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By John Gustafson
Focus on your skin
Preventative skincare
In my opinion, this is the best way to deal with the ravages of time, but the best time to start fighting lines is before they appear. Daily sunscreen is by far the most effective preventative measure other than moving into a cave. It is now recognised that as much as 95% of the ageing process is due to UV damage and not genetics. And that doesn't only mean the sun itself (which causes damage even in winter); it includes artificial UV light from sources such as halogen, fluorescent, and (boo, hiss) computer screens!
For prevention there is also a host of 'insurance policy' skincare products. What I mean is that they don't really show immediately visible results, so you have to trust that they will help to hold back the ageing process. I DO believe in them (to the detriment of my bank balance!), and have used this sort of product for the last 20 years. Super Line Preventor from Prescriptives was one of the first and still, in my opinion, one of the best. Lauder's Night Repair and Clinique Stop Signs also provide the same sort of future protection.
The big guns
But for the sake of argument, let's pretend that you ignored all the warnings and have ended up with the lines. Now what? The main ingredients in the industry are the chemical resurfacing products like Retinol, AHAs, BHAs, and glycolic acid. All of these will effectively minimise fine lines, improve clarity of the skin and smooth out the surface. Keep in mind that you need to start them carefully and there may be some redness or sensitivity until you get used to them. These products melt away the protective barrier of the skin, so it's up to you to provide some protection with a minimum SPF15 moisturiser. This sort of product is available as either a serum or a cream, though I prefer the serum type, as they are much more specific. They can usually go in deeper, the texture is finer and, quite frankly, they act faster!
The reason the prices of different brands vary so widely is due to the way the ingredient has been buffered to protect the skin from irritation. The more expensive the product is, the less likely it will be to cause any adverse reaction. The more costly products will also use delivery systems that take the magic ingredients further into the skin and target the places where they will be most effective. In serum form some of the industry star performers are ROC Retinol Actif Pur, Lauder Diminish, LaPrairie Stimulus, Prescriptives Skin Renewal Cream, Natura Bissé Glyco Peel, Chantecaille Retinol Plus, and Lancôme Re-Surface. MD Formulations and Therapy Systems are two of the leading glycolic products and both are easily available. AHA/BHA products are still going strong with Clinique Total Turnaround and Olay Total Effects. As you can see from the manufacturers, the prices will really stretch the gamut of the industry, but you will get results from all of them.
The science bit
The real news, though, concerns products that can give you the resurfacing effect without the sometimes problematic redness, flaking or irritation. Topping the pile is the remarkable SKII, which uses a specific enzyme that miraculously smoothes and de-ages the skin. It was found that monks making saki had the most extraordinarily smooth hands, regardless of how old they were, which led to the isolation of the enzyme. The ingredient is exclusive to the SKII range and does not cause the problems often associated with this type of product. Another phenomenon is Beta Alistine's Rocket Science, which, in trials, was proven to increase the skin's collagen weight and production by 500% without injecting it. This is like reintroducing the support mechanism of natural young skin, and it is something that no other product has ever been able to claim.
Yet another amazing new discovery is Lauder's Perfectionist, which helps the skin respond in the way a younger skin does. Again, it is a serum product, but it has an immediate smoothing, brightening product that was proven in only one month to have the same line-reducing effect as the leading Retinol product after six months! Finally, Osmotics Kinetin Serum and Eye Cream contain a plant enzyme that was independently tested to have the same effect as a Retinol, without any of the potential negative side-effects. Since launching these two fantastic products, Almay has introduced an entire range of Kinetin products at a more affordable price point, including a clever roller-ball 'pen' that targets specific deep lines and wrinkles.
Fill 'er up
The other, slightly more controversial, option is having something injected to fill in the deeper, more stubborn lines. As you all know, I used to be completely against Botox… until I had it done for migraine and discovered that my frown-line went away into the bargain. (For more information on this, including before and after pictures, look at Botox - The Holy Grail.) Botox is a poison that is injected in tiny amounts into the muscles that are causing the lines. Scary in theory, but when done by someone who truly knows what they are doing, next to miraculous.
There are also several different injectable substances that are used to fill in deeper lines. The results are immediate, but you stand a risk of rejecting it or reacting to it - look at poor Leslie Ash. Injectables include Collagen, Restylane, and even fat transfers from one part of your body to another. The advantage of a fat transfer is that the 'filler' is already part of your body, so won't cause a reaction. There is also a new 'cloning' technique that involves harvesting cells, isolating the specific cells that rebuild and support, and then injecting that into the lines. It is very costly, but you have enough stored to repeat the treatment about three times.
The knife
And finally, full cosmetic surgery. This might sort out those pesky lines - at a cost - but they will return if you don't take care of your skin or if genetics has determined that your face is going to fall faster than a lead brick.
All in all, good skincare seems to be the way to go. This may be a case where more expensive products are not necessarily better, but are faster and more visible. And once we have noticed the lines, we want them gone. Now.
Copyright © 2005 handbag.com
Preventative skincare
In my opinion, this is the best way to deal with the ravages of time, but the best time to start fighting lines is before they appear. Daily sunscreen is by far the most effective preventative measure other than moving into a cave. It is now recognised that as much as 95% of the ageing process is due to UV damage and not genetics. And that doesn't only mean the sun itself (which causes damage even in winter); it includes artificial UV light from sources such as halogen, fluorescent, and (boo, hiss) computer screens!
For prevention there is also a host of 'insurance policy' skincare products. What I mean is that they don't really show immediately visible results, so you have to trust that they will help to hold back the ageing process. I DO believe in them (to the detriment of my bank balance!), and have used this sort of product for the last 20 years. Super Line Preventor from Prescriptives was one of the first and still, in my opinion, one of the best. Lauder's Night Repair and Clinique Stop Signs also provide the same sort of future protection.
The big guns
But for the sake of argument, let's pretend that you ignored all the warnings and have ended up with the lines. Now what? The main ingredients in the industry are the chemical resurfacing products like Retinol, AHAs, BHAs, and glycolic acid. All of these will effectively minimise fine lines, improve clarity of the skin and smooth out the surface. Keep in mind that you need to start them carefully and there may be some redness or sensitivity until you get used to them. These products melt away the protective barrier of the skin, so it's up to you to provide some protection with a minimum SPF15 moisturiser. This sort of product is available as either a serum or a cream, though I prefer the serum type, as they are much more specific. They can usually go in deeper, the texture is finer and, quite frankly, they act faster!
The reason the prices of different brands vary so widely is due to the way the ingredient has been buffered to protect the skin from irritation. The more expensive the product is, the less likely it will be to cause any adverse reaction. The more costly products will also use delivery systems that take the magic ingredients further into the skin and target the places where they will be most effective. In serum form some of the industry star performers are ROC Retinol Actif Pur, Lauder Diminish, LaPrairie Stimulus, Prescriptives Skin Renewal Cream, Natura Bissé Glyco Peel, Chantecaille Retinol Plus, and Lancôme Re-Surface. MD Formulations and Therapy Systems are two of the leading glycolic products and both are easily available. AHA/BHA products are still going strong with Clinique Total Turnaround and Olay Total Effects. As you can see from the manufacturers, the prices will really stretch the gamut of the industry, but you will get results from all of them.
The science bit
The real news, though, concerns products that can give you the resurfacing effect without the sometimes problematic redness, flaking or irritation. Topping the pile is the remarkable SKII, which uses a specific enzyme that miraculously smoothes and de-ages the skin. It was found that monks making saki had the most extraordinarily smooth hands, regardless of how old they were, which led to the isolation of the enzyme. The ingredient is exclusive to the SKII range and does not cause the problems often associated with this type of product. Another phenomenon is Beta Alistine's Rocket Science, which, in trials, was proven to increase the skin's collagen weight and production by 500% without injecting it. This is like reintroducing the support mechanism of natural young skin, and it is something that no other product has ever been able to claim.
Yet another amazing new discovery is Lauder's Perfectionist, which helps the skin respond in the way a younger skin does. Again, it is a serum product, but it has an immediate smoothing, brightening product that was proven in only one month to have the same line-reducing effect as the leading Retinol product after six months! Finally, Osmotics Kinetin Serum and Eye Cream contain a plant enzyme that was independently tested to have the same effect as a Retinol, without any of the potential negative side-effects. Since launching these two fantastic products, Almay has introduced an entire range of Kinetin products at a more affordable price point, including a clever roller-ball 'pen' that targets specific deep lines and wrinkles.
Fill 'er up
The other, slightly more controversial, option is having something injected to fill in the deeper, more stubborn lines. As you all know, I used to be completely against Botox… until I had it done for migraine and discovered that my frown-line went away into the bargain. (For more information on this, including before and after pictures, look at Botox - The Holy Grail.) Botox is a poison that is injected in tiny amounts into the muscles that are causing the lines. Scary in theory, but when done by someone who truly knows what they are doing, next to miraculous.
There are also several different injectable substances that are used to fill in deeper lines. The results are immediate, but you stand a risk of rejecting it or reacting to it - look at poor Leslie Ash. Injectables include Collagen, Restylane, and even fat transfers from one part of your body to another. The advantage of a fat transfer is that the 'filler' is already part of your body, so won't cause a reaction. There is also a new 'cloning' technique that involves harvesting cells, isolating the specific cells that rebuild and support, and then injecting that into the lines. It is very costly, but you have enough stored to repeat the treatment about three times.
The knife
And finally, full cosmetic surgery. This might sort out those pesky lines - at a cost - but they will return if you don't take care of your skin or if genetics has determined that your face is going to fall faster than a lead brick.
All in all, good skincare seems to be the way to go. This may be a case where more expensive products are not necessarily better, but are faster and more visible. And once we have noticed the lines, we want them gone. Now.
Copyright © 2005 handbag.com
