Top tips for keeping young and healthy

MUMS today can spend a fortune on skincare and get outstanding results - and they may even give their daughters a run for their money in the glamour stakes. The glamorous mother-and-daughter combination is well know in Hollywood, with star duos including Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson; Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow; and even the slightly kookier Sharon and Kelly Osbourne. But away from the gaze of the cameras, sensational skin is crossing the generations.

Yesterday, mums across Bolton will have been presented with chocolates and flowers - but it seems they are just as likely to be thrilled with a tub of anti-ageing cream.

Research conducted by Bolton laser and skincare clinic Laserase has revealed that while women aged 40-plus are spending a lot of money on their skin, their 20-something daughters are relying on what nature has given them.

But the expense looks set to pay off with experts predicting that many 40-plus mums will have better skin than their daughters will in 20 years.

But it is not just about having a comprehensive skincare regime.

Young people today will find their skin suffering because of environmental changes and pollution.

Laserase nurse Alyson Cooper said mothers today are looking after their skin more effectively than their daughters.

She said they have become more skin aware and are determined to slow down the ageing process.

"They have more disposable income and are happy to spend it on products that will help their skin."

She said global warming and changes in the environment could also give today's teenagers far more problems with their skin when they reach their 40s than their mothers are experiencing today.

"It is worrying to think that my daughter could very well have a more damaged skin than I have because of environmental pollution," said Alyson.

Alyson, aged 46, spends about £45 a month on skincare compared with the £20 to £25 spent by her 21-year-old daughter, Michelle Dolan.

Alyson, of Bradshaw, said: "I am using skincare targeting specific problems now whereas my daughter is not. Her skincare regime is more basic than mine."

She said Michelle, a trainee beauty therapist from Eagley, will have to add more specific products to her regime as she gets older or she will age faster than her mother.

When you are 20 it is almost impossible to think about where you will be in another 20 years.

For Michelle it is a case of "mum knows best" and she is happy to take advice.

She said: "I didn't expect to be taking skincare advice from my mum, but she looks brilliant for her age.

"If I want to look good I know I have to put the hard work in now."

Alyson said that reaching 40 seemed to be the catalyst for women to want to improve their skincare regime.

"Forty seems to be something of a milestone for our clients. Women, and some men, come to us saying they felt happy with their skin until they woke up at 40 and suddenly their skin was looking old.

"Of course that's mostly psychological. However, it is true that when you hit middle-age, both women and men will find their skin needs more attention.

"Mature people are facing more pressure than ever to look good, whatever their age, so it's no wonder we are seeing older women turn to us for specialist skincare advice," she said.

As we age, collagen breaks down and the skin become thinner and more fragile that lines and wrinkles appear more pronounced. Mature skin needs a lot of hydration and any environmental damage caused by smoking, pollution or the sun will start to show.

Alyson said: "Most middle aged women don't find the over-the-counter anti-ageing treatments particularly effective. Mature skin usually needs more than just a pot of moisturiser.

But for many 40-something mums it is the sunbathing done in their 20s that has caused major problems in later years.

"We didn't realise the danger of sun in those days like we do today," said Alyson, who recommends a daily sunblock, even in the winter, to counteract damage from the sun's rays.

At Laserase, based at the Royal Bolton Hospital in Farnworth, skin can be examined under a scanner and specific products - the clinic recommends Environ and SkinCeuticals - prescribed.

The clinic also has various laser treatments, skin peels and botox which can help women look younger for longer.

Alyson hopes to get the skincare message through to youngsters in the hope that she can make a difference.

She plans to go into schools in Bolton and talk to the pupils about skincare and the danger of the sun.

"A lot of children are still not aware of the dangers of the sun and I hope to change that.

"We can help young people who have problem skin, and that means boys as well as girls, and I'd like them to know there is help available," said Alyson.

Young people under the age of 18 can get a free skin health assessment at Laserase - they just need an adult with them.

"There is so much in the press about size-zero and having beautiful skin but very few young people will have the skin they would like to have when they are older.

"There is help available and many people don't realise there is help for problem skin, including acne," said Alyson.

Contact Laserase on 01204 570900 or visit www.laserase-bolton.co.uk for more information.

In a poll questioning 4,500 people across Bolton, more than half of them voted the wholesome and traditional British mother figure their perfect role model.

The national survey, conducted by Halo, revealed that 57 per cent of Bolton people loved their mums to be more traditional.

Kate Winslet topped the chart as Britain's most-loved celebrity mum, with Sharon Osbourne and Jules Oliver being pipped at the post.

The survey showed that tradition is the key with 78 per cent of British mums claiming that it is far more important to give their children time and love, keeping up traditions such as home cooking and teaching their children housekeeping skills rather than spoiling them with fancy meals, flash cars and designer wardrobes.