Gen Zee – or Zed, whatever you're having yourself – seem to have decided that they need to make their skin look younger. Nothing wrong with that, you might say, until you remember that this is a generation that, Wikipedia tells us, is between the ages of 12 and 27.
On Drivetime, Cormac Ó hEadhra expressed his incredulity to Eavanna Breen, Clinical Director of Eavanna Breen Skincare and Laser Clinic, that Gen Z are using anti-ageing creams. What is going on? Should someone in their teens be using anti-ageing treatments? Eavanna was unequivocal on the subject:
"It’s a good idea to have a skincare regime, it’s bad idea to use an anti-ageing skincare routine. At that age, you don’t need the likes of retinol, vitamin C and these active ingredients that they’re using."
And Eavanna outlined just how bizarre the situation seems to have become:
"We’re trying at our age to look like them and to have their kind of skin, but they want to have skincare like ours and there’s a switch that needs to be done. They definitely don't need it."
There’s a very simple skincare routine that teens should adopt, according to Eavanna: wash your face and use sunscreen. It really is that simple. Because using anti-ageing treatments at a young age could have damaging effects on the skin, Eavanna says:
"You could actually bring on conditions like acne or eczema and really sensitise the skin. These kids have a very different protective barrier to the one that we would have and it’s a lot more sensitive, it’s vulnerable and they’re still growing. We grow until we’re 25."
It’s very important, Eavanna stressed, that teens don’t use ingredients that are very active on the skin, like retinol and vitamin C, as they could potentially cause longstanding problems.
There’s also an issue, Cormac suggested, with social media-fuelled use of Botox and fillers in the under-25s. Part of the problem there may lie with skincare clinics, Eavanna tells him:
"There’s an ethical thing there with the practitioners that are administering these treatments and, you know, for someone in their early 20s having Botox done, it really isn’t, it’s not needed. Unless someone, for example, had very deep eleven lines – you know those deep lines in between the eyebrows – and that can make somebody look very cross."
Botox should only be considered after the age of 30, Eavanna says. And despite what social media might suggest, nobody has ideal skin:
"There is no such thing as flawless skin, or perfect skin because we all have lumps and bumps and texture and pores and, you know, social media is using filters... to hide all of these things that are naturally there. So, we are trying to achieve something that is unrealistic."
While women feel the pressure more than men to look Instagram-perfect, there is a growing pressure on men now too, Eavanna says. Younger men are taking much better care of their skin, which is obviously a good thing and Eavanna says that more and more men come into her practice for facials and skincare advice. Cormac – obviously forgetting the recent rte.ie article on Brotox – asked Eavanna if men were coming in looking for Botox and filler treatment. Yes, is the answer:
"Yeah absolutely. And when it’s done well, you won’t know that it’s done."
Intrigued, Cormac wondered how much it would cost him to get it done. Depending on where you go to get it done, Eavanna tells him, the cost is anywhere from €150-€600. It needs to be redone about every three months. And that’s when Cormac decided to embrace the natural look.
You can hear Cormac’s full chat with Eavanna by clicking above.