Despite our wavering economy, there appears to be one thing that Americans are not willing to give up….. their vanity. Last year alone, there were over 14 billion cosmetic procedures performed in our country. This does not count the millions who may have gone to foreign countries for procedures in order to escape the costly surgery here.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, over $10 billion was spent on such procedures as botox, breast implants, buttock lifts and nose jobs. The latest statistics show that male procedures are on the rise with eyelid lifts, nose jobs and breast reductions being among the most popular procedures.
Unfortunately, surgery of any kind carries with it a number of risks and each year scores of people suffer from cosmetic surgery complications such as scarring, nerve damage, infection, bleeding, blood clots and even death. Is it truly worth it?
Wrinkles
If you ask most people what is the worst thing about aging, many will tell you wrinkles. Wrinkles are a reminder that our clock is ticking, and that can be tremendously discouraging. Corporate America piggybacks on our discouragement offering us all sorts of creams, pills, and procedures to restore our self confidence. However, very few of these so called “wrinkle wonder fixes” actually help our skin age beautifully. Many do just the opposite, accelerating the process leaving us looking more like a carved up pumpkin.
Understanding Skin and Free Radicals
Skin is the largest organ in our body at about 16 square feet and weighing an average of 8 pounds. Skin cells work together to keep toxins out and shield us from foreign bacteria and viruses. If we don’t protect and love our skin the cells cease to work together, and wrinkles settle in. Free radicals are normal and essential to our immune system. They help to kill foreign bacteria and viruses that get through the skin.
Once a free radical has performed its mission, it is no longer needed and is destroyed by free radical scavengers known as antioxidants. If antioxidants are not plentiful, cells go into into shock and the free radicals begin to run the show. They head to the main component of skin, collagen. Collagen that is attacked jams together and becomes immobile making skin bumpy and producing wrinkles. The oxygen shock that our skin experiences is similar to what happens after you cut an apple – it becomes brown and rather dehydrated looking. Free radicals are not dangerous, they are normal. They become dangerous only when they outnumber the antioxidants. Unfortunately, oxygen shock left unchecked, leads to such injury that promotes skin cancer.
Lifestyle Factors
Although some bodily changes are inevitable with age, many are brought about by lifestyle choices. Eating a diet high in refined foods, living a stressful life and not exercising on a consistent basis all hurry along the aging process and contribute to the sagging and dragging of skin. Simply adopting healthy lifestyle habits can make a tremendous difference in how we look and feel, thus eliminating the need for cosmetic alteration. Consuming more antioxidant rich fruits and veggies helps to reduce free radical damage that causes wrinkles, a quick daily walk around the block will keep the buttocks firm and lifted, getting plenty of sleep helps reduce eye bags and managing stress and smiling more will alleviate facial wrinkles.
Alpha-lipoic acid – The Miracle Antioxidant
Not only is ALA an amazing natural facelift, but studies have shown that it also helps to regulate blood sugar, protects nerve and brain tissue and may even be useful in the treatment of glaucoma. You can purchase ALA rather inexpensively in a capsule form or receive injections from your doctor. No matter how you slice it, taking this supplement, along with adopting a healthy lifestyle is by far a safer and more economical route to looking and feeling your best as you age.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/alpha-lipoic-000285.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jul/22/plastic-surgery-medicine