup.

 

Affordable topicals and sebum-control meds: how to use them properly

A lot of teens and people in their 20s visit clinics for acne, oily skin, and lingering redness.

 

Commonly used prescription topicals include:

adapalene gel (Differin)
trifarotene (Aklief)
combination products like Epiduo

Depending on the case, low-dose oral sebum-control medication (such as isotretinoin) may be added.

 

These medications aren’t just “oil reducers.”

They help regulate keratin turnover, clear the pore opening, and reduce recurrence of inflammatory acne.

 

And long-term, they’re also discussed as potentially helping slow the progression of fine lines and photoaging by improving overall skin turnover and texture.

 

Another practical benefit:
they’re often not as expensive as people expect, and in some cases can be more cost-effective than high-priced cosmetics.

 

That said, these are prescription drugs.

Use may be limited—or dosing adjusted—based on:

skin type and acne pattern
pregnancy possibility
existing medical conditions

 

So rather than trying them based on online reviews, it’s safer to get guidance through a medical visit on product choice, amount to apply, and frequency.

From your 30s: How to set priorities

In your 30s, many people clearly feel:
“Something looks different in the mirror.”

 

At this stage, multiple changes can appear at once—dynamic wrinkles, reduced elasticity, dryness, and pores.

 

A helpful way to structure priorities is:

Botox → Lifting energy treatments → Skin boosters

 

1. Manage dynamic wrinkles early with Botox

Dynamic wrinkles—forehead, frown lines, crow’s feet—form when you make expressions.

 

Early on, they flatten when the face relaxes.

But repeated folding in the same pattern can “etch” them into static lines.

 

If wrinkles are already deeply set, Botox tends to be more about softening than fully erasing, and additional treatments (like fillers) may be needed.

 

On the other hand, starting in the early 30s with conservative dosing in high-movement areas can slow the rate at which lines become fixed—and can delay the need to move to stronger interventions.

 

The key is precision: too much can make expression look unnatural, so dosing and injection points need careful adjustment.

 

2. One to two lifting energy sessions per year for collagen management

 

Lifting treatments can mean “lifting a sagging face,” but in your 30s the bigger concept is often:

slowing the pace of laxity through collagen remodeling

 

HIFU devices (e.g., Ultherapy-type systems) and RF devices deliver controlled thermal stimulation to the dermis and/or SMAS layer, encouraging collagen regeneration and reorganization.

 

There’s individual variability, but even 1–2 sessions per year, consistently, may help slow:

the downward drift of the jawline and cheek volume
the loss of the angle between the neck and jaw

What matters most isn’t one specific device name—
it’s the design:

which layer you target
what energy level you use
how shots are distributed
and what interval is chosen

 

3. Skin boosters: choose based on your skin type

 

Skin boosters play different roles depending on skin condition.

 

For dry, thin skin overall, products that focus on barrier support and elasticity (such as “Rejuran-type” approaches) may be chosen.

 

For skin that includes acne marks, subtle redness, and sensitivity, regenerative/anti-inflammatory supportive options (such as “exosome-type” approaches) may be included in a plan.

 

Skin boosters usually don’t “change your face overnight.”

They work best when designed alongside:

pigment care
Botox
lifting energy treatments

helping refine texture, hydration, fine lines, pores, and overall glow.

 

Intervals and session counts should be individualized based on skin condition, budget, and acceptable downtime.

A–Z summary: how to slow down skin aging

 

When I meet broadcasters and entertainment professionals around Seongsu, there’s one consistent pattern:

They don’t chase one dramatic procedure.

They set priorities that match their age—and keep them consistently.

 

In your teens and 20s:
organize pigment and sebum conditions early to reduce heavy makeup and repeated irritation.

 

From your 30s onward:
place Botox, lifting energy treatments, and skin boosters into a plan that fits your facial structure—at a sustainable, not excessive, schedule.

 

That’s the most realistic way to slow the pace of skin aging.

 

But even at the same age, everyone differs—bone structure, fat distribution, skin thickness, and expression habits.

 

So what you need, when you need it, and how much—
is safest to decide after an in-person assessment.

 

This was Director Won Daehan.

Thank you for reading.