Category: Anti Aging
Botox treatments – What you should know
The Truth About Botox Treatments
One way to fight back against wrinkles is to use injected fillers. One of the most popular injected fillers on the market today is Botox. Even though so many people use it, you need to find out the facts before you decide to try it, starting with the simplest question:
What is Botox?
We know that many consider Botox the eighth wonder of the world, but what is it really? In simplest terms, Botox is short for Botulinum toxin Type A and it comes from the bacterium, clostridium botulinum. The botulism toxin is one of the deadliest organisms on earth to humans. So, why inject it into the face?
While this toxin can lay waste to thousands if ingested, it has a feature that many have found useful in fighting the effects of aging – it reduces the appearance of wrinkles by paralyzing the muscles of the face. In the early uses of Botox, a weakened and diluted form of the toxin was normally used to inject the forehead region. This is where it was first used to combat wrinkles or frown lines that form between the eyebrows.
Today, Botox is used for other areas of the face as well. It is also used to handle muscle spasms in the face and other issues in the elderly population. So, after all this, you will need to consider the next question:
Is it Dangerous?
Botox injections are considered a non-surgical intervention for cosmetic issues but it still carries risks. The procedure is performed in the doctor’s office by a physician who has been trained in giving these injections. We have all heard about Botox parties in people’s homes but the safest way (unless a physician is administering it at the parties) is in the office where your doctor has access to treatment should something happen.
Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of Botox before beginning any treatment. The risk factors that you need to be aware of include: headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, injection site reactions, flu-like symptoms, facial pain and bleeding. This is not a comprehensive list but mentions most of the mainly reported experiences after treatment. People with allergies or nerve trouble may not make good candidates for Botox injections.
Once you have considered the risks, and have determined (with your doctor) that you are a good candidate for Botox, the next question will inevitably be:
When Will I See Results?
Many people notice a change in their appearance right away. It all depends on the depth of your wrinkles and how many you have. In a few days, it is often apparent to patients that the wrinkles have reduced. The results often last for several months. To continue with smoother skin, you can schedule another treatment at that time.
Having one successful treatment does not automatically relieve you from the risks of a Botox injection. Each treatment should be considered anew with your doctor. For whatever reason, something may have changed in the months since the first injection; new medication, illness, or allergy. Be sure to treat each subsequent injection as if it were your first.
Botox treatment is not for everyone. However, if you are experiencing wrinkles that you want to get rid of, it could be a viable alternative. Talk to your doctor first and consider all of your options.
Essential Foods In The Battle Against Aging
When it comes to fighting the signs of aging, the solution doesn’t always lie across the pharmacy counter or in the doctor’s office. Some of the best ways to grow old gracefully can be found right in your very own kitchen.
Most of the nutrients that the body needs everyday to survive are found in the foods that we eat. Unfortunately, many of us are not making the proper food choices to keep our bodies, and skin, healthy. Making a few changes to our diet can make a big difference in how we feel and look.
Antioxidants save the day
When talking about foods to eat we’re mainly talking about the general category of antioxidants in food. How does adding foods rich in antioxidants to your diet help your skin?
The body takes on a lot of stresses in a day. One byproduct of this stress, or cellular activity, is free radicals. Free radicals are unstable substances that lack an electron so they steal it from healthy cells throughout the body. This can lead to signs of aging, disease, and pain over time. Antioxidants are natural substances that are designed to neutralize the effects of free radicals. Eating foods that contain antioxidants will lower the free radical count in your body and lessen the damage they can do.
So, what should we be eating to improve our overall health and youthful appearance? Let’s take a look at some of the foods that contain nutrients essential to fighting off the aging process:
· Berries
The mighty blueberry shines in this group, but other berries like blackberries, cranberries, and raspberries all play a part in neutralizing free radicals that damage your skin. You’ll notice a theme in these berries; they all are very colorful. Stick to dark colored berries for the best nutritional punch. Berries actually help the body make collagen, the substance that supports and plumps the skin, so adding a good portion of berries to your diet every day is a smart thing to do to battle wrinkles. Berries are also loaded with Vitamins C, E, and riboflavin, as well as being a good source of fiber.
· Green Tea
Another powerhouse in the fight against free radicals, green tea has become the go-to beverage for everything from losing weight to lowering blood pressure. Green tea is known to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as antioxidants. Not only does drinking green tea improve your overall health, but many skin creams now contain green tea extract which allows you to rub it right into your skin. Green tea is also believed to help prevent some skin cancers caused by the sun’s damaging rays. Drinking green tea daily gives you a good source of Vitamins C, D, K, and riboflavin, calcium, and iron
· Nuts
You need plenty of good fatty acids to help prevent skin dryness. Adding nuts to your daily diet will provide not only healthy fatty acids, but also Vitamins A, E, riboflavin, zinc, and selenium. The Brazil nut is an especially excellent source of selenium, which helps with the skin’s elasticity by producing glutathione which neutralizes free radicals in the body; the same free radicals that are destroying our skin’s collagen and elastin. Eat a variety of nuts, including almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pine nuts, every day to add good fatty acids to your diet along with a host of essential vitamins and minerals.
· Avocados
At first glance, you may think you should stay away from avocados because they appear to be high in fat. But, most of the fat is monounsaturated and is considered a healthy fat. Avocados are rich in omega-9 fat, a powerful skin plumper which also improves dry skin, as well as Vitamin C and Vitamin E, which act together to form a strong anti-aging team. Vitamin B6 is another free radical warrior and is essential to your skin’s youthful look and healthy overall condition. Just one small avocado gives you enough B6 to meet your daily requirement.
· Carrots
This may not often make the top of the skin-health list, but there are good reasons it should. Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene. What is beta-carotene? Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A inside the body. Vitamin A is crucial for skin cell health. You may have a Vitamin A deficiency if your skin is dry. If you have light skin, eating carrots can also provide a slight SPF sun protection. Carrots also are a good source of Vitamin C which fights free radicals and promotes the creation of collagen in the skin.
· Sweet Potatoes
Another overlooked powerhouse in the battle against aging skin is sweet potatoes. Not only do these spuds deliver a healthy dose of beta-carotene and Vitamin C, but sweet potatoes also contain Vitamin E. What’s important about the combination of these two vitamins is that they work together. Vitamin E helps regenerate Vitamin C in the body, which maximizes the effectiveness of Vitamin C. This one-two punch becomes a very effective antioxidant and offers topnotch skin protection.
· Whole Grains
Vitamins A, C, and E have taken center stage in the battle against aging skin, but there’s another player in town that’s just as important; that’s the B complex group. Eating breads and cereals that are made with whole grains, as opposed to refined grains, provide B complex vitamins which are essential for healthy skin. The B Vitamins are necessary for the growth of new cells which replace the dull, dead cells. This group of vitamins also helps protect skin against stress. A shortage of B Vitamins in your diet could result in dry, rough skin; even cracking and peeling.
· Cold water fish
This group of fish includes salmon, sardines, mackerel, and fresh tuna. These may seem like a fatty bunch of fish, but the fat is the healthy kind containing omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are responsible for healthy cell membranes. These stronger cell membranes are more able to keep water in which keeps the skin cells hydrated; and hydrated cells will give us skin that is supple and younger looking. Salmon is also another source that’s high in selenium, which we know helps the body in its ongoing battle against skin damaging free radicals.
All the wrinkle reducing potions in the world won’t help if you aren’t giving your skin a fighting chance from within. Start your anti-aging battle with a healthy diet filled with nutrient rich foods. These simple, and delicious, foods are some of the easiest things you can choose to fight the effects of aging.
Fight Free Radical Damage With Anti-Aging Supplements
Everyone shares two common fears as they age – looking old and feeling old. However, there really is no reason to be afraid. You can help yourself age gracefully in many ways, one of which is supplements.
Aging isn’t easy on the body. We can start understanding the problems of aging when we learn about free radicals. Let’s use a simple analogy to explain a little about how free radicals affect the body. Free radicals crash around like demolition derby cars, causing very real damage to your entire body. Free radical damage has been blamed for everything from wrinkles to cancer.
How do you combat this destruction? We can begin by discussing what supplements are useful in fighting free radicals:
Exploring Supplements
Supplements are typically pills, tonics, creams, or herbs that are used as a way of enhancing something, in this case, your health. There are times we don’t get all the nutrition we need from the food we eat. That’s when supplements can be helpful. Here is a short list of the supplements you might want to consider to aid your body in its battle against free radical damage:
Vitamin B complex
These complex vitamins are available in many foods, yet, for whatever reason, we don’t always eat what we need to in order to get an optimum level. You can purchase vitamin B complex in your pharmacy or favorite health food store. Look for as many alternative sources for vitamin B as you can find; sources that include food and beverages as well as supplements.
Your external environment (pollutants) as well as your internal environment (emotions) contribute to free radical damage to your body. Stress, whether caused by external forces or internal forces, causes free radicals to wage war on your body; inside and out. Vitamin B complex helps relieve stress to reduce the damage caused by free radicals. Taking a vitamin B complex internally and applying it topically have both been widely accepted as important steps toward reducing free radical damage.
Antioxidants
This is a broad category of substances used as the principle fighters in the war against free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in the body rendering them inert so they stop causing damage.
The list of antioxidants includes vitamins A, C, D, E, and beta carotene. You’ll find these vitamins in many foods, but again, there are times and situations when people simply cannot get enough in the foods they eat. That’s when supplements come in handy. Check with your doctor to see if you could benefit from one or all of these supplements to help fight free radicals.
Omega-3 fatty acids
You have probably seen this one somewhere before because these little acids get a lot of press. Omega-3s help with heart and vascular health as well as increasing immunity and decreasing inflammation in the body. The most popular source of Omega-3 is cold water fish. Unfortunately, most of us don’t eat enough fish to get a good supply.
Taking fish oil supplements, specifically those that contain Omega-3s, can boost your chances of destroying more free radicals. While these powerhouse supplements are battling heart disease, you’ll also notice a few wrinkles smoothing out in the process. Omega-3s are often used in anti-aging skin creams with good reason. Stopping a wrinkle in its tracks is what Omega-3s do best, and most notably.
We’re all looking for ways to improve our health and appearance. Looking and feeling good as we age is not about vanity… it’s about being healthy. Supplements to help fight free radicals is a worthwhile investment in your youthful appearance and overall health. Be sure to consult your doctor before adding any supplement, even natural ones, to your daily regimen.
