What My Mother Taught Me
May 12th, 2009
Almost twenty years ago a 73 year old woman approached me regarding upper eyelid surgery. She had lost her husband some 5 years prior. Having completed her grieving, she was ready to become socially active again. I knew she had grown up during the Great Depression on a farm in western Pennsylvania. She had been a nurse while her deceased husband had been an iron worker for 30 years. Their entire life had been very frugal and simple. They had retired to Yuma, Arizona.
She had a minor heart condition and needed cataract surgery. I didn’t believe cosmetic surgery was “right” for her, so I insisted she proceed with cataract surgery. She completed cataract surgery in both her eyes, following all the after-care instructions. In the interim, she began talking about not only eyelid surgery but also face lift, forehead lift and lip chemical peels. She finally insisted on having cosmetic surgery after I had deflected her request some three years earlier. Now she wanted it all, if I didn’t do it she would go elsewhere!
I took her aside and said, “Mother, I think I understand. Here is what we can do and it will take some time.” Over the next year or two my mother had the works, one procedure at a time. She is now 93 years old and has been sharing her life with a younger man (85 years old) for the past 19 years. It was having a new man her her life that had kindled her desire to ditch the wrinkles. She not only looked younger, but she also had a renewed interest in living life.
This experience taught me many things. Age is a relative term and it is unclear why something starts to bother us, when it hasn’t been an issue before. Life changes may contribute to embracing new perspectives and perhaps lead to actively seeking some type of transformation. You are never too old to want to look your best!
Top 10 Ways to Avoid Aging
May 7th, 2009
Anti-aging treatments, like neuro-muscular blockers (Botox ®), fillers, laser treatments and facial rejuvenation surgery, are all the rage. What about methods of prevention? Many factors contribute to facial aging. In a recent study, facial aging was found to be accentuated by antidepressants, divorce and weight changes or fluctuations. Although genetics clearly play a role, several factors within our control contribute significantly to an aged appearance.
MY TOP TEN ways to reduce facial aging.
Avoid sun exposure. Ultraviolet light damages your skin. This show up as wrinkles, superficial growths and skin cancer. Wear a hat in the sun and use sunblock everyday.
Keep your skin clean and moisturized. The common denominators of all skin care programs are a cleansor and a moisturizer. Combined with sunblock, it is all you really need.
Don’t smoke. The pursing of the lips accentuates lip wrinkles while the chemicals in tobacco products damages your entire body, including your skin. The risks of all sorts of cancers also increases.
Avoid weight fluctuation. Dramatic weight changes are even worse. Skin can only be stretched so many times or so much before it starts to sag.
Wear sun glasses. Also, if you wear corrective lenses, wear your prescription correction as well. Both of these will reduce squinting which makes crows feet and lower eyelid bags more prominent. This will also reduce your risk for cataracts.
Drink plenty of water. Hydrated skin is health skin. The natural water content of skin will always make it look less wrinkles when constantly being replenished.
Eat healthy. This of course goes hand in hand with appropriate weight maintenance. A balanced diet will provide proper nutrition with a reduced risk of unhealthy weight gain or loss.
Choose your future spouse carefully. As noted above, the stress of divorce adds years to facial aging.
Cultivate a sunny disposition. Do your best to avoid depression. Certainly this is much easier said than done! Patients frequently come to my office saying they feel like they have aged several years after loosing a loved one. If depressed, only use antidepressants under the supervision of a physician. It is hard to say whether it is the depression or the antidepressant medications, but their use seems to contribute to aging.
Keep your teeth and a healthy smile. Tooth loss leads to bone loss in the upper and lower jaws. The central face becomes sunken and aged in appearance. Flossing, regular teeth cleaning and dental care will reduce periodontal gum disease, which is the leading cause of tooth loss.
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