Solutions for Lifelong Beauty: 7 Significant Advances to Enhance Appearance in the Past 12 months

When it comes to beauty and preserving our looks there seems to be an exciting new ‘wonder product’ revealed just about every week. Many of these potions and lotions are expensive and the majority of the time are treated with skepticism. But what about the ones that really do work? Or at least have an effect?

Aging skin is associated with a spectrum of changes ranging from changes in texture and coloration of the skin surface to wrinkles, decrease in skin elasticity plus volume changes that lead to sagging and droopiness of the skin, so which of these products and procedures actually make a difference?

First, while we are going to cover the subject of significant advances in reference to beauty, it is best to keep in mind that smoking ages the skin the most so if this is a habit, you must quit first, otherwise everything else can be a waste of time.

Now that you no longer smoke, wrinkle injections are still up there when it comes to fighting the ravages of age (or at least lines). Not only are they becoming more popular than ever but a study at the University of Michigan Medical School discovered volumizing the skin with injections that contained hyaluronic acid (such as Restylane and Juvéderm) actually resulted in more collagen being produced. In other words, the injection didn’t just fill but it stimulated natural collagen. Also, it is possible to see long term improvement several years later from calcium hydroxyapatite fillers (such as Radiesse).

Don’t fancy wrinkle injections? Then how about an ultrasound facelift? Ulthera has developed a ‘non-invasive ultrasonic imaging system’ to lift and tighten the skin on both the face and the neck. It may just put an end to eyelid and brow lifts. Again, this is based on helping the production of collagen. The machine works by means of sound waves (so intense that even dogs can’t hear them) heating up the skin’s tissue. The heat causes the skin to shrink (or ‘tighten’) on the face and neck while the new collagen produced has an anti-ageing effect. Sessions are over several weeks and the results tend to be subtle rather than stark and immediate. If you don’t have to see an instant change in appearance right away, then this might be something to consider.

Botox gained a pretty big competitor this year. Xeomin (or ‘naked Botox’) is a wrinkle hitter with a difference since it is cheaper than Botox and, more importantly, could work for the seven percent of women and men who don’t get any effect from Botox because of the extra proteins it contains (and which Xeomin doesn’t). In addition, the new wrinkle treatment – already dubbed the ‘next generation Botox’ by surgeons – doesn’t need to be refrigerated so is easier to store and administer. Due to legal complications between the companies that produce these products, Xeomin sales have been put on hold for now.  Another interesting twist to the Botox story is that zinc phytase taken before the injection of Botox in one study was shown to enhance the effect; more details should be coming along soon.

Ok, this one may sound a bit weird but we’re assured it works. Zeltiq is the art of losing those love handles by means of fat freezing. A ‘fat plate’ is placed on the areas of the body where the fat is to be burned (it does this by freezing the fat but not the outer layers of skin) in a number of regular sessions over several weeks. It’s been described as body contouring and said to work best when it’s not too much fat that requires to be lost. The results of this ‘aesthetic cryotherapy’ can take a few weeks to reveal themselves.  The limitations of the procedure include that only a certain area that fits into a suction attachment can be treated at once and each area requires an hour of treatment. So to do an upper and lower abdomen area would require two hours of your time for the procedure and a number of weeks to see the results.

Most of the world loves it because it’s just so… glittery. But now gold has been shown to be effective chemistry-wise when it comes to cosmetics. Gold Collagenine is the latest anti-aging super technology. Scientists claim the valuable mineral can act as a ‘delivery system’ for other chemicals by helping to move them to their intended destination.

In this case colloidal gold (a nanoparticle) protects the enzymes in the body from breaking down chemicals before they reach the cells on which they are to react. Gold itself doesn’t affect tissues and proteins in the body. For those keen to get to know this new breakthrough, 3Lab WW Cream contains the product but, as you’d expect, it doesn’t come cheap.

A deep pore cleansing brush head attachment for the Clarisonic Deep Pore Cleanser device is said to be impressing skin care experts thanks to its ability to ‘reach the parts manual washing can’t’ – by that we mean the deep crevices around the nose area. It accesses and removes dirt held in pores and is also said to relax the face at the same time.

And finally, it’s not strictly a physical beauty breakthrough as such but we couldn’t resist mentioning it here. Panasonic has developed a new camera which, when it takes a photo, makes it look as if you’re wearing make-up when you aren’t. Yes, the clever device instantly adds eye shadow or lipstick literally at the click of a button. It can even make teeth look whiter and wrinkles less pronounced. Now that’s what we call an advance!

So, there you have it!  A menu of items that you can consider as part of your choices to enhance appearance if you feel motivated to do so.

Whether you have just  turned 21 or 81, looking your best is always of benefit and extra help is available when you need it.