Just think of divas of the calibre of Cindy Crawford, Julia Roberts and Monica Bellucci, all 50 years old today, all beautiful, fit and with that extra charm given by maturity. Nothing to do with the 50-year-olds of yesterday, our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, who looked like the mothers, grandmothers or old aunts of today's 50-year-olds.

Ageing therefore seems to have abruptly slowed down over the last twenty years.Butof course the difference between the 50-year-olds of today and those of yesterday lies in the fact that today we pay more attention to physical appearance, the health of body and mind and a great deal of attention to prevention.

We have talked about beautiful celebrities who, of course, are at the forefront of everything, but that of 50-year-olds in great shape is actually a consolidated and widespread phenomenon that includes a bit of all women.

So what has changed in a couple of decades?

Fundamental in recent years has been the increasing attention to the skin and especially to the sun. Up until the 1980s/1990s, a wild tan was fashionable even in winter, and many people subjected themselves to sunlamps all year round for this. But, as we now know, the sun is extremely harmful to the skin and ages it from the inside, as well as being dangerous for even serious diseases. Women today have learnt to protect their skin from the sun with medium-high protection in summer and creams with UVB protection in winter too.

In addition to the sun, another very harmful factor for the skin is smoking, which slows down the circulation, preventing the skin from getting enough oxygen. Fortunately, in recent years there has been greater awareness of this too, and there is less dependence on tobacco and various support organisations for those who need help to quit.

Another revolution has undoubtedly beenhyaluronic acid, a true miracle for aesthetic medicine. An element already present in our body that therefore has no side effects and that when used with microinjections, stimulates fibroplasts, renews the skin in depth, moisturises it and makes it firmer. It is a minimally invasive treatment and not particularly expensive from an economic point of view, so it is within everyone's reach.

What changes in our bodies around the age of 50 and how do we keep it at its best?

At the age of 50 in women, following the menopause, oestrogen production decreases and this leads to a reduction in the density and firmness of the dermis, the deepest layer of the skin, which draws its elasticity from these hormones. The skin then becomes thinner and tends to sag downwards due to the force of gravity. The oval shape of the face changes, the skin becomes dry, takes on a duller appearance and wrinkles begin to be noticeable. This is why an intervention to lift the skin, the face lift, can be resorted to, which allows the skin to be pulled and the excess removed.

Even the eyes, the central point of the face, which are suffering from the passage of time, can be 'lifted' with a surgical technique called callatablefaroplasticwhichremoves the bags under the eyes and any excess skin to rejuvenate the eyes.

Around the lips, on the other hand, different types of wrinkles can form. In particular, vertical wrinkles, also known as 'barcodes', can be smoothed out and filled withhyaluronic acid, as can the hands.

For spots that form over time on the face, neck and hands, laser treatment can be used with good results.

Apart from all this, of course, let us not forget that ageing largely starts in our head, and how we feel and look is also determined by a mental factor, a positive attitude and a willingness to look after and maintain one's appearance, beauty and health.