WHERE a dash of lippy was once enough to make most women feel glam, these days the beauty industry is bursting with fresh ideas on how to look and feel our best.
But with ever-changing products, new technology and exciting science paving the way, what does this mean for cosmetics and treatments in the future?
Sharon Hilditch, who founded British brand Crystal Clear Skincare almost three decades ago, has been watching the evolving trends for years.
She says: “The future of skincare as we know it will completely change.
“We’ll see longevity clinics on every street corner within a decade.”
Futurist Sharon reveals why multi-purpose pills and light therapy will be an integral part of our regime in the decades to come.
DEMAND for Botox leapt a staggering 124 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year.
But Sharon believes jabs will fall from favour over the coming years, with experts developing a pill that could give exactly the same effect.
“I don’t believe we’re heading for self-injecting – it’s too horrifying a thought,” she says.
“But I do believe that over the coming years, we’ll be taking a tablet that will reverse the ageing gene and give the same results.
“Botox use will fall and vitamin drips and natural anti-ageing treatments, such as injectable regenerative medicine, will rise.
“And one tablet, to naturally increase Klotho, the gene that produces anti-ageing proteins and regulates the ageing process, will be the key.”
MANY people avoid surgery because of the risk of scarring. But researchers have already begun trying to eradicate scars completely – potentially revolutionising surgical procedures.
Earlier this year, scientists were able to perform scar-free skin repairs on rats by printing multi-layered, living skin directly onto the rats’ injuries to test how well it works.
And Sharon believes that is just the start. She says: “Scarring has always been a big reason why a lot of people avoid surgery, but in the future there will be no such thing as a scar.
“They will have found a way to boost the genes that stop scarring and surgeons will be able to make the scar realign properly and just heal naturally.
“It’s really not too far away and will usher in a new era in safe, surgical procedures.”
ACCORDING to one survey, 72 per cent of women “dread” turning grey, compared to 36 per cent of men.
It is little wonder millions reach for the dye to roll back the years.
Only 18 per cent of women surveyed said they had never changed their hair colour, with many opting to dye their locks to conceal grey strands.
But Sharon believes there is hope on the horizon when it comes to hair care and colour.
She says: “There’s a lot of work being done on hair care right now. And finding the key to stopping grey hairs appearing in the first place won’t be a long way away at all.
“It’s likely that within a few years we will have a treatment to reactivate the cells that produce pigment, which could be in the form of a cream.
“Who knows, you could even be looking at a single pill that stops greying altogether.
“There will be no need for dye, as it’ll come from within.”
WOMEN are done with the razor and embrace their body hair, a recent poll revealed.
One in five said they were more than happy to let their leg hair, armpit fuzz and bikini lines grow out.
And 22 per cent said they were “more likely” to leave body hair unshaven due to the inconvenience of constantly shaving, waxing or epilating.
“Shaving will be a thing of the past,” says Sharon.
“We’re looking at technology so advanced that you’ll just need to apply some cream and it will immediately stop hair growth in unwanted places, hopefully for ever but certainly for a long period of time.
“This would mean razors and laser hair removal would be obsolete.”
IT is one of the most exciting developments Sharon believes we will see – a multi-purpose capsule that gives you everything your body and skin needs.
How will you know what that is, exactly? Not from blood tests or a GP visit, but with a spit test and AI tech, which will determine what goes into your personalised tablet.
“Love it or hate it, we are going to be governed by AI technology, especially when it comes to skincare,” Sharon says.
“In the future, you’ll be able to have a simple saliva test, put it into AI and it will deliver exactly what your skin needs, including the inflammatory markers, why you are ageing and what you need to eat to stop ageing.
“I think that all those things will be combined in a multi-purpose pill. What a time to be alive, if we still are.”
LIGHT therapy, or phototherapy light, is already big business, with sufferers of seasonal affective disorder using UV lamps to help manage symptoms.
But Sharon believes phototherapy technology will become a mainstay in homes as a quick way of boosting skin and making it look fabulous.
She says: “Years ago, I didn’t think much of phototherapy light. But as it is used more and more, I’ve realised what a huge difference it can make to the skin.
“It helps with pigmentation, ageing and helps heal skin. It’s great for the treatment of conditions such as eczema.
“We’ll be looking at such advanced technology in the future that I can’t see why everyone won’t have an installed light in their bathroom which they can just walk under daily.”
AS the planet heats up due to climate change, SPF will be more important than ever – especially as studies point to an alarming rise in skin cancer rates.
This year, researchers have projected a record high of almost 21,000 cases in the UK, with Cancer Research UK claiming around 17,000 of those are preventable.
But in the years to come, staying safe will not involve greasy lotions or sticky white roll-ons.
Sharon says: “Sun protection has come such a long way, but I think in the next decades it will be regulated by a longevity drug.
“We’ll find a science that works when your skin is exposed to UV light. Your skin will automatically adapt to what it is exposed to.
“That could be in the form of a supplement we will have to take when we are in the sun that will naturally change how skin reacts to UV light.”
FACELIFTS are on the up, with subtle ops such as the endoscopic procedure barely leaving a hairline scar.
But Sharon believes the way we “choose” our face will change over time, with 3D scans and AI robots showing how we will look.
“Within a few years, you’ll be looking at facial 3D scans, where you will be able to recreate how your face looked when you were 21, with the plumper, healthier features,” she explains.
“AI robots will scan your face to ensure any surgery you want can be done. You could ask for a celebrity face and they would do it, almost like cloning.
“The same process would work with make-up. You’ll put your face into a scanner, it will tell you your exact colour match, and a 3D printer will deliver your perfect shade right into your hands.”
