healingways Anti-Aging
Skincare Turn Back the Clock with New Treatments and Breakthroughs
by Linda Sechrist
With aging still a largely mysterious process, current seekers of perpetual youth and beauty are urging scientists to find ways to slow or even re- verse it. New tools to fight lines, wrinkles and sagging skin excite the imagination.
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oday’s anti-aging toolbox is filled with promise. Tools range from at-home strengthening and refining creams to com- mercial treatment technologies such as cold laser, intense pulsed light (IPL), light-emitting diode (LED), microdermabrasion, photofacials, and skin tightening and rejuvenating ultrasound. Acu- puncture facelifts make use of ancient Chinese techniques. Then there are the more invasive injectables, fillers and chemical peels. How do we know what is best for us?
to maintain cosmetic work performed by skincare profes- sionals. Popular, non-invasive techniques are explained here. Many take it a step further with a meditation practice designed to develop and project inner, spiritual beauty. Gua Sha. This Chinese technique (pronounced GWA SHA) uses a small medicinal board to gently massage, manipulate and stimulate energy points along the face. The objective is to promote a normal flow of energy, or qi (pro- nounced KEE), and blood circulation and to remove toxins. It also supports, lymph drainage.
Good genes, a healthy lifestyle and skilled beauty enhancements can slow the clock of aging.
Whatever one’s chosen tools, Hema Sun- daram, author of Face Value: The Truth about Beauty—and a Guilt-Free Guide to Finding It, believes that women at any age have every right to pursue the outward expression of their inner beauty. The Washington, D.C.-based medical doctor and board-certified dermatologist, who specializes in cosmetic surgery, supports a woman’s freedom to choose, without embarrassment or criticism. She empha- sizes the positive effects of cosmetic procedures performed for the right reasons and notes, “Restoring the balance between a woman’s inner and outer selves can transform her life.” An at-home anti-aging regimen aimed at retarding time’s telltales and enhancing beauty lays the foundation for an effective partnership with an esthetician or dermatologist. Performed consistently, do-it-yourself treatments can help
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~ Dr. Hema Sundaram, owner, Sundaram Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center, Rockville, Maryland, and Fairfax, Virginia.
Gua sha activates inner vitality by stimulating both the superficial and deep muscles that control facial expression. Beauty benefits include a brighter complexion and a reduc- tion in the appearance of wrinkles, dark under-eye circles and puffy eyes. It also lifts sagging at the neck and jaw. Hypnox. This 25-minute guided hypnotherapeutic audio recording is touted as a natural alternative to the neu- rotoxin Botox. Instead of paralyzing targeted facial muscles, which inhibits natural facial expression, Hypnox targets and retrains the same muscles to stop habitual frowning, lip puckering and squinting. The process is said to promote overall relaxation, allowing wrinkles to fade away. Facercize. Muscle resistance training helps tone and enliven the 30 muscles of the face to render more youthful- looking features. Muscle fibers literally smooth out, shorten and lift the attached skin on the face and neck. Enzyme Mask. A weekly exfoliating fruit enzyme mask gently dissolves dead surface cells and embedded impurities, while restoring hydration. Adding an organic, fruit-based peel of alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids supplies an ideal boost that can result in an even brighter complexion and firmer looking skin. Retinols. These naturally occurring forms of vitamin A are a gentler, over-the-counter version of retinoids. They likewise promote healthy cell renewal and collagen production. Gentle Microdermabrasion. At-home microdermabrasion kits work to reduce the visibility of pores and fine lines. Many come with battery-operated brushes, aluminum-free scrubs, balancing toners and moisturizing se- rums; look for natural ingredients. Microcurrent Facial Sculpting. “Electrical stimulation forces facial muscles to do sit-ups,” says Charlene Handel, owner of Skin Fitness, Etc., in Carlsbad, California. Twenty years of experi- ence with handheld commercial products have convinced this certified holistic esthetician that if the current can’t be felt, it isn’t doing the job. Trained by Elina Fedotova, CEO of Elina Organics and founder of the Association of Holistic Skin Care Practitio- ners, Handel cautions that techniques intended to move skincare products beyond the outermost dermal layer—such as microcurrent, cold laser, ultrasound and LED—should be 100 percent natural and organic. “Read labels to find the USDA Organic seal and avoid subjecting skin to synthetic chemicals and ingredients that contain petroleum deriva- tives from crude oil; artificial fragrances, which frequently
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