Anti-Aging: Read This and You’ll Never Need Plastic Surgery
Ready for some interesting news? After years of rising plastic surgery rates, women are starting to avoid the scalpel. In fact, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, almost 30,000 fewer surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in 2009 than the year before. The reason? “Patients just don’t want face-lifts; they’re asking me about nonsurgical options instead,” says New York City dermatologic surgeon Ariel Ostad, M.D. Those options exist at every price, and many focus on preventing skin troubles before they happen. Here’s what you can do today, at every age.1. If You Have No Signs of Aging (Yet).
That’s a good thing! Enjoy your smooth skin—and start protecting it.
Use sunscreen every day (even in winter). Yes, you’ve heard it before, but it’s that important: UV rays cause aging. They actually make your cells lazy, especially the spots where skin naturally creases. To keep cells strong, slather your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen containing at least SPF 15, says NYC dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D. If you’re going to be outside all day (hello, Labor Day picnic!), choose SPF 30 or more. Reapply every two hours, and don’t forget the cake rule: Put on sunscreen like you’re spreading icing. Use that much.
Be a label reader. Yes, it does make sense to start using anti-aging products now—you don’t need the serious stuff yet, but a great moisturizer is key, says Dennis Gross, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC. Look for anti-wrinkle creams and lotions that contain: antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, pomegranate, acai, and apple stem cells, which can help protect collagen and elastin; anti-inflammatory agents, like mushroom and aloe; or hyaluronic acid, lipids and amino acids, like peptides and ceramides, to maintain skin’s hydration.
Work out and get more sleep. “Exercise reduces the accumulation of free radicals inside your body, protecting your skin,” Dr. Gross says. And seven to nine hours of quality snooze time promotes collagen production and cell repair. Good night!
Quit smoking. Every time you light up, you’re sucking on a wrinkle stick, Dr. Fusco says. Smoke is loaded with free radicals that damage healthy skin cells, and pursing your lips around a cigarette can create lines.
Avoid crash diets. If you lose weight too fast—generally two pounds per week—you’re probably shedding water, not fat, and that loss tends to first show up in your face. “I’ve seen so many women go nuts over a little tummy bulge, only to end up with sagging faces,” Dr. Fusco says. Instead, whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, stick with a vitamin- and mineral-rich diet made up of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Also, add foods high in zinc, copper and selenium to your plate—they’re skin-firming minerals, says Paula Simpson, a celebrity nutritionist who’s worked with Drew Barrymore and Sandra Bullock. Great sources: chicken, oysters, walnuts and chickpeas.
2. Next: If You’ve Just Started to See Little Lines and Spots.
Don’t freak: Eye crinkles and freckly spots tend to appear in your late twenties or early thirties—that’s life! These steps can help.
Look for targeted wrinkle fighters. As skin cells get older, they lose their ability to prevent moisture loss, Dr. Gross explains. Lotions and creams are fine—they lock in water and prevent dehydration. But serums pack a bigger anti-aging punch because they have higher concentrations of active ingredients (that’s why they’re pricier). Look for a serum that features antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, acai and green tea, says Dr. Gross, and apply it before your sunscreen. Another powerful name to know: retinoids—one of the few families of ingredients really proven to diminish the appearance of lines. “Retinoids have more than 25 years of hard data proving that they improve collagen and elastin production, reduce wrinkles, shrink pores and minimize brown spots,” Dr. Fusco says. (They’re also prescribed to treat acne, giving women in their teens and twenties an anti-aging head start.) Look for retinol and retinaldehyde in drugstore creams, or ask your doc for retinoic acid.
Wear a big pair of sunglasses. No, not to hide anything: You’re gorgeous! The idea is to protect the thin skin around your eyes, says Dr. Fusco. “Squinting in the sun etches the lines in deeper.” Use an eye cream morning and night, too—or a fragrance-free gel if creams make you puffy.
Fight dryness from the inside out. Don’t rely just on guzzling water. Noshing on juicy fruits and veggies (cucumber and melon are good) gives skin a bigger boost, says Howard Murad, M.D., a Los Angeles dermatologist, in his new book, The Water Secret. They’re packed with nutrients that strengthen cells so your skin is better able to hold on to the water you give it. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in nuts, seeds and fish, help keep skin supple too.
Find stuff that fixes age spots. They’re caused by the sun, so use sunscreen religiously to prevent new ones. To lighten existing spots, try a brightening treatment with vitamin C (Joyal Beauty Super Brightening Vitamin C Serum is the best). Those magical retinoids help here, too, by encouraging skin to turn over faster, revealing fresh cells underneath. To avoid irritation, apply brightening products in the A.M. (before SPF) and retinoid creams at night, Dr. Fusco says. An illuminating foundation is an ally too, says NYC makeup artist Dara Klein: “It can cover any flaw.”
Take deep breaths. Stress is a big ager too. “When you produce more adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol, your skin’s firmness and elasticity suffer,” Dr. Gross says. “Plus, you tend to frown more, which enhances wrinkles.” To unwind, try yoga, meditation, walking or chatting with a friend (the calm one, not the soap star).
3. If Something’s Flipping You Out Already:
Relax—many skin “flaws” can be fixed, and no, not with surgery. Just keep up your healthy habits—food, exercise, sleep, SPF—and do this stuff, too.
Learn how to fake great skin. Sure, makeup conceals age spots, says Klein, but it can also make wrinkles more prominent if the pigments pool into them. The fix: Use a silicone-based primer first to fill in little lines, and swap powders for more-forgiving cream formulas.
Consider high-tech gadgets. “There’s been a paradigm shift,” Dr. Ostad says. “I have patients asking for laser treatments rather than full-on face-lifts.” The benefits are big: A laser can jump-start collagen and elastin production, firm skin, plump wrinkles, and shrink pores—fixing the things women in their late thirties and forties complain about most. But treatments can cost $1,000 a pop. The budget option: An at-home device that emits red light might get you similar effects. “There is data that shows light therapy promotes collagen regeneration, but I’d like to see more concrete evidence,” Dr. Ostad says.
Stop obsessing. Even Dr. Gross, who regularly uses Botox on his patients, says, “when gorgeous women come in for ‘wrinkles’ I can’t see with a magnifying glass, they don’t get Botox from me. Instead, I offer some life advice: If a virtually invisible flaw upsets you now, no procedure will ever make you happy when the real wrinkles show up.” Our Rx? Perspective and confidence—now, as ever, the best beauty tools around.
That’s a good thing! Enjoy your smooth skin—and start protecting it.
Use sunscreen every day (even in winter). Yes, you’ve heard it before, but it’s that important: UV rays cause aging. They actually make your cells lazy, especially the spots where skin naturally creases. To keep cells strong, slather your skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen containing at least SPF 15, says NYC dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D. If you’re going to be outside all day (hello, Labor Day picnic!), choose SPF 30 or more. Reapply every two hours, and don’t forget the cake rule: Put on sunscreen like you’re spreading icing. Use that much.
Be a label reader. Yes, it does make sense to start using anti-aging products now—you don’t need the serious stuff yet, but a great moisturizer is key, says Dennis Gross, M.D., a dermatologist in NYC. Look for anti-wrinkle creams and lotions that contain: antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, pomegranate, acai, and apple stem cells, which can help protect collagen and elastin; anti-inflammatory agents, like mushroom and aloe; or hyaluronic acid, lipids and amino acids, like peptides and ceramides, to maintain skin’s hydration.
Work out and get more sleep. “Exercise reduces the accumulation of free radicals inside your body, protecting your skin,” Dr. Gross says. And seven to nine hours of quality snooze time promotes collagen production and cell repair. Good night!
Quit smoking. Every time you light up, you’re sucking on a wrinkle stick, Dr. Fusco says. Smoke is loaded with free radicals that damage healthy skin cells, and pursing your lips around a cigarette can create lines.
Avoid crash diets. If you lose weight too fast—generally two pounds per week—you’re probably shedding water, not fat, and that loss tends to first show up in your face. “I’ve seen so many women go nuts over a little tummy bulge, only to end up with sagging faces,” Dr. Fusco says. Instead, whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, stick with a vitamin- and mineral-rich diet made up of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Also, add foods high in zinc, copper and selenium to your plate—they’re skin-firming minerals, says Paula Simpson, a celebrity nutritionist who’s worked with Drew Barrymore and Sandra Bullock. Great sources: chicken, oysters, walnuts and chickpeas.
2. Next: If You’ve Just Started to See Little Lines and Spots.
Don’t freak: Eye crinkles and freckly spots tend to appear in your late twenties or early thirties—that’s life! These steps can help.
Look for targeted wrinkle fighters. As skin cells get older, they lose their ability to prevent moisture loss, Dr. Gross explains. Lotions and creams are fine—they lock in water and prevent dehydration. But serums pack a bigger anti-aging punch because they have higher concentrations of active ingredients (that’s why they’re pricier). Look for a serum that features antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, acai and green tea, says Dr. Gross, and apply it before your sunscreen. Another powerful name to know: retinoids—one of the few families of ingredients really proven to diminish the appearance of lines. “Retinoids have more than 25 years of hard data proving that they improve collagen and elastin production, reduce wrinkles, shrink pores and minimize brown spots,” Dr. Fusco says. (They’re also prescribed to treat acne, giving women in their teens and twenties an anti-aging head start.) Look for retinol and retinaldehyde in drugstore creams, or ask your doc for retinoic acid.
Wear a big pair of sunglasses. No, not to hide anything: You’re gorgeous! The idea is to protect the thin skin around your eyes, says Dr. Fusco. “Squinting in the sun etches the lines in deeper.” Use an eye cream morning and night, too—or a fragrance-free gel if creams make you puffy.
Fight dryness from the inside out. Don’t rely just on guzzling water. Noshing on juicy fruits and veggies (cucumber and melon are good) gives skin a bigger boost, says Howard Murad, M.D., a Los Angeles dermatologist, in his new book, The Water Secret. They’re packed with nutrients that strengthen cells so your skin is better able to hold on to the water you give it. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in nuts, seeds and fish, help keep skin supple too.
Find stuff that fixes age spots. They’re caused by the sun, so use sunscreen religiously to prevent new ones. To lighten existing spots, try a brightening treatment with vitamin C (Joyal Beauty Super Brightening Vitamin C Serum is the best). Those magical retinoids help here, too, by encouraging skin to turn over faster, revealing fresh cells underneath. To avoid irritation, apply brightening products in the A.M. (before SPF) and retinoid creams at night, Dr. Fusco says. An illuminating foundation is an ally too, says NYC makeup artist Dara Klein: “It can cover any flaw.”
Take deep breaths. Stress is a big ager too. “When you produce more adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol, your skin’s firmness and elasticity suffer,” Dr. Gross says. “Plus, you tend to frown more, which enhances wrinkles.” To unwind, try yoga, meditation, walking or chatting with a friend (the calm one, not the soap star).
3. If Something’s Flipping You Out Already:
Relax—many skin “flaws” can be fixed, and no, not with surgery. Just keep up your healthy habits—food, exercise, sleep, SPF—and do this stuff, too.
Learn how to fake great skin. Sure, makeup conceals age spots, says Klein, but it can also make wrinkles more prominent if the pigments pool into them. The fix: Use a silicone-based primer first to fill in little lines, and swap powders for more-forgiving cream formulas.
Consider high-tech gadgets. “There’s been a paradigm shift,” Dr. Ostad says. “I have patients asking for laser treatments rather than full-on face-lifts.” The benefits are big: A laser can jump-start collagen and elastin production, firm skin, plump wrinkles, and shrink pores—fixing the things women in their late thirties and forties complain about most. But treatments can cost $1,000 a pop. The budget option: An at-home device that emits red light might get you similar effects. “There is data that shows light therapy promotes collagen regeneration, but I’d like to see more concrete evidence,” Dr. Ostad says.
Stop obsessing. Even Dr. Gross, who regularly uses Botox on his patients, says, “when gorgeous women come in for ‘wrinkles’ I can’t see with a magnifying glass, they don’t get Botox from me. Instead, I offer some life advice: If a virtually invisible flaw upsets you now, no procedure will ever make you happy when the real wrinkles show up.” Our Rx? Perspective and confidence—now, as ever, the best beauty tools around.
