12 Ways to Take Off 12 Years in 2012
Make This The You Kick Some New Year Resolution’s Butt
By Dr. Robert T. Grant, MD, MSc, FACS
Every year we create a mythical list of tasks that, if we accomplish them, all will be right in the world. Not that we don’t want to solve world hunger or bring peace to the Middle East, but why not start with a more realistic goal to make your life a happier one – looking younger and being happier with the skin you’re in.
Make 2012 the year where you implement lifestyle changes—some big and some not so big—that can help you be the best you can possibly be!
- Sleep: Want to loose weight in 2012? Be sure to add 8 hours of sleep into your diet regimen. A University of Chicago study found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat than those who were sleep deprived. The reason for this is that your muscle mass increases through proper rest and increased muscle mass promotes faster weight loss.
- Water: Being that it makes up 70% of our body weight, water is crucial to improving overall health. Drinking water helps maintain flawless skin by flushing out impurities and toxins that tend to filter through your skin’s pores. Water is also crucial for dieting as it helps suppress your appetite, maintain muscle tone, increase energy and has zero calories.
- Sunscreen: Prolonged sun exposure can ravage the skin and is responsible for a large percentage of our visible aging signs such as wrinkles and age spots. A vital element in protecting your skin and managing the aging process is liberal, daily use of sun block or moisturizers with built in SPF against UVA and UVB rays.
- Highlight Your Assets: Don’t fall victim to fashion trends that are not made for your body type. An example of a current trend would be skinny jeans. You may love them, but not every one can (or should) wear them. If you have thicker thighs or a more generous butt, stick with a wide-leg pant to help elongate and trim your problem areas. Have a great neckline or décolletage? Be sure to incorporate V-neck or off the shoulder blouses into your wardrobe. Promote your best features by accentuating them and downplay your problem areas.
- Proper Undergarments: Approximately 80 percent of American women are wearing the wrong size bra. This can cause numerous physical issues such as shoulder/back pain and can even make you look heavier. An ill-fitting undergarment is a terrible thing that can easily be avoided. Get properly measured at your favorite store and invest in the proper-fitting undergarments to easily define your waist and shave pounds off your figure.
- SEX! Now that we have your attention, it’s no mystery that regular exercise will improve the way you look and feel. What better exercise is there than sex? Studies performed by David Weeks, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, have shown that having a healthy sex life (an average of three times per week) has been shown to make you look as much as 7 years younger. In addition to boosting self-esteem and confidence, sex increases the production of human growth hormone, which is known to improve muscle tone.
- Essential Vitamins: Mom was right—take your vitamins! Below are the top three vitamins to promote youthful looking skin:
- Vitamin C: Using a topical vitamin C cream or gel daily (before your sunscreen) can help preserve your skin. Vitamin C even helps create more collagen, making the skin appear plumper.
- Vitamin E: Applying a topical vitamin E gel or lotion helps prevent the creation of free radicals (collagen-destroying molecules) caused by sun exposure.
- Selenium: Taken as a daily supplement, it maintains skin elasticity and delays the signs of aging.
- It’s the little things: Major cosmetic procedures are not always needed to have a youthful impact. For younger looking legs, attack spider veins with several monthly treatments of a dermatological procedure called sclerotherapy, where a solution is injected into the vein reopening it to allow blood flow. Through this process, approximately 80% of vessels can be cleared.
Remove sun spots for more youthful hands with over the counter skin bleaching creams or schedule several Fraxel Laser treatments for a more targeted and precise treatment.
- Fillers: Fillers are excellent tools in the fight against aging. In the case of Juvederm, a natural complex sugar that bolsters skin elasticity, it improves your appearance by lifting and adding volume to the wrinkles and folds in the treatment area. Return visits will be needed every 6 – 9 months or even annually depending on the patient.
- Liposuction: “Saddle bags”, “muffin top”, “bat wings”, “thunder thighs”… call them what you will, but these targeted trouble zones where you have five to ten extra pounds of fat that you cannot loose are the best medical cases for a liposuction procedure. Be sure to consult with your plastic surgeon before entering into any of these procedures. A prime candidate for liposuction is one who possesses a comprehensive diet and exercise routine yet is unable to get rid of these problem areas.
- Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery: One cosmetic procedure that can make you look years younger but does not require a long recovery period is cosmetic eyelid surgery. Also known as blepharoplasty, eyelid surgery improves the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both. It gives a rejuvenated appearance to the surrounding area of your eyes, making you look more rested and alert.
- Smile: Crazy as it sounds, smiling leads to numerous other benefits than just looking happier. The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Also studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural painkillers, and serotonin, all of which are responsible for making you feel good. Most importantly, smiling is contagious – making not only you, but also those around you happier.