How do the Babyboomers-and I am in that group- feel about appearance, and other related aspects of growing older? First of all, most of us have looked into a mirror in the last few years and gasped (if only to ourselves) "Oh, God, I'm 50!" Orthopharmaceuticals, makers of the wrinkle treatment Renova, wanted the answer to that same question, so they did a survey. The results of the survey of 1200 Americans between the ages of
35 and 55 were as follow:
1. Babyboomers believe that old age begins at 79; but that it began at age 50 for their parents.
2. Three out of four say they look younger than their years.
3. They believe facial wrinkles are a prime indicator of age.
4. Most, but not all, respondents thought wrinkles are a professional and personal asset in men; but not in women.
5. Women lie about their age, because they believe that age is a handicap in the modern world.
6. Many men are finding age to be a handicap in the business world who would have not thought so a few years ago.
These are the primary reasons that the number of facelifts performed in the United States jumped a whopping 188% between 1989 and 1999. Of facial surgeries, 53% were done on women between the ages of 30 and 49. As you can see, women aren't the only ones worrying about appearance. The other 47% facial surgeries weren't performed on pets.
Not only is cosmetic surgery usually major surgery, it comes with a high price and a long recovery period. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. Even if you can afford the high price tag, do you have the time to take off to recover? You do not want to go to the office looking as if you were the victim of a mugging or worse.
Fortunately, there are effective means to erase the visible signs of aging that are less invasive, less costly, and less painful.
A chemical peel, or deep exfoliation, involves the application of a chemical to the skin (as the name implies) to cause mild destruction of the surface of the skin. It works on the upper layers of the skin. The new collagen that is deposited results in a cosmetic improvement. The healing process occurs in a controlled manner and may result in reduced scars, wrinkles, correction of pigmentation irregularities and decrease in sun damage and precancerous growths.
It is very effective on acne scars.
Glycolic Acid Peel and Trichloroacetic Acid Peel are the two preferred peeling agents. Trichloroacetic Acid has been used for years in concentrations from 15 to 35 percent. It is a light peeling agent; and if given every two to four weeks, it can give good results without the risk of scarring or uneven pigmentation.
Trichloroacetic Acid mixed with a blue solution is getting a lot of press lately. It is called the Obagi Blue Peel because of its color. It is a one to four step procedure and is far gentler than the Glycolic Acid Peel that involves deeper penetration and slower healing. The Obagi Blue Peel process can be tailored to the nature of your problem. It peels the skin lightly in a controlled manner. There are no internal toxic effects, because it is not absorbed
through the skin. Your skin will begin to peel within 2 to 3 days and should be completely healed in an average of 7 to 10 days.
The Obagi Blue Peel (right) can be used on the face, hands, neck, chest, back, arms, or legs using the same technique. It is a medical procedure and should be used only by a physician, or someone working under a physician.
 |
- Babyboomers believe that old age begins at 79, but that it began at age 50 for their parents.
- Three out of four say they look younger than their years.
- They believe facial wrinkles are a prime indicator of age.
- Most but not all respondents thought wrinkles are a professional and personal asset in men, but not in women.
- Women lie about their age because they believe that age is a handicap in the modern world
|
|
LASER SKIN RESURFACING (Laser Peel)
Laser resurfacing is still a relatively new procedure. However, it has been shown that this surgical method produces less bleeding, bruising, and post-operative discomfort than is typically seen with other types of resurfacing methods.
Laser resurfacing is performed using a beam of laser energy that vaporizes the upper layers of damaged skin at specific and controlled levels of penetration. It removes the areas of damaged skin layer by layer. This procedure is most commonly used to minimize fine lines around the mouth and the eyes, but it can also be used effectively in treating facial scars or areas of uneven pigmentation.
Laser resurfacing offers many advantages over other methods; precision, little or no bleeding, and very little post-operative discomfort. On the other hand, laser resurfacing isn't for everyone. In some cases, an alternative skin resurfacing treatment may still have to be used.
As with chemical peels, the outer layers of damaged skin are stripped away. As new cells form during the recovery phase, a smoother, tighter, younger-looking skin surface appears. Because the process is new, there is no long-term data available. For superficial or medium resurfacing, the laser can be limited to the epidermis and papillary dermis. For deeper resurfacing, the upper levels of the reticular dermis can also be removed. Varied penetration allows treatment
of specific spots or wrinkles. The more aggressive technique of deeper penetration means a more prolonged recovery time. It is usually more advisable to opt for lighter procedures repeated several times. This achieves the desired results with less recovery.
Since, in most cases, wrinkles form near the eyes and mouth, the laser can be precisely controlled so that only these specific areas are targeted.
Having laser resurfacing or any other type of peel can help to enhance your appearance and boost your self-confidence, but it won't remove all facial flaws. Lines that occur as a result of natural movements of the face; smiling, blinking, talking, frowning, etc. will inevitably recur. Your doctor will suggest ways to help you preserve your results by protecting yourself from sun exposure and using good skin care.
Before having any cosmetic procedure done, check out the doctor and his or her staff. Get referrals. Ask to see before and after photos of his work. Most doctors' offices now have computer-enhanced imagery that will show you what your new skin will look like.
We Babyboomers are not going to "age gracefully." We are going to fight it every step of the way. If science and technology continue on the course they have been on, we will all look as if we have a "Dorian Gray Photo" at home that is doing our aging. |
