As times passes, the years inevitably begin to show on our faces… But these days its more than just anti-ageing that we want to achieve from our treatments, skincare and procedures.

10 years ago, the go to answer for ‘what is it you are looking to achieve?’ would have been generically to roll back the years and to look younger.

These days, the answer is far less generic and shows how our desires and hopes have changed. People want to have confidence in how they look. Its not about looking good for your age, it’s about looking good, full stop.

So what is it exactly that we want from our appearance?

In an age where we constantly have a to do list the length of our arm, we want to look well rested - as though we’ve benefited from a good night sleep or just come back from a relaxing holiday. We don’t want to look as if we went to bed after midnight and had 5 hours of interrupted sleep each night for the last 3 years.

We want to look fresh. We want to avoid the assumption from others that we are burdened with life’s stresses and therefore justify the comment ‘you look like you could do with a break’.

We want clear, flawless skin. Age spots and pigmentation are a give away of age. Skin damage and imperfections in complexion do not go hand-in-hand with a youthful, bright appearance. We want uneven and rough skin to be replaced with an even and consistent tone.

As we age, skin cell turnover slows down leading to a build-up of dead skin cells on the surface. This build up gives a dull appearance as the light doesn’t reflect as well. A common desire is for a brighter appearance which doesn’t look as dull.

Ageing also leads to a deflated, hollow appearance to the face as skin looses its elasticity and fat pads lose their volume and begin to slide down the face. Common areas of deflation include cheekbones, eye sockets and around the temples. A plumper appearance to the face is often requested. Not only does plumping smooth out lines and wrinkles, but it also replaces volume, which is a tale tail sign of age.

Not much to ask really.