When does skin ageing start? Signs and causes
“Is it too early for me to be seeing this at my age?” People in their late 20s and people in their 40s ask me much the same thing. I'd like to give you one clean number, but I couldn't find a study that set one. What is fairly well known is what tends to show up and roughly when.
The short answer
No standard pins the start of skin ageing to one number, but in a study of 1,011 Japanese women, differences in wrinkles, skin texture and pigment between those who avoided the sun and those who didn't showed from the 20s and 30s, and differences in sagging and eye wrinkles from the 30s and 40s. In order, pigment and texture come first and sagging comes later. Age isn't the only cause. UV and smoking play a large part. Still, the often-quoted figure that “80% of facial ageing comes from UV” comes from a study of French women by cosmetics company researchers, so I don't take it at face value. At Miso Clinic, 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Exit 1, Kyungpook Nat'l Univ. Hospital Station), +82-53-428-2700, we go through what to look at first for each sign.
Which changes come first at each age?
| When | What shows first | What to do at this stage |
|---|---|---|
| 20s–30s | Wrinkles, skin texture, pigment (sun differences begin to show) | Sun protection, moisturising, barrier care |
| 30s–40s | Sagging, eye wrinkles | As above, plus asking about retinoids, and stopping smoking |
| After the 40s | Volume loss and bone changes overlap | A consultation that separates out the layers |
I put this table together from the study of Japanese women (aged 18–83, 516 who avoid the sun and 495 who don't) and the bone studies. It compares age groups rather than following one person over time, and it's research by cosmetics company researchers. Any one person can run earlier or later than this.
If you're already worrying about this in your 20s, I'll usually talk about sun protection, moisturising and barrier care before any procedure.
What are the signs of skin ageing?
French researchers sorted the signs of facial ageing into four groups: wrinkles and texture, sagging, vascular changes, and pigment. Sorted this way, you can see where your own concern belongs. The four differ in both cause and solution.
- Fine lines and rough texture — changes at the surface, with age and sun working together
- Pigment and dullness — strongly tied to sun in the French study
- Sagging — more related to age in the same study
- Red blood vessels — no clear age or sun difference in the same study or the Japanese study
→ More: Why does my face look dull? Where to start
→ More: Types of facial wrinkles: does each need a different fix?
Is the cause of skin ageing age, or UV?
Both, but more of it is within your control than you might think. In a study comparing 186 pairs of identical twins, who share the same genes, the twin with more smoking and sun exposure looked older. In a study of 301 Chinese women, too, signs deepened with age faster in those with heavier sun exposure.
You've probably seen the line that “80% is UV”. Trace it back and it's the conclusion of a study of 298 French women. I think the direction is right. But it's a single observational study by cosmetics company researchers, and in that same study, sagging showed no difference between the sun groups. There's no need to memorise 80% as if it were a true proportion.
What should I do first to slow skin ageing?
If I were setting the order, it would be this: sunscreen every day, stop smoking, and then retinoids. In a randomised trial following 903 people for 4.5 years, those who applied sunscreen daily had 24% less skin ageing. Tretinoin has a 48-week trial in 99 people. But it's a prescription drug and it can irritate, so if you're planning a pregnancy, tell me first.
I also get a lot of questions about supplements and food. Reviews of collagen report better numbers, but the study quality has its limits. As for a particular food slowing ageing, I couldn't confirm any data today that would let me say so.
→ More: How to firm up your face: can creams, exercise or massage do it?
When is a good time to see a doctor?
I don't decide this by age. Here's how I see it. If you've kept up your care and a change still bothers you, and it keeps nagging at you in daily life, that's the time for a consultation. Just sorting out what kind of change it is can spare you procedures you don't need.
If one side of your face suddenly droops or your speech becomes slurred, that has nothing to do with ageing. Go to the emergency room right away.
→ More: Lifting by age
Skin ageing: frequently asked questions
Does skin ageing start at 25?
You'll hear that a lot, but I couldn't find any basis for setting it at 25. In the study of Japanese women, sun differences began to show from the 20s and 30s.
What is the biggest cause of skin ageing?
Apart from age, the ones you can change are UV and smoking. The study of 186 twin pairs confirmed this too.
Should I take anti-ageing supplements?
Reviews of collagen report better numbers, but the study quality has its limits. I don't think they can replace sunscreen.
Where can I get a skin ageing consultation in Daegu?
At Miso Clinic, 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Exit 1, Kyungpook Nat'l Univ. Hospital Station), +82-53-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Read next
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Related treatments: Lifting · Wrinkles vs firmness · Types of facial wrinkles
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, director of Miso Clinic, Daegu. The treatment standards and injection design set out here are the ones we use in practice.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Sun and the signs of facial ageing — Flament F et al. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2013;6:221-32. PMID 24101874 (298 French women) / 2015;8:75-84. PMID 25709490 (301 Chinese women) / Int J Cosmet Sci 2019;41(5):425-36. PMID 31314913 (1,011 Japanese women). All by cosmetics company researchers.
- Twin study — Guyuron B et al. Factors contributing to the facial aging of identical twins. Plast Reconstr Surg 2009;123(4):1321-31. PMID 19337100. 186 pairs of identical twins.
- Randomised sunscreen trial — Hughes MCB et al. Ann Intern Med 2013;158(11):781-90. PMID 23732711. 903 people, 4.5 years.
- Topical retinoids — Griffiths CE et al. Arch Dermatol 1995;131(9):1037-44. PMID 7544967. 99 people, 48 weeks.
- Changes in the facial bones — Fourgeot E et al. Intra-Individual Aging of the Facial Skeleton. Aesthet Surg J 2021;41(12):NP1907-15. PMID 33999176 (56 people) / Sifil MK, Kahn DM. Twenty Years of Facial Skeletal Aging. Aesthet Surg J 2026;46(4):415-27. PMID 41186165 (21 people).
- Oral collagen and peptides — Pu SY et al. Nutrients 2023;15(9):2080. PMID 37432180 (26 trials, 1,721 people) / Danessa G et al. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2025;91(6):730-40. PMID 40826844 (10 trials, 646 people) / Nukaly HY et al. Front Med 2026;13:1618306. PMID 41924746 (19 trials, 1,341 people).
- Korean medical advertising law — Korean Medical Service Act Article 56(2) (no treatment testimonials, no comparisons with other clinics, no superlatives). This is why this column carries no prices, reviews or before-and-after photos.
- Miso Clinic practice guidelines — for hollow cheeks, dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler is considered first; no RF treatment that day if there are metal or electronic implants, pregnancy or skin inflammation; patients are advised to put off facial massage and gua sha for the first week after a procedure.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.