How much do you care.......about yourself?

Let's talk about your ego. Believe it or not having an ego is not necessarily a bad thing. The ego is there for self preservation after all.
Taking care of your health is the ultimate ego trip. If you spend more on your hair and nails than on your health, something is wrong.
My goal is to have all my patients healthy enough to be able to dance at their great grandchild's wedding but that requires some work on the patient's part too. It also requires some form of exercise.
Oh, no not the 'E' word you cry! But before you turn off completely hear me out.
Do you hate exercise?
There are tricks you can play to squeeze in some itsy bitsy exercise even when you don't want to do it.
For example, drop the soap on the floor and make yourself do 10 squats before you pick it up when you take your shower in the morning. Everyone knows the one about taking the stairs but I understand its hard to get motivated that much. How about one flight to catch the elevator on a higher floor? A couple of jumping jacks before bed or when you drink alcohol? How about walking the shopping cart back to the store instead of leaving it in the parking lot? Challenge yourself to do an extra 100 steps a day.
This may not sound like a lot of exercise and it isn't but if you can trick yourself into doing that little bit more than you do now, it adds up. The older you are the more significant this 'hidden' exercise is. So try to fool the seniors in your life to do this.
One aspect of exercise that is very underestimated is stretching. If people would (really) stretch for 15 minutes a day they would extend their lives. Even people who go to the gym regularly, often do not stretch for more than 5 minutes. Do it for the sake of your flexibility, muscle tone and balance. It is just as, if not more, important than other forms of exercise.
We all know we are supposed to take vitamins but how many of us actually take them?
If your lack of enthusiasm for vitamins is the idea that you can't bear to swallow so many capsules I have a solution for you.  With 1/3 teaspoon of vitamin granules you can get everything you need and not have to take anything else besides fish oil. They absorb in your stomach and give you so much energy.
And then there is your diet. (I know , now the 'D' word!).
You already know what you should and shouldn't eat, make sure what goes in your mouth is heavily weighted towards what you know you should be eating. Every time you put something in your mouth you should ask yourself is this on the plus or the minus side of the ledger i.e is it good or bad for you and how badly do you need it.
Drink your water as I mentioned in the blog I wrote about skin just before this one.
Also remember when you look good, you feel good.
I hope you will consider my suggestions but everyone has to come up with a plan that works for them.
Here's my thought:
If you care about yourself  you will take the time to care for yourself.
Oh! and remember to practice your dance steps :)

The secret to looking good .......and static aging

The skin is the largest organ of the body and it protects all the other organs from the external environment.
I'm going to confine my blog to discussing the skin of the face (and neck) since it is clearly a huge subject and bad skin is most obvious on the face. Besides we are talking about looking good and the face is the skin we show the most.

The secret to looking good, first and foremost is to maintain, rather than trying to look cuter than you did two years ago. I'm always pleased when someone tells me "you never change" but if someone says "you get younger by the day" I am dubious and suspect I am being courted by futile flattery.
So the first big deal is to maintain what you have and then build upon it. If you try to use make-up over your skin to alter your features that's not going to last. You don't need to go all out glam, all the time. But if you do, remember to take it all off before bed with a gentle non-alcoholic cleanser. (try our gentle cleanser).
Skin aging is influenced by many factors including genetic, environmental exposure, hormonal changes and metabolic processes.These factors all combine to affect skin structure, function and appearance.

There is something to the old cliche 'beauty comes from within'. This becomes more and more important as we age. Below I  have suggested a few 'constitutional' things you can do to make your skin more radiant  in addition to some topical things that I know will help.

How do you maintain (and improve) your skin? Here are some tips. Feel free to make an appointment if you want to go deeper in depth.

Topical Remedies

From a topical standpoint the star of the show is Stop Aging Skin Therapy. This contains top of the line anti-oxidants such as Pycnogenol, CoQ10, Grapeseed extract and Ester C. You literally hear your face say "Aaah!" when you apply it. I have been using this product for almost 15 years and it is worth its weight in gold.

Our Daily Wear Moisturiser (DWM) is popular because it is so light, non greasy and effective and it also has 15 SPF sunblock.  For some people it is enough in the winter but always wear sunblock in the summer and strong sunlight. You can prevent years of sun damage but doing this one thing! No wrinkles!  Remember, ideally we want to maintain that youthful skin so start early.

Retin-A is basically an exfoliant, it removes the top layer of the skin revealing the glowing new skin underneath. You have to be sparing with it however because if you slough off too much, too fast, the tender skin underneath is red and traumatized and super sensitive to UV light.  It can also be very dry. It is used on the face usually at night to avoid sun exposure and sunblock or DWM is applied during the day. Retin-A is also very good for acne. it belongs to the class of medicines called retinoids which are derived from vitamin A, there are others in the group such as differin, tazorac and adapalene. They pretty much all work the same way, with the same precautions and side effects. The price however differs.

Turn down the hot water! there is nothing like a hot shower to relax you and dry out your skin. I tell all my eczema patients to use only warm water especially in the winter. All the lotion in the world does not put back what hot water takes out. That's why you look and feel like a prune after you've been in a whirlpool.

Snail mucus, yes you read that right. If you get the right type snail mucus can keep your face looking youthful and wrinkles at bay.

Lighten age spots with vitamin C products, retin-A will also help these. Many black women use bleaching creams that make them look orange! I personally do not think this is an attractive look. I dispense skin lightening creams when appropriate for acne scars and other specific areas of hyperpigmentation.
Our microderm abrasion scrub is the gentlest most effective scrub you have ever used and you only need to use it twice a month. it doesnt have harsh particles yet your face will feel like a baby's bottom after you use it :)

Can't stop frowning? Botulinium toxin (Botox, Dysport etc) can help. Its actually not as scary as it sounds. It works very effectively to make you look younger, it prevents deep creases on your forehead, is very economical and quick (painless). Sometimes taking a glance at your mother can tell you what is in store and you can essentially use these products to delay the lines. When these products are used tastefully you will not look plastic or unnatural. For deep creases below eye level and to fill back the cheeks, fillers are ideal. I must confess I love doing fillers in patients because you see the results immediately so patients leave looking fresher and more relaxed.

Internal

Vitamins: A, D, E and K2, Biotin, Anti-oxidants
Supplements: Chondroitin, Glucosamine, Hyaluronic acid
Water: At least 64 ounces a day (roughly your weight in pounds divided by two as ounces)
If you get tired of taking a lot of supplements individually we have granules that contain everything you need to make it easier. 1/3rd of a teaspoon is all you need to get all of these nutrients at once.

In another blog I will discuss maintaining your shape and flexibility along with how to take care of the skin all over your body.