Ten tips for youthful-looking skin

With 2010 already in full swing, a lot of our “of a certain age” clients are wondering how to improve their skin this year. So here are ten tips to help your body’s largest organ look and act more youthful:

1. Follow a skincare regime that is appropriate for your “stage” in life. Today’s professional skincare products are filled with active ingredients that, applied regularly, actually produce a beneficial effect, helping the ski’s cells to behave in a more youthful fashion. Talk to Afterglow staff about Afterglow’s own line of professional products to find a regimen that is tailored to you.

2. Need we say it again? Use your sunscreen every day and —just as importantly—make sure it is marked “broad spectrum.” The SPF rating applies only to UVB rays, however, UVA light is far more damaging to the skin in the long run. This is because it is all around us, even on a dull day, and can pass through a glass window pane. Broad spectrum sunscreens contain blocks against UVA light, protecting your skin from cumulative damage.

3. Get enough sleep. Although skin repair is an ongoing process, lack of sleep causes an increase in the stress hormone cortisol and this can slow the production of collagen. Between 7 and 8 hours a night is the appropriate amount of shut-eye for that youthful bloom.

4. Get enough exercise. By increasing blood flow, physical activity will bring blood and nutrients to the surface of your skin, encouraging a healthy glow.

5. Don’t smoke. Smoking damages the skin. Period. Not only will you develop dynamic wrinkles from all that puffing and squinting, but the blood vessels in the surface of your skin will constrict, resulting in a dull pallor.

6. Eat more fruits and veggies. Their antioxidants are good for your whole body. Fruits and veggies are also hydrating.

7. If you are past menopause, the reduced estrogen in your body will gradually cause breakdown of collagen and elastin, resulting in a thin, sagging appearance. Consider Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). Dr. Ebrahim will be able to advise you on BHRT so you may wish to set up an appointment with her.

8. Treatment with the Pro-Fractional laser has been shown to improve the tone and texture of aging skin. You may also wish to discuss this with the staff of Afterglow.

9. Don’t forget to exfoliate. Exfoliating the outer layer of skin (epidermis) encourages cell renewal in the deeper layers of the skin. Afterglow offers a microdermabrasion treatment that will polish and refine your skin in a mere 20 minutes. It’s a great way to refresh your look for the coming year!

10. Last, but not least, hydrate! Drink lots of pure water or—if you can afford the sugar content—juices. Foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts, flax oil, flax seed, salmon, mackerel, sardines), also help keep water in the skin. At night, when skin loses moisture, use a humidifier in your bedroom and wake up to a plumper, more youthful-looking skin.

The Aging Face: The Jawline

As the years pass, a combination of laxity and gravity causes the facial underpinnings to weaken and the skin to sag. Contributing to the aging appearance is the loss of facial volume provided by underlying fat and connective tissues (collagen and elastin). Nowhere is this more visible than around the jawline, where the loss of volume and downwards movement of cheek fat cause jowling and sagging.

Many Afterglow clients have been thrilled by the “reversal” of these signs of aging, following the placement of injectable filler—usually Radiesse— in the jawline area. Radiesse has a firm quality that greatly enhances the contours of the jaw while adding needed volume.

If you think your jaw needs a little contouring, simply make an appointment to see Dr. Ebrahim. She will explain how she can lift the years from your jawline and keep it looking firm and taut, with regularly scheduled treatments.

A tip: Lightly apply a powder shadow in taupe or brown underneath the jawline to give the illusion of contour. Be sure to blend well!