How can I keep my skin looking youthful without surgery?

There are four key factors to great-looking skin and they are exercise, water, moisturiser and sleep. During the party season, in particular, all four are generally lacking and therefore when you need to look your best, your skin can let you down! Therefore I would recommend the following:

• Drink plenty of water. Alcohol is extremely dehydrating; a pint of beer is the equivalent of drinking a pint of seawater!

• Try and fit in some exercise, even if it’s a 20-minute brisk walk to work, getting the blood pumping round your body does you the world of good.

• Try and get a good night’s sleep. A run of late nights can really have a damaging effect on not only your skin but your emotions and concentration levels too. A warm Hydrating Herbal Bath will help you relax and sleep soundly.

• Keep your skin moisturised and give it that extra helping hand.

The most important advice for reducing the need for cosmetic treatments is to reduce smoking and sun exposure. Botox and filler injections can reduce the signs of ageing in the 30s and 40s. Chemical peels can freshen the complexion if there are early signs of ageing.

I think first and foremost have a good diet, drink plenty of water, do not smoke and use sun block to protect your skin. After that a good skin care regime along with simple procedures such as injections of Botox or something similar will help slow the development of wrinkles.

• Botox – a must for prevention of frown lines, worry lines, and other expressive wrinkles
• Facial fillers – the most natural way to rejuvenate the aging face, without surgery
• Fotofacial – a non-invasive surface treatment for skin rejuvenation

Women over 40 may not necessarily need plastic surgery, but they typically can benefit greatly from facial fillers to treat wrinkles and to plump areas that have lost fullness with age. Our top 3 filler products are:

1. Perlane
2. Radiesse
3. Sculptra

Fine facial lines are those around the eyes; those known as crow’s feet are the most common complaint.

To treat these without surgery, use medical skin care (Prevage MD, Priori), Botox, microdermabrasion, fine dermal fillers, and gentle chemical peels.

Botox is a fantastic way to give your face a more rested youthful appearance with virtually no down time.

Laser hair removal is an effective solution for dark and/or ingrown hairs. It’s a great investment in smoother, hairless skin with only 3-5 treatments.

Intense pulsed light or IPL quickly gets rid of brown spots and red splotches on the face, and you can go to work that same day.

You know, it looks like we start seeing signs of aging in our 30's and we all know for sure we do in our 40's. Don't panic, though.

There are several great treatments that can set back the clock, make you look younger, and put off more "drastic" measures (like surgery) almost indefinitely!! Let's look at a few of the best and most effective treatments to stay younger looking:

• Thermage - definitely the "gold standard" in skin lifting and tightening, Thermage is appropriate for anyone with some drooping, sagging, however mild or severe. It is one of those "must have" procedures that provides a good foundation no matter what other treatments you opt for, and can tighten and lift skin on the face, neck, arms, abdomen, thighs, and it "kicks butt" on the buttocks!
• Portrait - Rhytec's Portrait is a fabulous newer treatment using nitrogen plasma to totally regenerate the skin on your face, neck and decollete! Portrait erases sun damage, crepey skin, shrinks pores, tightens skin, yields beautiful, smooth looking skin that usually makes you look about 10 to 12 years younger, depending on your condition before the treatment.
• Fraxel - this treatment is laser light which can treat pesky problems like melasma. Melasma is the "mask of pregnancy" that can also occur from just taking birth control pills. It often looks like a "mask" and Fraxel about the only treatment effective for this difficult condition. Fraxel is suitable for treating darker skin, and can treat acne scarring. It is a very versatile treatment that can also "youthen" the skin. This is good to choose in conjunction with an aesthetic consultant.

• The most important thing you can to keep your skin youthful is to use a sunscreen every single day.
  • I like to use an SPF30, but make sure it is a minimum of SPF15, and that it is a broad spectrum sunscreen, meaning it blocks both UVA rays and UVB rays. (Look for ingredients such as oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide to block UVA rays).
• The other important elements include using an anti-aging cream every morning with alpha hydroxy acids and antixodants in it, and a retinoid (such as Retin-A) every evening.

I get my beauty rest, eat lots of fruit & vegetables, drink plenty of water & use a broad spectrum sunscreen & anti-aging products. My favorites are Retin-A & Revaleskin.

My skin care routine is quite involved, given my chosen industry, and including both topical and more general recommendations. Again, this will depend on your skin type, but a few rules ring true for everyone:

• Drink a lot of water
• Don’t smoke
• Don’t go to bed with your makeup on
• Get a light glycolic peel every 4-6 weeks
• Wear a sunscreen daily, even in winter
• Get Botox early and often
• Use an eye contour cream daily
• I try not to eat a lot of junk food because when you do it is rare that you look and feel your best.

• Splash freezing cold water over your face 20 times before applying makeup. Skin will be tighter and brighter.
• Sleep on a fluffy pillow. Lying down flat will make skin puffy and tired in the morning, sleeping with your face slightly more elevated will ease swelling in the eye area, and give you much less of a hangover if you’ve been drinking!
• Curl your eyelashes before applying mascara. Opens eyes and makes you look younger and more awake.
• WEAR SUNBLOCK!

Exfoliating and hydrating are key. By removing the top layer of dead skin cells, the new fresh skin is uncovered and allows your moisturizer to absorb more effectively. Of course, hydrating from the inside out by drinking water is the easiest and least expensive way to make your face look younger. Your makeup only looks as good as the skin underneath it so prepping the skin is important to prevent foundation and powder from settling into the fine lines that begin to appear as we age. I also recommend wearing a foundation with light diffusing capabilities to help reduce the appearance of imperfections. I currently use Stila Illuminating foundation and love the way it makes my skin look and feel!

Any form of deep exfoliation, such as microdermabrasion, chemical peels, or pulse lighting, is a great way to unveil new and improved skin! Not to mention it helps to tighten pores out of sight, lighten spots from sun damage, and address mid-life crises…

For youthful skin, you have to FACE it!

F – Full Sun Protection – SPF 15 minimum
A – Aqua – you need plenty of water to keep skin hydrated and cells plump
C – Cleansing Routine – You need a steady regimen (Cleanse, Tone and Moisturize) twice a day
E – Exfoliate – Twice a week keeps new vibrant skin cells on the surface for a youthful glow