the new age

To Botox or not to Botox...that is the question. Everyone wants to look younger. But you don't have to invest in plastic surgery or Botox injections to get a youthful look. Gerald Imber, M.D. (www.drimber.com), a renowned plastic surgeon, offers some basic tips that will help you begin to slow and reverse the effects of aging.

DON'T…

Don’t Smoke. The result is loss of elasticity, sagging and wrinkles.

Don’t gain or lose weight repeatedly. Skin that does not respond to weight loss by shrinking looks loose, empty and haggard. The older you are or the more weight you need to lose, the more likely this problem will arise. Avoid significant weight gain, lose slowly and, above all, find your optimal weight and maintain it..

Don’t get too thin. Hollow cheeks and thin skin makes an adult look frail, weak and old.

Don’t Run. At least don’t be a long-term, long-distance jogger. The loss of fat padding in the cheeks as well as the constant rising and pounding down which lifts and pulls the facial skin away from the underlying muscles and bones causes the skin to sag. These things have a negative effect on one’s appearance.

Don’t do Facial exercises. They cause wrinkles.

Avoid the Sun. It’s the primary accelerator of loosening and wrinkling of the skin. It causes pigment changes, sunspots and other unsightly eruptions.

Don’t Passively Stretch Skin. When you prop your hand on your cheek or wash and apply products in a downward motion, you are passively stretching your skin.

DO…

Cleanse, use anti-oxidants and moisturizers.

Towel off briskly for exfoliation. It helps remove heaped-up dead skin cells and allows healthy young cells to reach the surface. Always go from the down to up direction to avoid stretching the skin downward to help gravity. Be gentle and do not apply much pressure.

Apply skin treatments and serums to clean, dry skin.

Make sure anti-oxidants penetrate the skin.Vitamin C and vitamin E are among the most potent antioxidants for treating the skin, but if they can’t get into the skin, they can’t work their magic. Dr. Imber created Youth Corridor (www.youthcorridor.com) Antioxidant Boost Skin Serum with 10% Vitamin C, E and Melatonin to allow a larger dose of antioxidants to penetrate through the keratinized layer of the skin due to melatonin’s lipophillic nature.

Moisturizers with a sun screen are a must to protect from the sun. If a sunscreen is used separately it should be applied before the moisturizer so it can penetrate.

Feel like you can't follow all of these commandments? Don't fret. You might get frown lines. Just do what you can and you'll be looking younger in no time.