The knife-free
face lift
By Roz Brown
I
have one of those lines. One of those horizontal, middle-of-the-forehead,
genetic lines that makes you look, if not exactly pissed off, mostly
upset all the time. I never really knew how pronounced it was until
my two girls were about six and 10. That’s when they regularly
began to ask anxiously, “What’s wrong?”
Well, hell, there were all sorts
of things “wrong,” but they were in no way related to them.
My children had erroneously concluded that my permanent look of concern
had something do with being upset—that I was “mad”
about something they’d done. I found it necessary to repeatedly
reassure them that my father’s side of the family had imparted
many gifts, but the trough in their mother’s forehead deep enough
to scare small children was not one of them.
I have yet to fix what some might
consider a facial flaw. In other words, I haven’t cut up my forehead,
or had any “work” done. Probably like you, however, I have
gone from baby oil to number 30 sunscreen, and from One-A-Day vitamins
to a cabinet-full of antioxidants. Naturally, there are still others
willing to go farther in the quest to maintain a youthful appearance,
but there is also an increased interest in avoiding “the knife”
to achieve that goal.
The goal of a facelift is to
remove wrinkles by correcting facial skin that is loose and sagging.
This condition occurs through sun damage, repeated stress, loss of muscle
tone, collagen and elastin loss, loss of barrier function and, most
importantly, the loss of the soft fatty tissue beneath the skin.
For many years, the only “facelift”
procedures we heard about were those performed on Hollywood movie stars—and
they involved serious surgical procedures and lengthy recovery time,
not to mention a movie-star-sized paycheck. For the rest of us, a regular
facial, at home or otherwise, was about all that was available to ward
off the signs of aging. A facial, after all, does cleanse, rehydrate
and rejuvenate the skin, which encourages a healthful complexion and
reduces stress. It can also minimize blemishes, acne, dry skin and,
of course, wrinkles. The massage, an integral part of a facial, helps
with blood circulation, which in turn aids lymphatic drainage or the
removal of toxins. But whatever benefits a facial offers, it will not
permanently erase years of living off your face. To do that, it was
believed only a surgeon with a scalpel would do.
What we call plastic surgery
has been around for more than 4,000 years, but it’s only recently
been combined with cosmetic plastic surgery in techniques to defy aging.
As early as 800 B.C., physicians in ancient India utilized skin grafts
for reconstructive work. The word “plastic” in that time
did not imply artificial, but rather meant, “to mold or give form,”
from the ancient Greek word, “plastikos.” As plastic surgery
became especially useful in repairing war injuries, to improve scars
and to treat disorders resulting from birth defects or disease, it began
to be more widely recognized in both the United States and Europe in
the 19th and 20th centuries. It moved into public consciousness in the
1950s, and became a household word in the 1960s as scientific developments
flourished. One of those developments included the substance, silicone,
unveiled in 1962 as a breast implant device.
There will always be those willing
to go to any length to maintain a Barbie-doll appearance. But there
are also signs that avoiding invasive surgery is becoming increasingly
popular. Many cultural changes have occurred since the 1960s. Research
and common sense now tell us that exercise, including strength training,
reverses the clock naturally. We don’t smoke because we’ve
learned it ruins not only our health, but also our skin. We’re
conscious of how our diet affects the look of skin, and the critical
importance of water. Then there’s the need for adequate sleep,
the still-recent directive for daily sunscreen applications, and mind
techniques for dumping stress and anger that can cause premature aging.
Beyond that, today’s natural
facelift techniques often incorporate ancient Eastern practices, including
acupuncture and acupressure. In the acupuncture treatment, a wide array
of herbal poultices, creams and essential oils are vital. In an article
written for Acupuncture Today, Sunanda Harrell-Stokes, L.Ac., describes
the need to extensively cleanse and exfoliate the face before using
acupuncture needles. She says a poultice should be used, based upon
the ancient tradition of the Chinese “herbal soup” si wu
tang, to counteract poor nutrition, pollution and stress. The needles
stimulate circulation, boost collagen production and plump fine facial
wrinkles, and are said to create more of a “lift” than spa
facials. Finally, Harrell-Stokes says, “We call forth the yin"
to the face, which involves rolling cool jade face- and eye-rollers
up the neck and face. This helps moisturizers penetrate more deeply
and, as the ancient Chinese believed, affords magical protection.”
The acupressure facelift relies
on another distinct ancient Chinese technique to improve facial blood
and oxygen flow. By pressing certain points on the face, a greater flow
of blood and oxygen is produced, which promotes a release of tension,
a softening of lines, and toning and tightening of sagging skin, among
other health-related benefits. The www.sanandaworkbook.com website claims
that “acupressure massage keeps the collagen and elastin fibers
wet and warm which encourages and stimulates their growth. Karen Umstattd
Sies, author of the website and acupressure practitioner, says, “With
each facelift massage, the toning benefits increase because muscles
have memory.” Extensive facial exercises are encouraged in conjunction
with regular acupressure facials.
Any natural facial lift technique
also encourages the use of proper herbs, light and nutritional therapies,
hydrotherapy, and breathing techniques, and all procedures must be repeated
frequently to maintain results.
Again, Umstattd Sies describes
her facelift massage technique as a "combination of Chinese and
Japanese techniques using cleansing, moisturizing and energizing, working
specifically with the facial meridians to achieve a balance in the facial
skin (and) the facial muscles, harmonizing the condition of the internal
organs.”
Beneficial products and procedures
used in conjunction with both acupressure and acupuncture might include
antioxidant cleansers, masks and moisturizers, face scrubs, steam treatments,
exfoliation creams, sea salt or aromatic sugar scrubs, or rich moisturizers
such as olive oil or shea butter. Other techniques might include hot
and cold steam baths or showers, the consumption of mineral water, aromatherapy
baths and general detoxification treatments.
On a more internal level, vitamins
A, C, E, K and B complex can all help improve skin health. The Chinese
have consistently promoted tonics such as ginseng, ling zhi reishi and
yang rong wan to nourish aging skin. Proper diet that includes large
amounts of antioxidants are said to help the skin, and since we know
that stress speeds the aging process, it should be managed with regular
exercise, deep breathing techniques, biofeedback, meditation or yoga.
A technique new to the United States is the use of light therapy or
photo rejuvenation. These 20-minute sessions are said to increase circulation,
reduce puffiness, lessen hyperpigmentation, and improve the appearance
of fine lines. Light therapy/photo rejuvenation is a non-invasive technique
in which hand-held wands are passed over selected areas of the face
and neck. The infra-red light pulse surrounds the tissue and stimulates
new collagen production. There are multiple books about these methods,
or you can ask the experts at a store like Vitamin Cottage or Pharmaca.
Right now, “minimally invasive”
plastic surgery methods get the lion’s share of attention. According
to statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, consumer
demand jumped 41 percent in 2003 for minimally invasive plastic surgery.
And just what might that be? Here’s a sampling, by way of comparison
with more natural methods:
- Demabrasion diminishes irregularities
in the skin’s surface by “sanding” the skin with
diamond rotary instruments.
- Chemical peels exfoliate the
skin’s top layers revealing younger, softer skin below.
- Laser resurfacing, like its
name implies, is performed with a “super-pulsed” carbon
dioxide laser to minimize wrinkles and lines.
- Thermage is a procedure that
employs a patented radiofrequency (RF) technology called ThermaCool.
- The Face Suture Lift employs
stitches but not cutting. The sutures are made of a nylon material
and are placed under the skin and left there permanently. The skin
is held there in position by tissue that forms around the stitches.
Similarly, there’s the Featherlift
and the ThreadLift, which use monofilament threads around which the
skin collects.
There are also injections of fat, collagen and hyaluronic acid that
can remedy sunken cheeks or aging hands and help smooth wrinkles. Most
popular of all, the Botox injection procedure can ease muscles around
the eyes and forehead that cause lines and wrinkles. Injections must
be repeated every six months.
When it comes to your pocketbook,
natural treatments are a pittance, compared to more radical or invasive
techniques. Generally, a one-time acupuncture facial could cost you
upwards of $75 plus the tip. By comparison, a one-time Botox treament
starts at around $500. If only Botox had arrived in Hollywood 50 years
ago. Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Hungarian-born actress who’s now 88 years
old, was known to be fond of plastic surgery. Comedians suggested she
couldn’t remember if she’d had more husbands than facelifts.
But even Zsa Zsa recognized its limitations. She is credited with saying
something to the effect that, “At some point, you have to choose
between your fanny and your face.” By that she meant that the
dwindling estrogen levels that lead to a hollow, sunken face might,
at the twilight of life, only be softened by a few more helpings at
the dinner table.
Now, if that could just fix the
fissure in my own forehead. But seriously, if you want to retain a semblance
of youth into old age without trying any of the afore mentioned techniques
or products remember what every expert of any kind repeats, repeatedly:
drink lots of water and wear your sunscreen.
There are multiple books about
these methods, some covering more topics than others in greater detail,
so before buying, make sure it addresses your particular interest. Some
include:
- Ageless Beauty: A Dermatologist's
Secrets for Looking Younger Without Surgery, by Steven Victor and
Ina Yalof (Crown, 2003)
Resources, local and beyond
- Body of Health, Francesca McCartney, Ph.D., New World Library,
2005 • The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
by Valerie Ann Worwood, New World Library, 1991
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies, C. Norman Shealy,
2002
- Gary Null's Ultimate Anti-Aging Program, Gary Null, Ph.D., First
Broadway Books, 1999
- The Wrinkle Cleanse, by Cherie Calbom, M.S., (Penguin 2005)
- The Wrinkle Cure, Nicholas Perricone, M.D., Warner Books, 2000
- Your Best Face: Looking Your Best Without Plastic Surgery, by Brandith
Irwin and Mark McPherson (Hay House 2002)
The following websites offer more information:
The following Nexus advertisers offer skin care services:
• Valerie Bainton, Boulder, 303-938-9120
• Integrative Medical Centre, 303-604-4696
• Magdalene, Magandang Health, 303-499-2181
• On Broadway Hair Studio and the Boulder Spa, 303-444-0330
JULY/AUGUST 2008 FEATURE ARTICLES
