Ageing Secrets of Indian Faces

Dermatologists reveal why Indian faces age differently, the early signs to watch for, and how to slow the clock gracefully

- DARSHITA JAIN

SOME changes happen so quietly that you barely notice them until one day, the mirror tells you otherwise.

The face looking back may still be yours, but something feels cheeks different not sitting quite as high, the jawline less defined, and softness under the eyes that wasn't there before. For Indian faces, ageing plays out in ways that are distinct from the rest of the world.

What makes Indian skin age more slowly compared to Western skin? "Indian skin has more melanin, which offers natural UV protection, slowing sun-induced ageing like wrinkles and pigmentation," says Dr S Madhuri, a consultant dermatologist. That means fine lines and sunspots tend to appear later than they do on Western skin.

Yet nature works in interesting contradictions, explains Dr Sherin Jose, consultant dermatologist at Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, "Indian skin's thickness and melanin make it resistant to wrinkles, but the underlying support structure, especially the bone and fat in the face, may lose volume and descend early in life.

Even if wrinkles are less noticeable, drooping around the jawline (jowls) and beneath the eyes may emerge sooner as the cheekbones lose shape and the facial fat pads move downward." So, while the skin may remain relatively smooth, sagging around the jawline or hollows under the eyes can appear much sooner.