Anti-Aging Straight Talk

Thermage could also be called “the new Botox.” It’s been touted on Oprah and written about in magazines.

Thermage is a non-surgical, non-invasive procedure that involved no recovery time - which is no doubt a big selling point! It is FDA-approved for skin tightening, facial and body contouring, and recently also became approved for cellulite treatment.

Since no aesthetic is needed, it can be a relatively easy outpatient procedure - performed at a doctor’s office with a hand-held device that emits radiofrequency energy. This energy delivers a controlled heat deep into the underlying collagen structures. The heat causes the collagen to contract and thicken, thereby reducing wrinkling and skin laxity and promoting a denser, firmer, toned skin.

Whether you go for Thermage, Botox, or prefer to be au natural - remember that a large part of the anti-aging process starts from the inside out. You can, in part, control how your body ages with the types of supplements you take, food you eat, and how you exercise. Read more about my tips and research on anti-aging from the inside out in my Report.

Sure, a big chunk of the anti-aging market goes to baby boomers and those noticing new fine lines and wrinkles as they age - but another subset of that market belongs to Gen X and Gen Y, who are helping to fuel the cosmeceutical market. Cosmetic products that offer some additional benefits - are expected to reach $16 billion in 2007, and $21 billion by 2012. Even babies have a peice of the pie: $35 infant moisturizers are among the hot sellers.

“The assortment of cosmeceutical products is constantly broadening,” says Timothy Dowd, senior analyst and author of the report. “While the term once only included things like anti-aging serums, it now covers lipsticks made with sunscreens, shampoos that soothe the scalp, and even eye cosmetics that offer skin benefits.”

So what’s to come? Dowd predicts that marketers will begin to place a much greater emphasis on organic claims - and he expects that marketers will increasingly push the envelope on the nature of the benefits products promise. “We’ll begin to see more and more claims that are potently medical,” he predicts, as well as an increase in claims of stress reduction and cancer prevention.

So - as always, buyer beware. Know what your own body needs, and keep at least some of your focus on aging from the INSIDE out!

You know the saying, “take a little wine for your health?” Well, there could actually be some merit to that- AND it may tie in to anti-aging benefits as well. A new longevity study is based on dosing mice with resveratrol - an ingredient in red wine. However, many scientists believe it is too early to take resveratrol, especially using wine as the source of the component.

Some scientists are already taking resveratrol in capsule form, but some researches say to hold off until there is better data on its safety and effectiveness.The basis of the study ties into improved tissue maintenance - which may extend life by cutting down on the occurances of degenerative aging diseases. The reflex can be prompted by caloric restriction, which extends the life of laboratory rodents by up to 30 percent but is far too hard for most people to keep up.

That’s where resveratrol comes in. Research started nearly 20 years ago by Dr. Leonard Guarente showed recently that the famine-induced switch to tissue preservation might be triggered by activating the body’s sirtuins. These components can be activated by - you guessed it! - natural compounds, including resveratrol.

For more info on aging from the inside-out, check out my Report.

I wrote a post recently about anti-aging aftershave for men, and it seems like that’s only one product that is enticing the male market toward anti-aging procedures. We hear a lot about women going in for botox procedures, spa treatments, buying creams and pills to reduce the outward signs of aging, but to be fair, in the US, the men’s grooming market is worth $3.5 billion. This is money spent by men on vitamins, supplements, diets, exercise, skincare products, and of course, cosmetic surgery.

From nose reshaping to liposuction, men are relying on cosmetic surgery more than ever before to increase their sense of well-being and sense of youthfulness. I, of course, know that only you can decide what you need to do to feel better as you age, but I believe anti-aging is more than skin deep. Sure, it shows up on our skin, but tacking the clock from the inside out may have some of the best benefits.

It all comes back to knowing your body and not being sucked in by a fad. I talk more about this knowledge in my Report - about knowing your hormone levels, and understanding what vitamins, supplements and foods are important to your specific anti-aging routine. After all, a procedure - whether external or internal - varies for everyone!

So many people are getting on board with the ideas I express in my Report - it’s fantastic that others are making the changes they need to feel younger and live a longer, healthier life. After all, what fun is it to live a long life if you’re uncomfortable and unhealthy?!

One of the biggest things you can do to reverse the effects of aging isn’t to pick the right face cream or go to the right plastic surgeon! Quite simply, it’s to eat the right things. Of course, it’s more complex than that - and you can get into as much detail as you want when reading my findings - but one of the most basic and healthy things to do is to look at what you’re eating. The bloggers over at BeautyEditorPost have this to say:

“Fruits, veggies, green tea along with foods that are loaded with anti-oxidants are a good bet. It has been suggested that eating small amounts 3 to 5 times a day is the best way to go.

Foods rich in anti-oxidants … neutralize the free radicals that are responsible age related troubles, such as memory loss, heart disease, cancer, and help win the battle against oxidative stress (too many free radicals) that are responsible for these conditions. ”

And keep in mind that your body needs 1 gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight, and if you exercise - which you should be! - you may need to increase the amount of protein.

Additionally, drink lots of water each day. A good guide for this is to remember your body needs half your body weight in ounces of water each day. And no, these numbers don’t take into account the water in your coffee or tea!