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You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old. – George Burns

The list reiterates that it is indeed impossible to make heads turn without straining a sinew!

Factors that control Aging

In your daily life it is common for you to come across people of the same age who exhibit a marked difference in the way they grow old. While some succeed in defying age, others are quick to stoop to the ravages of time.

Research has revealed the presence of a biological clock that faithfully ticks away from the time of your birth till you die. In other words, this means that from the moment you are born, you are endowed with a certain cellular potential that steadily ebbs with time. The rate at which your cells multiply is finite after which they stop and die (senescence).

There are several factors that influence the way you age.

They may be categorized as intrinsic (internal) and/or extrinsic (external) factors.

1. Intrinsic factors

There are certain factors within you that influence the way you age. You may have little or no control over them.

Genes – Your genes have a mammoth role to play in the manner and rate at which you age! If you belong to a ‘youthful’ family, you too would tend to look young despite your age.

Telomeres – While discussing genes, it is only appropriate to learn a little about telomeres which are specialized structures, found at the tail end of chromosomes, that play an undisputed role in cellular aging. Research has revealed that the size of the telomeres gradually wanes with age. As you age the telomeres get shorter like the eraser at the end of a pencil.

Hormones – Are your hormones all over the place? Just remember that an imbalance in hormones can, without doubt, fast- forward aging.

Cellular inflammation– Aging is also characterized by cellular inflammation, a process ultimately leads to cell death.

2. Extrinsic factors

There are several external triggers that influence the way you age. They may be environmental factors or your own lifestyle choices.Let us take a peek-a-boo at a few of them.

Sunlight- The sun sustains life on earth but over- exposure to sun rays speeds up the aging process. The free radicals produced by the UV rays damages the DNA in skin cells, impair collagen production, destroy elastin and ruin your skin’s ability to regenerate and repair.

Cigarette Smoking – Nicotine breaks down skin cells at a faster pace. As a result, long- time smokers develop wrinkles and a sallow, sagging skin.

Excessive Alcohol – It is all very well to enjoy a ‘shot on the rocks’ but remember that alcohol is an established neurotoxin, which speeds up the normal aging process.

Stress– Are you the kind of person who worries in a hurry? Beware! A person’s ability to handle stress has a great influence on the way he ages.

Facial Exercises– A few facial exercises which were initially promoted as anti- dote to aging are now believed to enhance wrinkles and emphasize facial lines.

Unhealthy diet – Look before you eat. If you are on a weight watch just remember that a poor, ill – balanced diet, will rob your skin of its natural sheen. On the other hand, a greasy or a jumbo diet too can affect your overall health and usher in premature aging!

Pollution – If you want to stay youthful for a long, long time stay away from the heat and dust! Pollution produces oxidants on the skin surface, which work on the skin cells and destroys them.

Wrinkles and Anti Wrinkles Creams

If you desire to stay young for a long, long time, it is important to know about wrinkles, why they appear, what can be done to remove them and how they can be prevented.

In the deeper layers of the skin there is a network of collagen and elastin. These are proteins that are required to provide support to the skin’s surface layers and to keep it firm and taut.

From your mid twenties onwards this network begins to loosen up, as a natural part of aging. The steady loss of collagen and elastin from your skin is estimated to be at a rate of 1.5% each year. This is when wrinkles begin to make their mark.

Natural aging and wrinkle formation are further accelerated by over exposure to the sun. Excessive sun exposure also produces other symptoms of premature aging such as fine lines, age spots, dryness and hyper pigmentation. Some of the other causes of wrinkles and fine lines on the face are habitual facial expressions, smoking, pollution, sudden weight loss and stress.

Many women (and men) swear by anti wrinkle or anti aging skin care products. There are a lot of easily available cosmetics and therapies that promise to iron out the infirmities of an aging skin. How do you know what is best for you?

Modern age-defying skin care ingredients closely resemble natural skin components to enable better absorbance of the product. Popular and reliable anti- wrinkle creams are moisturiser- based and help to replace the fast depleting store of collagen and elastin. Other anti -wrinkle creams are loaded with anti oxidants, such as vitamins C and E that counter the oxidants caused by free radicals.

Many of us may not be aware but a good sunscreen is an active part of wrinkle management. It is imperative to apply a sunscreen with Sun Protective Factor (SPF) of at least 15, twenty minutes before stepping out in the sun.

Many anti wrinkle creams contain retinol for its antioxidant properties. Alpha and beta hydroxy acids are used for their ex-foliant and rejuvenating properties. But these ingredients can deepen sun damage therefore, care must be taken to apply a sunscreen after use.

Some of your cosmetic products are harsh and do more harm than good. Hence, great care must be taken to choose the product that is right for your skin.The best of anti wrinkle creams should provide instant results; in other words there must be visible effects within a day or two of usage.It is often difficult to find a cosmetic product based on real science. It may, therefore, be prudent to draw from the resources available in your kitchen or your garden to keep those wrinkles at bay.

Anti Wrinkle Therapies

It must never be overlooked that aging cannot be stopped or completely reversed. Cosmetic skin care products, or natural ingredients, however good cannot completely set back the clock. They may help to reduce the impact of aging and work best when started early.

Therefore, for those with wrinkled or mature skin, it may be a good idea to avail of anti aging therapies. Most of these therapies are expensive and are required to be repeated periodically. Yet more and more people are resorting to them in a bid to salvage their youth. Some of the anti wrinkle therapies popularized through demand are described below-

Plastic surgery/Face lifts– This surgical procedure is also known as Rhytidectomy. Here an incision is made in front of the ear and the skin is separated from the tissues. Excess skin and fat are removed while deeper tissues are addressed in accordance to the need. The remaining skin is re-draped and the suture is tucked beneath the ear to provide a taut look. This procedure, if simple, can take 2 hours while a complicated one, done under general anesthesia, can last for nearly 6 hours. The procedure can be fairly expensive and the person may need to take some time off work.

Cosmetic fillers – You may be among the many who spend sleepless nights pondering on the possibilities available to erase facial lines. Cosmetic fillers are God-sent for you as they promise to take a few years off your face by eliminating crow’s feet, wrinkles and other expression lines.

Botulinum (trade name – Botox) is a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. Commonly associated with food poisoning, this neurotoxin is also a powerful muscle relaxant which, when used as a filler, is injected into specific facial regions. This helps to plump out wrinkles and even skin tone. This procedure requires repeated sittings for best effect and is not without its share of side effects.

Restylane is the latest filler on the prowl. It is synthetic and is based on hyaluronic acid, a natural substance. It is biodegradable, FDA approved and is available in a gel form. It is also recommended to make lips look fuller, something which Botox fails to do.Bovine collagen and human collagen are also available to be used as fillers.

Laser resurfacing- Resurfacing is a procedure used to renew the skin by removing old cells and allowing fresh ones to surface. This can be done by dermabrasion, radio frequency ablation or by using chemical peels such as glycolic acid peels or alpha hydroxy peels. Laser resurfacing is the latest to be added to the list.During this technique laser from a hand devise is focused onto the dermis of the skin to stimulate natural collagen production. Dead skin cells are exfoliated and the skin glows anew from renewal.The ablative laser resurfacing is effective in treating problems in the epidermis and the upper layers of the dermis, such as freckles and age spots. The non-ablative type, on the other hand, is effective in treating wrinkles by penetrating the layers of the dermis and stimulating collagen production.Some discomfort is natural and minimal side effects may be expected. Both these procedures require many sittings to maximize the impact.

Super Foods that Fight Aging

A good diet not only improves your health but also impacts the way you look. Foods rich in anti oxidants and vitamins can actually help to reverse aging.

Calorie restriction, or eating less than what you actually require, has an anti aging effect contrary to what most people believe. Experiments carried out on lab animals have reported increased longevity as a result of calorie restriction. Whether these results can be extrapolated to humans is anyone’s guess as they remain to be proved. But there is reason to believe that what holds good for these animals would prove to be good for humans too.

Some of the popular anti aging diets are the GI diet, raw diet and the Okinawan diet. Some people swear by the Mediterranean diet to remain young.

Most anti aging diets have been whipped up from the belief that calorie restriction increases lifespan and promotes youthfulness. These diets are designed to replenish the depleting stock of cells by supplying nutrition for new ones. There is an emphasis on not missing out on essential nutrients. Unhealthy dieting can aggravate signs of aging and can do more harm than good.The Glycemic Index (GI) diet, which is popular among dieters recommends a balanced diet of multi-grain breads, oats, fruits, soy drinks, vegetables and other nourishments as a part of the dieting regime. The GI diet is reputed to restore health and visibly reduce the signs of aging.

Simple Tips to Slow Aging

1. Sunny side down– Treat the sun with respect. Never step outside without applying sunscreen. If you are sensitive to sunlight wear protective clothing and use accessories such as gloves, hats or and umbrellas while stepping out.

2. For that glowing skin-Follow the Cleaning-Toning-Moisturizing (CTM) skin care regimen religiously. Exfoliate by using a gentle scrub once or twice a week. Refrain from using harsh soaps, as they tend to rob your skin of moisture. Use a herbal face pack once a week. It is important to begin early to keep those wrinkles in check.

3. You are WHAT you EAT! To a large extent your diet determines the rate at which you age. Make sure you eat balanced meals. Steer clear of junk food and high- calorie items if you are interested in retaining a youthful look.

4. You are HOW you EAT!.Nothing can be worse than wolfing down food without appreciating it! Relish your meal and eat it slowly by chewing it well. Take at least 20 minutes to finish a meal. This will ease digestion, lower stress and will make sure that the food that you ate works in your favor.

5. Rainbow of youth – Go green everyday-make sure you include fresh leafy vegetables. Go for bright colored vegetables and fruits as they will provide the much- needed anti oxidants.

6. Water, water and more! Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day to keep yourself hydrated and wrinkle –free.

7. Kick the butt if you don’t want those wrinkles mocking at you from the mirror.

8. Stretch those legs regularly to ensure that you stay fit and fine. Walking, or doing moderate exercises regularly, for at least 30 minutes each day, will slow down aging.

9. Posture perfect – It pays to be rod ram straight! Maintain correct posture to stop the stoop. Also remember to walk with your head straight if you do not want a premature double chin.

10. Bust the stress – Stress robs us of our youth by contributing to wrinkles and premature graying. It affects overall health and well being. It is important to identify the cause and work towards busting the stress. Be a master of your emotions and not a slave to them. Steer clear of negative thoughts and practice relaxation techniques to beat stress.

11. Laugh to stay young!It is well known that humor heals and rejeuvenates. Laugh more to live long.

12. Fight Age with forty winks –It is all very well to follow a skin care routine but did you know that sleep is an important part of skin care? As your body ages you need 8 hours of sound rest to rejuvenate and recover from the damages imposed during the day. So make sure you grab those forty winks everyday!

13. Detox- Your skin condition is an indicator of your general health. If there is an accumulation of toxins in your body it will be reflected on your skin. 8-12 glasses of water a day and a detox diet once a week will flush out the harmful toxins from your body. Follow a detox routine to achieve a flawless, satin – smooth skin.

14. Rock and Romp- An active sex life is linked with better health, a heightened sense of well being, and a longer life. Sex triggers the release of endorphins in the brain and generates a natural ‘high’. A good round of sex also burns calories. All this possibly explains why you ‘feel good’ after sex. No matter what your age, rock and romp to look young and feel good!

15. Your brain is a muscle. Use it or lose it!

Ultimately it is all in the mind. Your attitude determines your altitude – so instead of being fixated on looking young, go about working on feeling young.

Q: Whom should I consult for my cosmetic problems related to aging?

A: It depends on the intensity of your problem. For smaller problems your beautician might be able to help you. But if the problem is more severe it is better to consult a dermatologist who may, if the need arises, direct you to a cosmetic surgeon.

Q:  Is it enough to apply sunscreen just once before stepping out?

A: Sunscreens have to be applied at an interval of 2-3 hours for best results.

Q: What is sun protection factor (SPF)?

A: SPF indicates the time that a person can remain in the sun without getting sun burnt.

Q: Are there risks involved in cosmetic surgeries/procedures?

A: Like any other procedure carried out on the human body, there are risks involved. However, it is largely safe when carried out by an expert.

Q: What is Mediterranean diet?

A: A modern diet based on the eating habits of a group of senior citizens who live in Okinawa, off coastal Japan.

Q: What is Okinawan diet?

A: A modern diet based on the eating habits of a group of senior citizens who live in Okinawa, off coastal Japan.

Q: What is Glycemic Index diet?

A: GI index runs from 0-100. Glucose has an index of 100 and the effect of other foods on the blood sugar levels are compared to this.