The truth is however nothing ages a woman more than a face that looks 35 sitting on body that says "senior". This is particularly true if you've invested in some serious anti aging facial treatments like wrinkle filling injections or even Botox.
The good news: Anything you can do for your face, you can do for your body! From professional treatments to over-the-counter lotions and potions there are ways to take years off your appearance head-to-toe!
Here's a sampling of what the experts say works to make you look years younger – all over!
All-Over Anti-Aging
1.Treatment area: The Neck & Decolette
Because the skin on the neck and chest (decolette) is thinner than on the face, it's one of the first places to show the signs of aging, particularly when exposed to the sun, says New York City dermatologist Doris J.Day, MD. That means skin care should continue way past your jaw, and lathering up the sunscreen on neck and chest is a must.
Because skin on the neck may be more sensitive than that on your face, skip harsh products like chemical peels or high concentrations of alpha hydroxy acids. Day says look for moisturizers containing antioxidants that penetrate well and won’t cause redness, irritation or burning. Her favorite ingredients include grape seed or green tea extract, and vitamins A, C and E.
Professional care: "Botox works great for those aging 'tree lines' around the neck, and liposuction is a great way to eliminate that double chin, says New York University dermatologist Rhoda Narins, MD. To tighten skin on the neck, she suggests "Thermage" - a non-invasive treatment that uses energy waves to tighten collagen fibers and provide a small lifting effect. For skin discolorations and age spots on the chest area check out IPL ( intense Pulsed Light ) treatments.
2. Treatment area: Arms and Elbows
If you‘re like most women, the upper arms are not your favorite body part. But you can make the best of what you’ve got by getting rid of tiny white and red bumps, age spots and nasty dry elbows. ” Bumpy skin can be a form of blocked skin follicles known as keratosis pilaris or a type of eczema known as follicular eczema or it can just be dried skin, ” says Ken Beer, MD author of Palm Beach Perfect Skin and director Palm Beach Esthetic Center. What works for all three, he says are moisturizers with mild acids, as lactic or glycolic acids. “They are helpful at exfoliating the keratin plugs,” he says. If that doesn’t help Beer suggests a mild topical cortisone cream or emollients. To polish the skin on your arms he recommends micronized bamboo crystals in a heating scrub – or any type of mild abrasive.
Professional care: Beer says try IPL treatments for those brown spots and to smooth the skin. Narins suggests Thermage, followed by liposuction to tighten jiggly arms so they look smoother and firmer.
3. Treatment area: Hands
Another age giveaway are hands mostly because they get almost constant incidental sun exposure. If you do housework, especially dishes, chemicals can exacerbate dryness and make hands look even older. “As we age, our skin also gets thinner, but when you‘re dealing with the backs of the hands, where skin is already thin, any loss of fat underneath is obvious right away with loose, wrinkly skin,” says Bruce Katz, MD, a professor of dermatology at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Because skin is thinner, dark spots and pigmenation appear more prominent.
The solution: While using an ordinary hand cream with emollients like glycerin and shea butter can help ( particularly after your hands are exposed to water), what really makes a difference is to bathe your hands in the same anti-aging creams you use on your face. “Day cream, night cream, antiaging serums—whatever you‘re putting on your face, neck, and décolleté, put it on the backs of your hands as well,” says Katz. Also, don't forget sunscreen – a must to help you avoid age spots and wrinkling.
Professional Care: The goal here is to plump the skin on the backs of the hands, and Katz recommends fat injections (taken from other parts of your body) or a wrinkle filler like Restalyne. Various types of laser treatments can remove brown spots and pigmeneted areas, and lasers as well as IPL may help increase collagen production and tigthen loose skin, for firmer, plumper, younger looking hands.
4. Treatment area: Calves and Thighs
Toned, shapely legs can look good for decades. But when spider and varicose veins appear, they can age you faster than a tomato in the sun. Quick temporary fixes include spray-on leg make up, concealers, or a faux tan to reduce contrast between dark veins and pale skin. If that’s not quite enough, professional care is highly successul – and pretty quick.
Professional care: Narins recommends scleratherapy – a treatment which involves injecting the vein with a chemical solution that causes it to collapse. With no blood supply, the bulging and blue vein eventually disappears. Another process known as endovenus ablation – uses heat to accomplish the same thing. Depending on the size of the vein, laser treatments can also help – particularly for treating smallerspider veins anywhere they appear.
5. Treatment Area: Feet and Toes
While winter time may be your feet’s saving grace – what with boots, trouser socks and tights to hide those not so pretty feet - come spring and summe it’s going to be another story. Dried, cracked heels, corns, callouses and maybe thickened nails, can make your feet – and you - look older than your years.
To fight aging below the ankles, use creams containing gycolic acids. They’ll exfoliate dead skin cells and make feet look smoother. Morris Morin, DPM, director of foot care at Hackensack Univeristy Medical Center suggests a pumice stone on heels – or anywhere skin is thickened . If you really want to splugre, try using that microdermabrasion kit you just bought for your face on your feet, and follow with a potent moisturizer.
Professional care: Pay close attention to toe nails, says Morin. If they thicken and change color you could have a fungus, he says. Catch it early with professional care and your feet will keep your age a secret. Moreover, he cautions us not to be temped to chop off those corns and callouses on your own – or have it done by a well-meaning pedicurist. Either option can net you a nasty infection. Instead, see a podiatrist who can not only remove them, but also root out the underlying cause so they don't come back again!
No comments:
Post a Comment