People seeking cosmetic improvement of their skin do so for many different reasons. More commonly concerns are focussed on changes in the skin and one`s complexion that occur as we age.

Skin specialists now believe that most of the changes that we see in our skin as we grow older are due to the sun (sometimes referred to as "photodamage").
 
One way to observe this yourself is to look at the quality and elasticity of your skin on the backs of your hands compared to another part of your body that is not regularly exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun. It is well known that excessive sunbathing, or use of sunbeds can accelerate this process.

Changes that occur to our skin include a loss of elasticity; wrinkles can start to develop and become deeper; we may notice unevenness in our skin tone and texture with some areas of brown pigmentation (age spots) and fine red thread veins. In addition an underlying loss of fatty tissue can also cause our skin to become loose and sag resulting in a hollowed appearance around the cheek area, and jowls around the chin and jaw.
 
Private clinics and practitioners offering treatments for skin problems mainly focus on changes due to ageing, as these are generally not addressed by the National Health Service (NHS). 

We have tried to encompass a range of treatment options that are available in private clinics for cosmetic improvement of the skin. For additional treatments options, please also see our Which Treatment sections for pigmentation, lines and wrinkles, facial skin tightening and thread veins.