If only you could bottle the phrase I want to look younger and sell that. With baby boomers and now Gen Xers coming into their middle years, the ever-expanding market for anti-aging products just keeps cranking out new miracles. But really, how do you look younger? Try these 5 steps:
1. Sun block
The foundation of any “beat the clock†regimen is to protect and prevent further damage. First, sin no more by wearing daily sun screen. 15 SPF is not enough – this is light sun protection, not the kind of black out shade you need. You’ll need a sunscreen above 30, which contains some kind of zinc to completely block out the damaging rays.
2. Skin Care Repair
Next, start repairing what you’ve done so you look younger. Begin a new skin care program with products designed by dermatologists like Glyderm, M D Forte, SkinCeuticals, or BioMedic. Many female dermatologists use antioxidant formulas on their own skin and you would be wise to follow their lead. They know that free radicals (renegade molecules that contribute to aging) must be neutralized. The two best-known anti-oxidants are Vitamins E and A, so look for products that contain them.
You should also focus on getting anti-oxidants through your diet by eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It’s obvious but it shows. Hydrating your skin with lots of water will also plump out fine lines.
3. Abrading the Skin
To look younger, you need to help your skin cells turnover. At the lowest level, daily exfoliation with a nubby washcloth is good for removing dead skin and providing a solid base for treatment products. The next step up is a non invasive “lunchtime peels†that causes light peeling in the next few days and a fresh and glowing complexion. Results last for up to a few months.
For visible wrinkle reduction, try treatments such as microdermabrasion which gently sands the out layer of skin with a high speed application of blasting crystals, resulting in improved texture and fewer wrinkles. Unlike dermabrasion (which literally sands the skin with a rotating brush), you can return to work immediately.
 4. Fillers & Botox
You can also correct some wrinkles with the help of technology. Botox will smooth the heinous crease between your eyebrows. Botox works by paralyzing the underlying facial muscles which bunch up and create that trench. But you can also zap wrinkles by filling them in with injections of collagen or space age fillers such as Restalyne or Juvederm.
The Nasolabial folds (the depressions on either side of your nose) are very “aging” but can be dealt with through fat injections (you’ll wind up with about a 30% correction after the fat is reabsorbed) or fillers. There are also implants like Alloderm (you REALLY don’t want to know where this comes from. It’s “donor” material. Don’t ask! Don’t). Collagen treatments include Zyplast for fine lines, Zyderm for deeper ones.
5. Deep Wrinkle Treatment
For deeper wrinkle correction the laser is a godsend. Laser Photofacials (called IPL or intense pulsed light) remove redness, veining, and wrinkles while stimulating collagen production. Laser resurfacing with the CO2 laser can completely remove your lines but features a longer period of recuperation. Red spider veins around your nose or legs can be removed through “sclerotherapy” in which a solution is injected to block off the vein.Â
Cost
There really is no cheap-out version for any of this, except to do a little at a time, and keep doing it. Lunchtime peels run around $100-150. Micro-dermabrasion is typically sold in packages as it’s best done in a series of five. Deals run around $500. Dermabrasion can be anywhere from $1000 and up. Laser $2000 and up. TCA peel $500 – $1000. Fat injections $500 – $1000. Alloderm implants for nose or lips, $1500. Botox crease $175 – $500. Collagen shots $300 and up. Restalyne & Juvederm may be $350-500 a syringe.
Just how do I know all this? Don’t ask, don’t tell. I’m sorry, did you say something?
