“Yeah, some kids called me fish lips because I had these really full lips. Now I’m sure all those same girls are getting collagen injections, so I’m having the last laugh.” –Denise Richards
We’ve all heard some celebrities talk about how their beauty is “natural” and they just have “good genetics”. While genetics can play a role in how we age, it won’t prevent us from inevitably getting wrinkles or saggy skin. With that being said, let’s look at when and more importantly why we want to do these various beauty treatments.
When do I start?
From the moment we come onto the planet we start to age. The sun, our biological clock and gravity all play a role in aging. Sun damage has a cumulative effect, so starting sunscreen at an early age is important.
Starting at about age 30 our collagen formation begins to slowdown. At this point, everyone should be on a skincare and sunscreen regimen. Every day. Sunscreen should be viewed like water. Or wine. You should have to have it. Moisturizing your skin along with a medical grade serum will help to slowdown premature aging, wrinkles, dark/sun spots, and even acne issues. WHY: Aging happens all day every day. Skincare can help slow that process down.
Botox
For a lot of people, this is a great option. Botox is a neuromodulator, which in English means it disrupts signals from the brain telling muscles to contract. As we age the muscles in our face create memory and develop wrinkles. Neuromodulators temporarily stop this and relax muscles. According to the American Society for Plastic Surgery (ASPS) Botox injections have grown 797% in 2016 as compared to the year 2000, with over 7 million people alone injected in 2016. That’s a lot of people!!! WHEN: According to respected Denver-based registered nurse injector Christin Helander, “neuromodulating injectables (Botox) are best done every 3-4 months.”
Fillers
Fillers are different than neuromodulators because they give the appearance of fullness and help smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. As we age we lose fat in our face and skin becomes lax. To solve this, many companies manufacture hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, which are naturally found in our bodies. Many of the fillers on the market contain hyaluronic acid which is a substance you already have in your body. WHEN: “They should be done as needed for the face and about once a year for lips” says Christin Helander. WHY: Muscles and skin cause wrinkles By slowing the muscles and filling in lost volume, we can turn back the clock a few years.
Lasers
We are going to put a bunch of technology under one roof for this part. Skin tightening, resurfacing, dark spot removal, and fat reduction modalities can be effective maintenance tools for keeping our skin looking young and healthy. WHEN: Lasers should be done once a year or so depending on the reason. WHY: Lasers are good for treating items that can’t be fixed with skincare or surgery and are good to use as part of an overall maintenance program.
Plastic Surgery
As much as we’d love to get a magic machine to kill all our fat the truth is it’s not realistic. At least for now. Tummy-tucks, liposuction, breast enhancements, and even facelifts are all things technology can’t yet touch. WHY: Why not? Who doesn’t want some great plastic surgery? Once the recovery time has passed, you will have the results you’ve been wanting for years and it lasts a long time. The industry standard for getting surgery done is about every 5-10 years depending on the situation.
Thoughts
This should be a great reference for anyone looking to slowdown the aging process. Here’s a quick recap: skincare regimen every day. Check. Injectables a couple of times a year. Check. Lasers for improvements and upkeep once a year and surgery every 5-10 years. Got it. No one said beauty was easy, but it’s worth it!
To your anti-aging
Team Reflect
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