We often read many conflicting theories about ageing and how it affects the skin. Just knowing some basic facts and learning the truth about popular myths can help you to feel more in control of your face and know how to look after it properly. Face yoga expert Danielle Collins busts some of these myths and tells you the truth about ageing, wrinkles and skin care.

Myth #1: I have oily skin, doesn’t that mean I am less likely to have wrinkles?

Truth: Dry skin isn’t more likely to age prematurely that oily skin. Dry skin is just more dehydrated; therefore any wrinkles in the skin are just more visible. Regularly using an organic face oil to rehydrate the skin can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and make the skin appear more youthful.

Myth #2: The older generation of my family have wrinkles, which means I’ll have them too.

Truth: We are often led to believe that the reason some of us age quickly and others never have a wrinkle in their lives is down to genes. This is only 20% of the truth. Studies show that people who look younger than their years lead a healthy lifestyle and eat well, exercise their bodies and their faces regularly and stay out of the sun.

Myth #3: I sunbathe regularly and this means I am unlikely to get wrinkles.

Unfortunately over-doing sunbathing can cause premature ageing. Sun damage can break down the collagen and elastin in the skin causing a sagging complexion. The sun can also affect the upper layer of the skin affecting the pigment and therefore causing age spots.

Myth #4: Won’t exercising my face give me more wrinkles?

Truth: If you choose a programme such as The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method, all the techniques work the face and neck in a controlled way. When you go to a gym or to an exercise class and work the muscles in the body, you firm-up the body and improve skin texture and tone. The same principle applies for the face and neck. The exercises which work on muscle resistance enlarge the muscle, creating lift and promoting a firmer, more youthful-looking face. So by exercising the face you are actually building muscle fibre which reduces wrinkles.

Myth #5: I have heard that massage is just for the body and shouldn’t be used on the face.

Truth: Massage is excellent for the face if you massage it in the right way. All the techniques in The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method work with all 3 layers of the skin to ensure that none of the connective tissue is broken down. By massaging correctly you will feel your skin will have better circulation, look smoother and firmer, toxins will be removed and tension reduced. It is however important to remember to use a lighter touch on the face than on the body as the skin is thinner on the face.

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We go to gyms, workout, walk, run, swim and do so much more to keep our bodies in shape, our minds healthy. But we often always neglect our face until those lines can no longer be neglected, and those wrinkles can no longer be concealed. And then, out of desperation to look younger, we consider expensive surgery procedures and cosmetics that promise to fade those lines away. But they aren’t the only solution to our face problems. There is face yoga to your rescue that can diminish these signs of ageing, learns Kriti Saraswat from a leading face yoga expert

What causes ageing of the face?

There are a variety of causes that can lead to ageing of the face like the weakening of the face muscles, lack of sleep and exercise, poor circulation, and external factors like the weather, stress, excessive usage of cosmetics etc.

How does face yoga help one tone their face?

Just as our bodies need regular exercise to stay toned and firm, the 57 muscles in our face also need to be exercised. When we do so, they are lifted and firmed and the skin attached to the muscles is also lifted and tautened which reduces lines and wrinkles.

The benefits of regularly doing face yoga are reduction of lines and wrinkles, improved skin tone, reduced headaches and eye strain, release of tension, an energetic appearance and a healthy glow on the face. Face yoga also gives a holistic feeling of wellbeing which can benefit the mind and body.

What kind of methods do you incorporate in your face yoga?

There are a number of facial exercises that I teach for toning the face. In addition to this, my face yoga methods include regular massaging to improve blood circulation, remove toxins, and reduce puffiness and dark circles. The massage techniques also increase collagen and elastin that are natural plumping agents. The relaxation method helps reduce deep set of lines and wrinkles that are caused by stress and frequent squinting. And acupressure is used to increase circulation, boost energy which reduces headaches and tension. The combination of these methods yields great results, giving a youthful appearance.

How often should one exercise the face?

I recommend the readers to do it for 20 minutes, six days a week. After following it regularly, you will start to see a reduction in lines and wrinkles and have a more lifted, toned and youthful appearance. Just like any other exercise, you need to do it regularly to see results. One session is great but doing it daily is when you start seeing a real difference in your face.

In addition to face yoga, what else can we do to keep our face fit?

Positive thinking, correct nutrition and visualisation are few tips that add to one’s well being, thereby reducing stress and ageing of the face. One should also use a natural moisturiser, a good sunscreen and reduce alcohol and sugar in one’s diet.

Can you please share a few, simple DIY exercises that can be done at home every day?

 1. The ‘V’: To reduce lines and wrinkles around the eyes and to make the eyes more open and energised.

 Put both your middle fingers together between your eyebrows then apply pressure to the outer corners of your eyes with your index fingers. Look up and start to move the lower eyelids upwards, making a strong squint. Then relax and repeat six more times. To finish, squeeze your eyes shut for 10 seconds then relax.

 2. Smile Smoother: To reduce lines around the mouth and to lift and firm the cheeks and jaw.

 Hide your teeth with your lips and make an ‘O’ shape with your mouth. Then, smile as wide as you can and keep hiding the teeth. Repeat six times. Next, hold the smile shape and place one index finger on the chin. Then start to move your jaw up and down as you tilt your head back. Relax and repeat twice.

 3. The Giraffe: To tone and lift the neck area.

 Looking straight ahead place your finger tips on the top of your neck and pull the skin down as you tilt your head back. Bring your head back down and repeat twice. Then jut your lower lip out as far as possible, place your fingers on your collarbone and point your chin upwards, pulling the corners of your mouth down. Hold for four deep breaths.

4. The Owl: To get rid of forehead lines.

Pull down your skin with the index fingers while trying to raise your eyebrows upwards and making the eyes wide. Hold for two seconds, relax and repeat three more times and finish by holding this position for 10 seconds. This helps to strengthen the forehead muscles thereby smoothing and tautening the skin attached to the muscles. With regular practice, this will reduce and diminish forehead lines and wrinkles.

Danielle is the founder of The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method and offers teacher training courses around the world. Visit www.faceyogaexpert.com

Nikita Sharma, 21, who used rhinoplasty to correct the shape of her nose, talks openly about the benefits of her new look. ‘Flaunting physical attributes have become an integral part of one’s life. Through Facebook one can get so many opportunities like modelling, acting and even marriage proposals. So, if I put up my best picture with a perfect face (on social networking sites), it will do no harm. I am very happy after getting rhinoplasty.’

 This is a trend confined to not just girls but also boys and they are quite upfront about it.Like Mumbai-based Arpit Sharma, a theatre person, who used botox to get arched eyebrows. ‘When you act, you need to have a specific expression on your face. After a couple of months, I have a play in which I have to portray a negative character. For that I need that cunning look. So I got my eyebrows lifted with the help of botox and I think it is good, because it does not take much time and you don’t need to pay a hefty amount for that,’ he said.

This is quite the trend now, capital-based cosmetic dermatologist Vandana Chatrath said. ‘These days, everyone, especially youngsters, wants to be popular. Most of them are not happy with their features. In order to have an enhanced look, they opt for non-surgical procedures,’ Chatrath told IANS. ‘Girls usually opt for treatments like nose correction, lips enhancement, eyebrow lift and cheek enhancement whereas laser treatments are popular among boys,’ she said.

Dermatologist Swati Srivastava of beauty and wellness chain VLCC, Mumbai, added that everyone wants ‘a perfect body and for that they go for magical and effective treatments like botox and juvederm’. Apart from a perfect nose, youngsters are going for high-arched eyebrows, pouted lips and sculpted bodies. And the young don’t believe in hiding it. ‘In some cases, they even upload their photos before and after surgery on social networking sites,’ Srivastava said.

The treatment varies with age. For instance, those in the 18-25 bracket opt for lip enhancement and chemical peels; those in the 26-35 group endorse treatments that promise a youthful look. The side-effects are few, it doesn’t take time and doesn’t cost too much either. ‘Most of these treatments are lunch-time procedures done with injections; so it takes not more than 15-20 minutes,’ said Srivastava.

 ‘The treatment cost depends upon the procedure and the area of treatment. Laser treatment starts from Rs 3,000. For nose correction, the cost is Rs 20,000-Rs.30,000, whereas for cheek enhancement one has to shell out around Rs.50,000,’ said Chatrath. Youngsters usually look up to popular Bollywood stars and want to ape them.So, there are plenty of takers for Katrina Kaif’s lips and jaw line, Kareena Kapoor’s high cheek bones, and Shilpa Shetty’s hour-glass figure. And the boys, discloses Srivastava, want a jaw line like Hrithik Roshan’s and six-pack abs like Salman Khan’s.

The treatments last for six months to a year. Sometimes, expectations are unrealistic. ‘The awareness about such treatments has increased as compared to the past. However, sometimes their expectations become unrealistic. As these treatments are non-surgical procedures, they can be used only for minor corrections. It won’t give the same results as surgical treatments,’ said Chatrath.

Source: IANS

It’s the most common treatment for facial lines. The three most common sites for injection are the glabella (vertical forehead lines), around and under the eyes (peri-orbital crow’s feet), and forehead areas.

Common misconceptions

• Botox is not used for laugh lines

One of the commonest misconceptions is that Botox injections are used for laugh lines (naso-labial folds). Laugh lines are wrinkles that form around the outer corner of your eyes. They are NOT used for laugh lines. Laugh lines are instead treated with Filler injections (most commonly, hyaluronic acid).

• It does NOT paralyse your facial muscles

A common misconception is that BOTOX actually paralyzes the muscles in the face and gives folks a mask like face! Although, with extreme amounts of BOTOX, this can happen, most physicians strive to inject just the amount that allows the patient to have some limited activity of the muscles, thereby preserving normal facial expressions, but not so much expression that they have over-activity of the areas and resultant lines. Patients should know that BOTOX is not used to keep them from expressing themselves but simply to remove lines. When done correctly, people will not notice that a BOTOX procedure has been performed, but simply feel that the patient looks younger.

The Procedure

For Botox Injections, the patient is placed in a somewhat raised position on the exam table, and the areas to be injected are cleansed. A skin anaesthetic cream is injected at this time. After this, the BOTOX is injected into the desired areas. Typical injection patterns include about 4 or 5 areas on each side of the forehead and 2 or 3 areas on either eye area.

After the procedure

Use your facial muscles

Patients are encouraged to use the muscles injected with BOTOX several times during the next several days (by scowling), as studies tend to suggest that this increases the uptake of the Botox into the muscles and the makes the treatment more effective.

Side-effects very rare

Risks with BOTOX Injections are very minor. The main risks consist of headache, pain, and flu-like illness. Side-effects are rare. These complications are typically very minor occurrences and resolve in a day or so.

 Results within 3-10 days!

The results post BOTOX Injections usually start to be noticed within 3-10 days or even sooner. They tend to last in most people for up to 3 to 6 months. As time passes, the muscle activity will gradually return to normal. Botox needs to be repeated post this time. Wrinkles and facial lines come back to as they were prior to the BOTOX injections and do NOT worsen if the BOTOX is not repeated.

In summary, BOTOX Injections are one of the true wonders of modern medicine. BOTOX is used in many diseases and the use of BOTOX to look younger and have a face which is free of lines is set to see an exponential increase.

Dr Debraj Shome is a noted plastic surgeon. Along with Dr Arbinder Singal, he is the co-founder of www.MediAngels.com – The World’s First Global eHospital. You can consult him here.

Having spent their teens trying to look older than they actually are, women finally become happy with their appearance in their early twenties — but all that changes at 29. At 29, women become more concerned about trying to look young again, amid fears of wrinkles, sagging boobs, bingo wings and crow’s feet. 

They also tend to find their first grey hair. In fact, some 33 percent of women fret about going grey, and thinning hair is a major worry for three in 10.A third of women say a sagging bottom keeps them awake at night, while 29 percent want to avoid a wrinkly cleavage at all costs. The study shows other top ageing fears for ladies include facial hair, a middle-aged spread and thread veins, the Mail said.

The Superdrug company conducted the study of 2,000 women.

Ten ways to age healthy

 Source: IANS

 You have tried everything to keep those wrinkles at bay, but nothing seems to work! Don’t despair, help is right at hand. Watch this video to find out the best methods to avoid wrinkles and other signs of aging. 

Before you hit that panic button, you need to understand that ageing of your skin and formation of wrinkles are completely normal processes. In fact, your skin is the first ‘organ’ which reveals your age. 

All these effects are mainly due to two factors related to natural ageing – the thinning of the epidermis (the topmost layer of our skin) and reduced blood flow to the skin. Certain factors expedite these effects – excess exposure to sunlight, smoking, alcohol and an unhealthy diet.

 Most people believe that ageing of the skin is inevitable and do not care much. However, what you need to know is that with a few lifestyle modifications and some tender loving care, you really can look as young as you feel. To help put you on the right path, here are a few tips that you should stick to in order to keep your skin looking as young as possible:

1. Avoid excess exposure to the sun:

It’s the no. 1 cause of wrinkles with dozens of studies documenting the impact. Protect your skin from sun rays firstly by staying indoors while the sun is strongest. Secondly get into the habit of wearing a sunscreen with a good enough SPF every time you go out. Apply it at least 20 to 30 minutes before stepping out in the sun and reapply it every few hours. 

2. Drink lots of water:

Insufficient hydration is the second major cause of excessive wrinkles. In order to stay moist and elastic, your skin needs a constant supply of water. If you fail to get enough fluids in your body, cells will start to lose elasticity and eventually wrinkles shall start surfacing.

3. Quit smoking:

Apart from the many well-documented ill-effects of smoking on the body, smoking also causes premature ageing of the skin mainly by reducing blood supply and nourishment to the skin. This makes the skin lose its elasticity and moisture. Also while smoking, some repetitive actions like squinting to protect the eyes from aggressive fumes and constantly dragging the cigarette fumes into his/her mouth causes wrinkles over time at the corners of the eyes and the mouth. Click here to find out various techniques to quit smoking.

4. Get adequate sleep:

When you don’t get enough sleep, the body produces excess cortisol – a hormone that breaks down skin cells. Get enough rest and you’ll produce more HGH (human growth hormone), which helps skin remain thick, more elastic and less likely to wrinkle.

5. Sleep on your back:

Make it a point to pay attention to the way you sleep. Sleeping on the side will create ‘cleavage’ wrinkles, since skin on that surface is being squeezed together. Those who sleep on the chest will most likely develop sleep lines on their neck, face and chest as a consequence of being crushed into the pillow throughout the whole night. To reduce wrinkle formation, sleep on your back.

6. Eat healthy food:

While this should already be obvious to every person these days, it is important to point it out once more. Consume a lot of vitamins that come from fresh vegetables and fruits as well nuts and seeds, which are all effective anti-ageing foods due to the amount of anti-oxidants they all pack.

7. Keep stress at bay:

Stress causes creation of certain hormones like cortisol which decrease muscular tissue beneath the skin. This makes your skin thinner and make it look wrinkled and old. Click here to find out how stress is related to your health. 

8. Use a moisturizer:

Many women these days are so concerned with anti-aging products they often overlook the power of a simple moisturizer. Skin that is moist simply looks better, so lines and creases are far less noticeable.

9. Don’t over-wash your face:

Tap water strips skin of its natural barrier oils and moisture that protect against wrinkles. Wash them off too often, and you wash away protection. Moreover, unless your soap contains moisturizers, you should use a cleanser instead.

10. Consult your dermatologist:

If you’d like to use creams, lotions and various other chemical and surgical options (like peels, fillers, lasers and botox) to fight skin-ageing, it’s recommended that you visit your dermatologist who’ll guide you well. 

So, what harm can the sun cause?

Excessive sun exposure, especially during the harsh summer can lead to wrinkles, aging, thinning of the skin, uneven colour and last but not the least skin cancer. It can also dry up the skin of its fluid, thereby affecting the finesse of the texture. In fact, sunshine is considered the single biggest cause of visible aging.

However, the truth is one cannot really avoid the sun. All we can do is protect ourselves from its harmful effects with these tips:

• For starters, you should eat a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables. They contain anti-      oxidants that aid in reducing the damaging effects of sunlight.
• Avoid smoking as the cigarette smoke creates a huge number of skin-damaging molecules.
• Try to stay indoors between the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Plan outdoor activities for the early morning or late afternoon.
• Always wear shades. Sunglasses protect the delicate skin around the eyes from wrinkles.
• Wear long-sleeve shirts & long pants. They offer the best protection from the sun’s burning rays.
• If you travel by a two-wheeler, cover your face and the back of your neck with a scarf and then put on your helmet.

 And of course, no sun-care regime can ever be complete without the mainstay of summer –  the SUNSCREEN. They are important as they contain ingredients that absorb UV wavelengths, protecting the skin from sun damage.

Tips on selecting and using the sunscreen right:

A.      Choose the sunscreen meant for your skin type

• For normal-to-dry skin, look for a lotion or cream with hydrating ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid.
• If your skin is very dry, select a sunscreen with glycerin or aloe that will moisturize your skin while protecting it from the sun’s potentially damaging rays. Avoid sunscreens that contain alcohol, a skin-drying agent.
• If you have oily or acne-prone skin, look for an oil-free sunscreen fluid that dries quickly and won’t feel heavy on your skin or under your makeup.
• Those with sensitive skin should look for mineral sunscreen ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are less likely than chemical ingredients to react with your skin and cause irritation.

 B.        SPF does matter

 For the average Indian skin, a water-resistant sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection with a SPF factor between 15 to 25 is more than enough. Skins that are more sensitive to the sun and prone to dark patches (hyper-pigmentation) or severe burns need a sunscreen with high SPF of 30 and above. The higher the SPF, the oilier is the product. In cases of oily skin, they can worsen the skin by forming acne eruptions.

 C.     The right way to use sunscreen

• One ounce, enough to fill a shot glass, is considered the amount needed to cover the exposed areas of the body. Adjust the amount of sunscreen applied depending on your body size.
• Be especially vigilant in treating thin-skin areas such as the nose, ears and, for sandal-wearers, the tops of feet. Applying sunscreen too thinly could minimize its ability to absorb or reflect UV light. According to a study, most people only apply 25-50 percent of the recommended amount of sunscreen.
• Apply the sunscreen to dry skin 15 minutes before going outdoors.
• Re-apply sunscreen approximately every two hours or after swimming or sweating heavily according to the directions on the bottle.

Remember, preserving youthful skin is easier than trying to repair skin that has been abused for years. So, just follow these tips and have a fun time in the sun this summer!

Manuel Voelkle, of the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, asked over 150 men and women of different ages to judge the ages of the faces in more than 1,000 photographs. He concluded: “Facial expressions have a substantial impact on accuracy. ”Relative to other facial expressions, the age of neutral faces was estimated most accurately, while the ages of those displaying happy expressions was most likely under-estimated. “The study also revealed that the older faces are more difficult to judge than the younger ones.

The age of those doing the judging was also important. In general, elderly people overestimated the age of those photographed, while younger people shaved a year or two off. Women also fared better, with older female faces estimated on average to be three years younger than their male equivalents, the journal Psychology and Aging reports.

Source: IANS 

The hyaluronic acid-based fillers that thronged the market were Revanesse, Radiesse and Juvederm, popular fillers that are injected into the skin for accentuating looks. The treatment was introduced in India in 2000 and became the most recommended procedure for a quick fix. But these treatments were painful. However, the recently launched Juvederm XC dermal filler is almost painless and experts are hoping more people will come forward and take the treatment. Pai said: “With this filler, where XC stands for extra comfort, there will be pain only when the needle is injected into the skin. It contains local anaesthetic lidocaine, which makes the area numb and hence the rest of the process is pain-free”. ”What used to happen earlier was that a person used to feel pain when the needle was injected, then while the material was transferred, deposited and injected out. In some cases, we used to rely on anaesthetic creams or injections,” she added. Even men are lapping it up, buying treatments costing Rs.25,000-Rs.70,000 depending on the amount to be injected. After the treatment one may experience some discomfort like mild swelling, bruising, redness or temporary numbness, but the effect easily lasts a year.

The most painful area to inject a dermal filler is the lips and Anup Dhir, senior cosmetic surgeon at Apollo Hospital, feels pain-free dermal fillers are a boon. ”The most painful area to get these fillers injected is the lips. But with this new filler, the process has again become simple and what comes first for any doctor is to ensure the best outcomes for my patients, as well as their comfort level during the injection,” he said. These fillers change almost everything on the face. It fills up temporal hollows and those under the eyes, they enhance the nose, give definition to the cheeks and pout up lips.”With age sagging starts and there is loss of volume. Dermal fillers are the best for anti-ageing and in making corrections. They give you immediate results that last for at least a year; you can go back to work immediately after the procedure,” said Rajesh Khurana, president of Timpac Healthcare, known for offering clinical obesity management, cosmetology and anti-aging treatments.

Source: IANS