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Healthy lifestyle and the science of good skin care

22 July 2012 Last updated at 22:01 ET Share this page Sun protection is one of the main issues in good skin care

Looking younger for longer is a popular obsession but what's the scientific truth about younger looking skin, asks plastic surgeon Dr Rozina Ali.

Plastic surgeons are not exempt from ageing or the concerns of ageing. We really are all in this together.

But I was in for a nasty surprise recently when I agreed to be photographed using a camera which reveals the underlying but as yet unseen wrinkles developing in the skin.

I love the warmth and soporific feel of the sun on my face through the car window when I'm driving, but the test clearly showed the effects of accumulated hours of driving.

There was significantly more damage to the skin on the right side of my face from the many extra hours of extra exposure to sunlight.

more fine wrinkles were detected on the right hand side of Dr Rozina Ali's face

I had sort of suspected it. I just hadn't realised the damage would be that marked.

I use sun cream with full UVA and full UVB protection.

The UVB radiation is what causes sunburn, but protection from UVA radiation is also important. UVA radiation penetrates deeper, damaging our DNA and causing the release of an enzyme, which degrades the collagen that gives skin its elastic quality.

I've been vigilant about sun protection for the past several years now. I may have learnt late, but I have learnt and I'll keep up the effort – It's absolutely worth it!

Perceived age

People often say how young I look, but most of it I dismiss as wind and smoke, or I attribute it to my genes and make-up, or simply my generally playful attitude.

But a second test I underwent was superbly flattering, by seriously underestimating my age based on the appearance of my skin, as well as identifying one contributory factor, again in our diet.

A panel were asked to guess my age, but only my facial skin was visible and my eyes were closed to prevent any personality peeping out.

I was initially a bit put out that the judgement would be made by non-experts, but the number of people used to review the age of the test subject is so large that it evens out variations and they do get quite a good estimate.

The test was developed to investigate the link between sugar in our diet and perceived age. my blood sugar level was low which was consistent with a younger appearance.

People with higher blood sugar tend to look older on average, with diabetics looking older still, according to the findings.

This is attributed to the damage sugar can do to the collagen in our skin whose function deteriorates as we get older.

"once it gets attached to collagen, it makes the collagen brittle and more likely to break and it is also more difficult for the skin to repair itself," says Dr David Gunn, senior scientist at Unilever.

There is a whole new exciting science called glycobiology which looks at lipids and sugars and their role in our bodies that is only now being developed.

It promises to shed light on the differences between young skin and ageing skin, in particular the role of glycans in repairing damaged skin.

The cosmetics industry is becoming more closely allied with science and pharmaceuticals – but I'll be honest. As a woman I don't expect many things I buy across the counter to actually live up to their promises! It's mostly about the packaging, the smell, the luxurious brand you want to be linked with.

To actually have products that work too would be a great step forward.

Healthy living

Of course we none of us last forever, but if we can be as healthy as possible, our skin is a marker of general health – the state of our lungs, heart cardiovascular system, bowels, etc.

As for my own profession, of course, it's true, plastic surgery can alter appearance, often radically. And yes, I can do things that nature didn't intend — but only to the extent that the patient can accept scars, down-time, and other factors.

There are also additional non-surgical methods of rejuvenation including skin tightening procedures, replenishing reserves of glycans (fillers), paralyzing muscles which cause unwanted wrinkles (Botox), and prescription medication to improve skin quality.

Ravages of time

But as a surgeon, I'm not at all about camouflage and cover-up, I'm about health and well-being. If it happens to make you look better or younger – that's a bonus.

I always advise that ageing, maturing, living is a multi-dimensional process. It takes time.

It would be naïve to think that undoing its ravages can be about a quick-fix or one-off approach.

That's why I promote discipline and personal responsibility, and for people doing things for themselves – eating less, eating better, exercising moderately, sleeping heartily, reducing stress, getting a sensible work-life balance, doing things which are personally fulfilling.

That is health and a life well-lived. Looking good but being unhealthy or unhappy isn't.

Any hopes of slowing or reversing processes involved with ageing depends on understanding them and that requires the rigorous research and testing of medical science.

Science and hope go together in medicine, that's why I love it.

Dr Rozina Ali presents Horizon: the Truth About Looking Young on BBC Two at 21:00 BST on Mon 23 July. Watch online afterwards (UK only) or watch clips at the above link.

Healthy lifestyle and the science of good skin care

What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes?

As we age, we discover that one of the most noticeable changes to our appearance involves the eye area. Perhaps the most common complaint I receive as a specialist in cosmetic eyelid rejuvenation is that my patients have heard from others that they look sick or tired, even when they are feeling well and rested.

The origin of such unwanted comments is typically the nonverbal messages the lower eyelid region sends as we age.  This area can be affected by many different factors which each contribute to the appearance of dark circles under the eyes—the first is the convexity or concavity of the lower eyelid fat. If the lower eyelid fat protrudes into the lower lid region, it often catches overhead shadows.

Take a look at the shadows demonstrated by the blue arrows in the photo of this patient whom I helped with my lower eyelid rejuvenation surgery.

Because most light is above us in our world (consider sunlight outside and room lights inside), this light is likely to cast a shadow over the protruding fat that becomes visible on the skin under the lower eyelid fat. The result of the shadowing is unattractive, dark circles, sending a message of fatigue or illness.

A converse problem relating to lower eyelid fat is rare but can occur occasionally and involves the lack of fat in the lower eyelid region, causing a sunkenin appearance that similarly catches and displays shadows in the lower eyelid skin. This is the second cause of dark circles under the eyes and can be seen in the case of this patient who had sunkenin circles, which caught shadows as shown by the blue arrows, and made the eyes appear to have dark circles.

I helped him by injecting Restylane® along the bone in this region to raise the skin and decrease the shadowing.

The third factor contributing to the appearance of dark circles under the eyes is dark pigment, which can deposit in the skin in the lower eyelid region. This is usually the result of sun exposure over a lifetime.

Notice the before surgery photo of this patient who had multiple dark age spots and pigment in the skin of the lower eyelid, demonstrated by the blue arrows. these spots, along with the upper and lower eyelid appearance, were helped with my upper and lower eyelid rejuvenation techniques.

A forth factor patients experience leading to dark circles under the eyes is the underlying vessels transmitting through the thin skin in the lower eyelid region. This can be seen in the photo of this patient who had two causes of dark circles under her eyes. she had the fullness catching shadows but, as this photo demonstrates, she also had thin skin showing the pink vessels in this region as demonstrated by the blue arrows.

Finally, the fifth factor, which can play a role in the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, is the presence of lower eyelid and cheek swelling, known as lower eyelid, cheek festoons and malar mounds. This can be seen by the blue arrows in the photo of this patient pointing to the festoons before I helped her with my lower eyelid rejuvenation procedures.

These are the five most common causes of dark circles under the eyes:1. Fullness below the eyes catching shadows.2. Hollowing under the eyes catching shadows.3. Brown pigment or age spots in the skin below the eyes.4. Thin skin and redness showing through the skin in the region below the eyes.5. Festoons and malar mounds catching shadows in the lower eyelid and cheek regions.

While these five common causes of dark eye circles can result in less than optimal nonverbal messages, there are options available to treat them, rejuvenating the appearance and cleaningup facial messages to restore effective non verbal communication.

Helping my patients with these issues is a true joy. I experience great satisfaction when patients report to me after I help them that others in the world better relate to them because these various causes of dark circles have been improved.

For more information on cosmetic eyelid rejuvenation, festoons, dark circles under the eyes, or services available for cosmetic surgery Tampa, including blepharoplasty and Botox, visit http://www.adamscheinermd.com.

What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes?

Is Your Diet Causing Wrinkles?

Aging is a natural sequence of life, yet many of us can’t face it gracefully. Grey hair, sagging skin and ugly wrinkles are by products of the aging process. every one of us hates wrinkles and wish they would never occur, but aging and wrinkled skin are inevitable. As despairing as it sounds there are solutions available to delay the advent of aging and wrinkles. Wrinkles refer to those thin and creased lines that appear on the softer portions of our body like the face, neck and hands and results in sagging skin due to decreased elasticity of the skin. along with the natural aging process, exposure to sun, wind and environmental elements cause the appearance of wrinkles in many people over a certain age. But there are others, who are more prone to the attack of wrinkles at an early age because of genetic factors, lifestyle and behavioral choices. Individuals exposed to UV radiation from sunlight, either due to their profession or location of residence as well as heavy smokers are especially prone to the early development of wrinkles.

Individuals with lighter complexions experience premature appearance of wrinkles, while those with darker complexions are less prone to their development. due to the larger presence of melanin, the skins of the latter group suffer a reduced level of penetration of UV rays from sunlight. Rapid weight loss over a short time span also causes development of wrinkles because of the loss of fat cells. Free radical damage is considered one of the most vital source of skin damage and appearance of wrinkles. these free radicals severely harm the skin by breaking down the skins support structures. They diminish elasticity of skin and the resilience of skin is lost and the aging process sets in.

Antioxidants are meant to reduce the damage caused by free radicals. When antioxidant protection is inadequate in our body, free radicals cause damage. The activities of free radicals can be neutralized through antioxidants abundant in vitamins A, C, and E, beta carotene, selenium, zinc and more. thus by consuming foods and vitamins rich in antioxidants and through the application of skin care products rich in antioxidants, you can stall the process of wrinkling of skin. there is more than one way to combat unwanted wrinkles and creases on your skin.

The author usually order computer support online. he is fond of bathroom renovations, and other home renovation accesories. There’re more information about it at aplus.net

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