Skin. It is the body’s largest organ,
and our barrier against the world
outside. It’s also one of the clearest
indications of our age: Smooth as
a baby’s bottom when we’re born,
rosy and radiant in our youth,
then dull, sagging and wrinkled as
we age.

What happens to our skin as we
grow older? Why does it betray
us? How is it that every woman
over thirty periodically catches
something in the mirror and
wonders: “When did that happen?”
Bags under the eyes. Droopy
eyelids. Incipient jowls. Fines
lines. Deep lines. Age spots. And
elasticity? Gone.


So how do we keep our skin
youthful looking? And, what can
we do to undo the damage of time?
For that matter, what causes skin
to age in the first place?

What follows is our report on why
your skin ages and why it makes
your face look older—and what
you can do about it.

Skin: Coming of Age

First things first: How does our skin age? Doctors will tell you there are two sets of culprits, “extrinsic” and “intrinsic.” The extrinsic factors are controllable things like sun damage, exposure to toxins, smoking, diet, alcohol consumption and how you care for your skin. Intrinsic factors are less controllable, and refer mostly to the inner programming we call genetics.

Want to know what your skin will look like in a couple of decades? “Look at your grandparents and it will give you a good idea,” says Dr. Ava Shamban, a cosmetic dermatologist in Beverly Hills, Calif. This will show you what your DNA has in store for you: The slow decline of your skin cells. “It’s not completely understood, but we’re zeroing in on the intrinsic causes of aging,” says Dr. Shamban. “In the shortest version, the cells stop renewing. It’s… genetic programming that we don’t know how to reverse yet.”

As the cells begin to slow down, the effects are apparent in myriad ways. In terms of skin, “There seems to be a timer in our cells that signals them to act differently,” says Dr. Anna Guanche, another top Southern California cosmetic dermatologist. Take our levels of elastin, for example—the all-important elastic protein in skin tissue that lets it resume its shape after stretching or contracting. Our elastin level peaks before we’re born, and then declines until we’re about 40, after which there is no production. “So whatever you have at 40 is what you’ll have ‘til the end,” says Dr. Guanche.

Other effects of aging include: Deflated fat cells in the skin, which lose firmness and don’t hold shape well; a loss of collagen, the connective tissue that keeps skin together; and a slowdown in the turnover of the epidermis, the skin’s outer layer, leaving it dulllooking. We also lose bone and muscle that support the skin. As Dr. Guanche explains: “When I see an aging face, it’s a loss at every level. It’s a global thing.” In general, our cellular renewal processes have stalled if not completely ceased. The result is a loss of volume, definition, elasticity and tone, along with an increase of lines, wrinkles and pigmentation.

The good news is that while doctors are still unraveling the mysteries of intrinsic aging, they already know a great deal about extrinsic aging, and how to prevent it.

In the extrinsic arena there is no worse contributor to aging skin than the sun, says cosmetic dermatologist Joel Schlessinger, MD, of Omaha, Neb. “Stay out of the sun, because ultraviolet creates free radicals that destroy cell membranes,” warns Dr. Schlessinger. If not, “collagen goes from fluffy, straight and elastic to a shrunken bundle like a balled up rubber band.” The result? Early wrinkles, not to mention photo-aging and those unsightly sun and age spots.

Dr. Shamban’s list of culprits to avoid include pollution, toxins and substances that cause inflammation. That means no smoking and less sun exposure, of course, but also includes staying away from a diet rich in meats, processed foods and white sugars (sodas included). In a process called “glycation,” high levels of glucose get deposited on collagen and destroy it. So, high sugar foods accelerate the aging of skin. “Tissues are less flexible when glycolated,” Dr. Guanche explains.

The Arsenal Against Aging Skin

So what can be done? Dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons have an arsenal of fixes for everything from wrinkles and sagging jowls to lip lines and crepey eyes. Most doctors prefer a multimodal approach, using several tools in a tailored approach. “No two cases are the same,” says cosmetic surgeon Joe Niamtu, MD, of Northern Virginia. “One has to break down the problems in order to decide on the best treatments.”

The top tools in the cosmetic arsenal include lasers, fillers and botox for wrinkles; peels and lasers for pigment changes and acne scarring; radio and sound frequency tools for skin tightening; and regenerative techniques like stem cell-rich fat transfer to restore volume loss, and regenerate collagen and elastin.

Cosmetic physicians typically combine procedures for the best overall outcome. There is also the trend toward using non-invasive techniques, rather than plastic surgery. “The client who wants dramatic change… it used to be a facelift,” says Dr. Schlessinger. “We docs have to reprogram patients who think in terms of allat- once-techniques. The problem is you end up not looking like yourself. It used to be tuck and pull. Now it’s revolumize with fillers to change face shape, motion prevention with botox, and non-invasive lasers for wrinkles.”

In the end, it all depends on what the individual wants, the price in time and money she (or he) is willing to pay, and the skills (plus aesthetic understanding) of the physician involved. For the face in particular, a combination of procedures often produces the best result. As cosmetic physician Dr. Tom Barnard of Ontario, Canada says, “There’s nothing like a combination of all techniques applied in a good practitioner’s hands. The results can be astonishing!”

Smooth Skin: Lasers & Peels

One of the oldest techniques in the world to remove wrinkles and discoloration is the chemical peel. This goes back to the days of Cleopatra. And while chemical peels are still used by cosmetic doctors today, lasers have largely replaced them. High-tech aside, they work in a similar fashion: They ‘burn’ the skin, which triggers the skin to heal. As it heals, collagen production is stimulated and a ‘new skin’ emerges, smoother, less wrinkled and less pigmented.

There are different kinds of lasers, but they come down to two main types: The ‘ablative’ lasers that wound the surface of the skin aggressively (ablative means to vaporize), and the ‘non-ablative’ lasers that poke a pattern of tiny holes in the
skin, stimulating collagen production and skin tightening under the surface.

When it comes to getting rid of wrinkles, “Laser resurfacing and chemical peels are the gold standard,” says Dr. Niamtu, and both can have lasting effects when it comes to resetting the clock. The difference is the way the skin is injured. With a chemical peel, or dermabrasion, a wound is created and when it heals there is new epidermis and no age spots. Lasers use light energy to burn the skin and force the building of new collagen.

Dr. Niamtu prefers the old CO2 laser, which vaporizes the entire skin surface. While there are risks of permanent and temporary scarring, extended redness and infection, “It’s the go-to method for wrinkles,” he says, because it forces the entire surface to remake itself. Other limitations include the fact that necks areas cannot be treated aggressively, and that it requires two weeks of downtime for carefully monitored healing. But these are small prices to pay for smooth skin.

<The newest laser treatments are designed to get around these problems. Topping the list are the ‘fractional’ lasers, which send light energy in a pattern that hits only parts of the skin—sort of like touching only the red squares on a checkerboard. These lasers are gentler, leaving surrounding healthy tissue to help in the healing process. With these lasers, the neck and décolletages can be done effectively. They also require only a couple of days for recovery. The downside is that they are far less profound in their effect, and require a series of treatments spread out over a period of months. Full results are seen only after six months.

Most doctors agree that the more aggressive the laser treatment, the better the result—but that means more discomfort, more downtime and more risks of side effects. There is also some controversy over which of the new lasers work best. “We’re still looking for the holy grail of reproducible results with lasers that are not invasive and it’s still not happened yet,” says Dr. Schlessinger.

Either way, lasers can smooth skin texture, remove wrinkles, and make your skin look ten years younger or more. But the procedures don’t come cheap; either all at once or spread out over time, the treatments will run between $4,000 and $6,000. But doctors point out that since the results are enduring—they last for five years or more—it’s money well spent.

Full Volume: Fillers & Neurotoxins

By now everyone should have heard about Botox, or similar neurotoxins such as Dysport and Xeomin, which put a stop to the dynamic movement of muscles that cause wrinkles around the eyes and brows. All work to paralyze the offending muscles for months at a time, which not only reduce the wear and tear on your skin, but actually make some of those deep lines—like the famous ‘elevens’ between the eyebrows—just go away. For those who want no downtime, they are a good option.

But that is really just the first part of the story, because neurotoxins don’t actually erase wrinkles, or improve the volume or shape of the skin. For that you need something called ‘fillers.’

Fillers, like Juvéderm, Restylane, Radiesse, Sculptra and Belotero, mimic the natural materials found in our cells and are injected into skin folds, deep wrinkles and lines to lift and reshape the face. There is even some level of new collagen production, particularly with Sculptra as it stimulates the body’s own collagen production to plump folds and wrinkles.

“They don’t tighten,” explains Dr. Joseph Eviatar, a cosmetic surgeon who practices in Manhattan, NY. “Fillers improve contour … For deep wrinkles, you have the option of deep-acting lasers or a combination of botox and fillers. If downtime is an issue, fillers are the way to go.”

Because most clients want something quick and easy that does not interrupt their lives significantly, large volume fillers have become increasingly popular. “They’re efficient, cost less and are instantly transforming,” says Dr. Schlessinger. “I had an older woman in my office who had lost all volume in her lower face. Six syringes later, she cried. It is rewarding. Before, only facial implants could do that.”

Each product comes with different durations of effectiveness. Radiesse lasts one to two years, while Sculptra lasts two to three years, a duration that is reflected in price. A syringe of Juvéderm can run from $700 to $800; Sculptra, on the higher end, can run from $1000 to $2000. Overall costs depend on how many syringes are needed.

“Each product has slightly different properties,” says Dr. Eviatar. “It’s not about the products as much as proper placement, and the understanding of facial anatomy and technique.”

In fact, what’s new about fillers is how they’re being placed. “Fat volume is lost in areas around the eyes and cheeks. Skin becomes less taut. You get folds around the mouth because of loss of support,” says Dr. Eviatar. Older methods would have dictated filling in the fold itself, sometimes leading to a puffed-up appearance. Now, he says, “We address the underlying cause in the supporting tissue around the folds, address the loss of fat volume and tighten the skin.”

In other words, fillers were once primarily used to ‘fill in’ facial depressions, such as deep wrinkles. Now they are being used to lift and re-sculpt the face.

“You restore fat pads around the cheeks and that pulls up the jowls and the nasal labial folds [the parenthesis lines one either side of the mouth],” says Dr. Shamban. “You can do injections, for example, along the jaw line to define that. Or you can revolumize the lips… You’re trying to define the features better because everything shrinks and sinks.”

As with all procedures, fillers are both an art and a science. Proper training is needed. “In the wrong hands, people can look terrible,” says Dr. Eviatar. “You need to be able to analyze the face, understand facial anatomy, understand the aging process and know where to place the fillers to get the correction you want.”

Tighten Up: Radiofrequency & Ultrasound

While lasers work on the surface, and fillers restore volume to that surface, another approach to improving the appearance of skin is below-the-surface heat.

Today there are a variety of technologies that use radiofrequencies (like Thermage or Pellevé), ultrasound (Ulthera) or infrared light to tighten sagging skin and smooth wrinkles from the inside. No matter what the source of energy, the goal is to target tissue deep below the skin’s surface with heat, which causes damage that tightens the skin (think shrink wrapped), while stimulating collagen and elastin production.

Among the benefits to this approach is recovery: There is no downtime. Sessions take about one to two hours and cost $250 to $450 dollars, depending on the scope of area to be treated. These treatments won’t do the work of a deep laser on deep wrinkles, but can yield great results for face contouring as well as body sculpting.

“They are just types of energy along the electromagnetic spectrum—light energy, sound energy—but all induce a healing response that stimulates production of collagen and elastin and result in tightening,” explains Dr. Barnard.

Dr. Barnard particularly likes the Ion Genius and Ion Magnum for the face as well as body sculpting.

“Whatever energy you use, you would like not to damage the skin surface, but to enhance it,” he says. “These [devices] fire energy past the surface of the skin to the sub-dermal layers. With some of these ionic machines, you go past that to the muscle to stimulate them… tightening muscle while you’re tightening the skin.”

Dr. Darab Hormozi, a cosmetic surgeon who practices in Towson, MD, uses an Ellman device around the face and eyes, as well as Pellevé, both of which use radiofrequency. As he describes, “Its like a microwave. It vibrates the molecules, heats collagen and stimulates the body to produce more.” Hormozi says the ideal patient is 40 to 50 years old because “they still have collagen. In an 80-year-old you won’t see improvement because they don’t have enough collagen left to stimulate.”

Dr. Hormozi says there is an incremental improvement over time. One session is not enough; instead a series of four or five ($400 each), with a few weeks in between is required. “It’s not like a laser where you see results in two weeks. It takes six months to see final effect.”

The advantage is no downtime and the result is firmer, tighter skin. “You are constantly upping the collagen. If I start with 1,000 fibers and do a treatment, it will increase to 2,000 fibers. If I do it again, I will get 4,000…so there is an exponential improvement with each treatment.”

Get Glowing: Stem Cell Fat Transfer

Undoubtedly the most revolutionary of procedures to repair and rejuvenate the skin at a cellular level is the use of the stem cell-enriched fat, which takes advantage of the growth factors in stem cells. “We are about to enter a new era in maintaining and rejuvenating tissue,” says Sharon McQuillan, MD, who practices aesthetic and anti-aging medicine in South Florida.

The stem cells in question are not the controversial embryonic stem cells of yesterday, but are ‘adult’ stem cells found in human fat that can be activated once the fat is removed via liposuction. They have the power to become other types of cells, but more importantly release what are called ‘growth factors’ that tell various kinds of tissue (including skin) to rebuild itself.

Dr. McQuillan uses stem cells in two ways. In a unique procedure she calls “cell-assisted resurfacing,” she uses stem cells to enhance a resurfacing procedure by applying stem calls topically afterwards to cut healing time in half and achieve better results. The other more common use is for patients that need volume enhancement. For this she will inject stem cell-enriched fat to achieve a stable and enduring fat graft. Sometimes, she will use both procedures on the same patient. “It’s attractive to rejuvenate the skin in a nurturing supportive way rather than just with a controlled thermal injury,” she says.

In the past, fat from one part of the body was injected into areas of the face to revolumize it, but these procedures proved unstable. Often, much of the fat was reabsorbed into the body, and the volume was lost. With stem cell-enriched fat transfers, stem cells are isolated and harvested from a portion of the fat to create “supercharged fat” that remains stable and rich in growth factors, for a long-lasting rejuvenation that also improves the tone and quality of the skin.

Cosmetic physician Dr. Joseph Broujerdi of Los Angeles describes how it works: “The procedure involves removal of fat from undesirable places like the abdomen or thighs. This is not regular liposuction, as you need techniques that don’t damage the fat cells. In a special separation process the stem cells are isolated and counted, then reconstituted and reintroduced.” Stem cells are the “building blocks of the body, construction workers that repair,” he says, and if you mix a high concentration of stem cells into the fat, most of it will not only survive, but thrive—rejuvenating the skin, adding stable volume and repairing damage.

Dr. McQuillan warns that while there are doctors performing this technique and getting good results, because standardization is lacking for the procedure, there are many doctors advertising stem cell transfer procedures who are not qualified and may only be injecting simple fat. Separation and injecting techniques vary, as well as the artistry involved in the placement of the stem cell-enriched fat, which must be injected in micro-droplets so that all stem cells have a good blood supply to thrive.

A stem cell fat transfer to the face can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000. But doctors say it is one of the most dramatic and enduring corrections. While the techniques are new, follow-up studies tracking stem cell-enriched fat transfers show stability more than two years later, since the fat is “alive.”

The newest breed of dark-spot removers returns skin back to a youthful state of luminosity

By: Melissa Schweiger

Your love affair with the sun as a teenager can come back to haunt you—in the form of dark spots on the face. Not to mention the discoloration caused by hormonal changes, pregnancy, acne backlash and just about everything else that comes naturally.

“One of the most common reasons for developing dark spots is sun exposure,” says Dr. David Kriegel, director and founder of the Manhattan Center for Dermatology in New York City. “The sun induces the melanocytes in the skin to produce excess melanin, which is the substance that makes your skin darker. Essentially, the process is the same no matter what the source of the spot.”

Obviously, sunscreen is your first line of defense but it won’t reverse the damage. Thankfully, there are now some revolutionary new products on the market that do an excellent job of eradicating the effects of our flirtation with the sun, among other things.

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
If you want: A prescription strength treatment.
What it does: Clinique’s plant-derived
technology attacks existing dark spots while
preventing new pigmentation. It smartly
exfoliates away the melanin when it’s done
demolishing the offensive spots.
How it works: The new CL-302
Complex is at the heart of this treatment.
Included also are the botanical extract
dianella ensifolia, a rare super-powered
antioxidant from Southeast Asia, and a
blackout yeast extract to break up
clusters of pigmentation.
Available at: www.clinique.com
Price: $49.50

Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator
If you want: To give your skin a
lit-from-within glow.
What it does: This lightweight serum leaves
behind a gorgeous sheen to the skin while
evening out the complexion.
How it works: Two exclusive new technologies
called Triple Optic Technology and CorrectTone
Technology work to Photoshop your skin. The
proprietary blend of antioxidants and anti-irritants
color corrects, brightens and illuminates the complexion.
Available at: www.esteelauder.com
Price: $58

Peter Thomas Roth De-Spot
If you want: A gentle alternative to hydroquinone.
What it does: It reduces spots and hyper-
pigmentation by 85% in twelve weeks.
How it works: By using 21st Century ingredients
called ActiWhite and Illumiscin, which give results
comparable to hydroquinone. Another ingredient in
the mix, Chromabright, is more effective than kojic
acid at restoring an even skin tone.
Available at: www.peterthomasroth.com
Price: $75

Algenist Targeted Age Correcting Serum
If you want: A biotechnological approach to fighting dark spots.
What it does: Rejuvenates the complexion and jump-starts
the growth of new cells.
How it works: Algenist’s signature anti-aging ingredient
called alguronic acid, which was discovered by accident
when the team of scientists behind the brand were researching
microalgae-based renewable energy solutions; works with
oligopeptide and bearberry and licorice extracts, to inhibit
melanin production and brighten skin tone.
Available at: www.algenist.com
Price: $79

Clarins Vital Light Serum
If you want: Your skin to be able to reflect light again.
What it does: Lifts, tones and brightens the skin.
How it works: Three key ingredients do the hard work: The
active molecule hexylresorcinol blocks the enzymes that trigger the
production of dark toned melanin; waltheria, a plant extract, firms
the skin by stimulating collagen production; and cochlearia officinalis
acts as the fountain of youth by helping the skin retain its luminosity.
Available at: www.clarinsusa.com
Price: $85

Serious Serums

When it comes to getting nutrients into your skin, serums rock. Here are some recent top releases.

By: Zoe Schaeffer

Serums” seems to be a buzz word in the beauty world but most people are confused when it comes to their actual purpose. Quite simply, these silky emulsions push nutrients into the deepest layers of the skin due to their composition of small molecules—which are much smaller than those found in moisturizers. Often pricier than their creamy counterparts, they’re worth it once you understand how vital they are to your skin’s health. And the latest crop, infused with uber potent ingredients, does more than meets the eye.

Restoration
Combining science with Symcalmin,
an anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant and
anti-histimine, this protective serum
restores suppleness and elasticity in
mature skin. Dr. Sebagh Rose de Vie
Serum; $250, available at Barneys.

Cheek Bleach
This ground-breaking serum evens out
hyper-pigmentation and sun damage.
Rodial Skin Bleach Serum;
$98, available at Nordstrom.

For Eye Lines
With a high concentration of pure
vitamin C, known to improve the
appearance of skin’s aging when
stabilized, this treatment tackles
crow’s feet, wrinkles around the
eyes and laugh lines. Kiehls Powerful
Strength Line Reducing concentrate;
$56, available at kiehls.com.

Berry My Body
This organic firming serum is meant to
tone and strengthen the body by using
crowberry, a wild berry rich in anti-free
radicals. Absolution La Solution +
Fermete; $59, available at
absolution-cosmetics.com.

Flame Down
Get a coveted glow with natural retinol,
vitamin C, essential amino acids and
natural anti-inflammatory agents in
this lipid serum. Sunday Riley Juno
Transformative Lipid Serum;
$125, available at sundayriley.com.

Anti-Ager
Advanced Idebenone technology,
a powerful antioxidant, gets
re-engineered to create a reserve
within the skin to diminish the
appearance of wrinkles, redness
and sun damage. Prevage Face
Advanced Anti-Aging Serum; $159,
available at prevageskin.com.

Sensual Healing

The sexy science of pheromones diffuses beyond fragrance to skincare!

By: Wendy Schmid

Flirty Little Secret Firming Cream with Pheromones $32; Firming Bronzer with Pheromones $32; available at bootyparlor.com.

Firm, silky skin is always seductive, but what if your anti-aging
body cream could give your sex appeal even more of a boost?
It can, if you dip into one of the pheromone-packed potions on
the market. Pheromones are biochemical signals we naturally
emit (animals do, too) that influence our attractiveness to the
opposite sex. You can’t smell pheromones, but the primitive
brain picks them up through the vomeronasal, a tiny organ in
the nose. Some doctors like dermatologist Nicholas V.
Perricone also believe they can improve mood and mental
clarity, as well as slow aging. (Perricone created his own
personal blend of pheromone liquid and uses it daily.)

Cleverly, companies like Booty Parlor and Fero Natural Luxury
have married (ahem) the benefits of pheromones with skin-
nourishing, collagen-stimulating peptides, marine extracts,
wheat proteins, and botanicals in body creams, scrubs, and
oils. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Victoria’s Secret angel
Alessandra Ambrosio are fans of Booty Parlor’s Flirty Little
Secret firming body creams, which contain UGL Complex to
increase surface-refining cell turnover, Tritisol XM to tighten,
and Bio-Bustyl to help replenish elasticity and firmness in
skin. Or you can treat yourself head to toe by smoothing on
Fero’s Firming Body Crème ($35) and vitamin-rich Lip Balm.
You may really enjoy the attention.

By: Lily Faber

Why You Can’t Lose Weight: Why It’s So Hard to Shed Pounds and What you Can Do About It

Author: Pamela Wartian Smith, MD

Pamela Wartian Smith’s latest diet book, Why You Can’t Lose Weight, is not a “diet book” in the traditional sense. She does not name food as our sole enemy in the battle of the bulge and, in a refreshing twist, does not provide recipes guaranteed to make you healthier and skinnier. Instead, Dr. Smith describes a host of lifestyle and physiological factors behind why so many of us are overweight and struggle to shed the pounds, no matter what regimen we follow.

Why You Can’t Lose Weight is divided into four easily navigable parts: Lifestyle, Health Problems, Biochemical Factors and Solutions, which are then divided into chapters. Each chapter includes lists of symptoms to help you diagnose yourself, how each issue affects your weight, and what you can do to lose excess pounds. Every part begins with a questionnaire to help you think about the real reasons behind your weight problems—and it isn’t always about food.

While her Lifestyle section addresses issues such as food addiction and insufficient exercise, Dr. Smith also includes factors like too little sleep and too much stress—both of which can adversely affect your weight. The Health Problems section delves deeper into your body’s inner-workings, explaining why your body isn’t responding to certain diets (potential food allergies, chronic inflammation), and how these health problems can cause illnesses such as chronic indigestion, swelling of the joints, Crohn’s disease, diabetes or even cancer.

In the Biochemical Factors section, Dr. Smith addresses issues such as insulin resistance, neurotransmitter dysfunction, and genes as possible culprits contributing to your expanding waistline. For each of these biochemical issues, she provides foods or supplements that could solve the problem, while warning us to consult our doctors about how different supplements can interact to potentially cause negative side effects.

As she concludes her book, Dr. Smith isn’t necessarily giving you a one-size-fits-all plan, but instead provides a practical starting point for you to educate yourself and analyze the reasons behind your specific weight gain. In the end, the goal is to create a personalized plan by creating a support system and setting manageable goals.

The Perfect 10 Diet: 10 Key Hormones That Hold The Secret To Losing Weight And Feeling Great—Fast!

Author: Michael Aziz, MD

If you are looking for a practical and readable diet book that can help you to lose weight and gain optimum health for life, read The Perfect 10 Diet by Dr. Michael Aziz. His main goal: To help you balance your hormones through exercise and the use of “food as medicine.”

In this book, Dr. Aziz explains how our American diet got to be so bad, what nutrients our bodies actually need, which hormones are essential to health and weight loss, and how to follow his diet by providing recipes, meal plans and lists of the foods you should be eating (sorry, cake is not included on the “yes you may have it” list). The book is peppered with his patients’ success stories that serve to reinforce his message that good food equals a healthier you.

Written in an accessible and logical way, The Perfect 10 Diet helps you to understand scientifically why low-fat diets and products are actually damaging our health and why a diet higher in fats is far superior. This may seem controversial, but, to clarify, the kinds of fats that Dr. Aziz is promoting are natural ones that are present in foods such as animal proteins, eggs, avocadoes and even butter (butter, it turns out, contains healthful compounds like lecithin, which assist the body in breaking down cholesterol and protecting it against free-radical damage.)

Dr. Aziz also provides a clear and helpful guide to the 10 hormones he feels are most directly linked to your weight, including: insulin, glucagon, leptin, thyroid, human growth hormone (HGH), cortisol, DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. He explains their function, how they can become unbalanced (by factors like excess sugar or aging), and how to regain your body’s natural and healthy levels of each of them, using chapter breakdowns and easy-to-follow charts.

In terms of practicality, Dr. Aziz’ method actually seems do-able—it’s just a matter of making healthier choices. Choose whole wheat over white bread. Eat organic fruits and veggies. And don’t eat fast food or sugar. Basically, I’d like to call The Perfect 10 Diet the “Common Sense” diet. My only complaint is that I’ll miss the croissants.

By: Barbara Perkins

In Charleston, South Carolina, where the first shots were fired in the “War Between the States,” the echoes of history are loud and clear. On King Street, just off the city’s main retail drag, is the Wentworth Mansion, built in 1886 and still standing today. Originally designed as a private residence, its 21 guest rooms boast fireplaces with original hand-carved marble mantels, king-size sleigh beds, inlaid design floors, whirlpool tubs and Tiffany stained glass windows. Gathering with other guests in the parlor for early evening cordials, Scarlett O’Hara would have felt completely at ease. We certainly did. The rest of the property is just as inviting.

A stroll across the landscaped grounds leads to the 1,000-square-foot full-service spa. Set in the mansion’s restored former carriage house, the spa’s authentically rustic atmosphere is inspired by the building’s history. Retaining its original 14-foot-high vaulted ceilings and exposed wood beams, the space also includes the original concrete flooring that perfectly complements exposed brick walls, both of which run the length of the spa’s long narrow hallway. Vintage art and heirloom furniture provide the finishing touches that help transform the space into a cozy retreat. Its small scale ensures a personalized, intimate experience rarely found in larger spas. Most of the gracious and attentive staff lives locally, and their convivial first-name approach works well in the warm and inviting reception area.

Compact yet complete, the spa offers a typical plethora of treatments: Massages, wraps, body scrubs, waxing and the like. Among the spa’s signature treatments is a two-hour “Rub and Wrap” that uses a detoxifying ginger and lemongrass body wrap combined with warm oils in a full-body multi-modality muscle melting massage. The tangerine, lavender and eucalyptus exfoliating body scrub is another favorite, followed by a close third: The lime and cedar wood oil aromatherapy treatment for scalp and neck. Other standouts include the Wentworth Gentlemen’s Facial, a deep cleansing treatment designed specifically to reduce the roughness of the skin, and The Wentworth Couples Retreat. Loosely translated, it means just about everything on the spa menu is available to be enjoyed in a treatment room for two, complete with a dual-headed shower.

For the most part, guests here are less inclined to select the fancy and far out offerings and prefer instead to gravitate toward these treatments, so we followed suit—and were not disappointed.

Long considered the area’s go-to-gal for facials, local skin guru Patty Pascal has set up shop here and amassed a legion of fans. Count us among them. Her customized facial-slash-fatigue fixer begins with a warm southern welcome as you are ushered into her inner sanctum, cocooned in a thermal blanket and set to lay on a fluffy bed that instantly begins to dial down your stress.

To address our particular needs, Pascal went with a 90-minute microdermabrasion treatment. Cleansed, soothed, toned and rejuvenated, the treatment left our face clear and smooth, while our neck, upper back and shoulders were elated to have come along for the ride. A first-rate fix that lasted for weeks, Pascal generously sent us packing with an individually prescribed, easy to follow, at-home regimen… and one final tip that we will now share with you: “Before you leave, be sure to make a point of climbing the balcony of the Wentworth Mansion and take in an unrivaled view of Charleston harbor. Visiting the city without taking in this breathtaking and historic sight would be a sin … y’all.”

The Spa at Wentworth Mansion
149 Wentworth Street
Charleston, SC 29401
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Yes, it makes you look better. But liposuction can
make you healthier, too. A study presented by
Manhattan plastic surgeon Adam Schaffner to
the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
looked at 300 patients undergoing liposuction.
It found that patients with high triglyceride
levels—associated with higher risk of heart
disease, stroke and diabetes—dropped those
levels by an average of 43 percent after surgery.
“That’s about twice the effect achieved with a
drug commonly prescribed to reduce triglyceride
levels,” says Dr. Schaffner. Another health benefit:
Improvement in self-esteem!

Killer Bees

Britain’s latest cosmetic rage? Bee venom skin
cream. Last year UK sales of Manuka Doctor
venom cream went up 3,000% after it was
reported that Kate Middleton, Camilla Parker
Bowles and other Royals swore by the stuff.
It’s made from New Zealand manuka honey
and purified bee venom, and its poison
reportedly works akin to Botox, temporarily
relaxing facial muscles and cell membranes.
Non-royals can pay $70 for the Bee Venom
Face Mask at manukanatural.com.

Pro Athletes For Stem Cells

Score one for ESPN. The sports network
continues to report about sports stars using
stem cells to fix damaged cartilage and bone.
In a ground-breaking October ESPN magazine
article, they chronicled how several big-name
players underwent successful cellular therapy,
including NFL defensive end Jarvis Green and
Yankees starter Bartolo Colon. Then in January
they aired a story about pitcher Mark
McCormick going to the Cayman Islands for
treatment, forced overseas by FDA restrictions
on stem cell use in the US.

43%

of all cosmetic procedures last year were
performed on adults aged 31 to 45 (Gen X). Source:
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Cosmetic Cities

So where are the hottest spots for cosmetic
procedures in the US? That would be Los
Angeles, Miami and New York, of course. In a
poll taken by Mandala Research for the daily-
deal website LivingSocial, 4,000 online bargain
hunters were asked if they knew someone
who’d had a recent procedure. LA came in first
for breast implants (37%), Botox/Dysport (22%)
and nose jobs (21%); Miami got high marks in
laser hair removal (27%), liposuction (20%) and
tummy tucks (20%); and New York was tops in
hair transplants (14%), lip jobs (12%) and butt
implants (11%).

Brain Drink

America has a genius for packaging. The latest
is a line of ‘Neuro’ drinks that deliver nutrients
for specific purposes—in a rainbow of colors.
The ‘neurosleep’ drink, for instance, is packed
with melatonin, the hormone your body produces
to help you sleep. Other Neuro drinks claim to
help with happiness (neurobliss, with an amino
acid found in green tea), smartness (nuerosonic,
with compounds to increase memory and
attention), and sex drive (neuropassion, filled
with lots of B vitamins). The good news is that
they are also low in sugar, just 9 grams per bottle.

Skin Deep, Just

A lot of non-invasive cosmetic procedures depend
on how good your doc is with the needle. Now
comes a new device to take the guesswork out.
Called DermaFrac, it’s a suction roller with rows of
tiny, micro needles that deliver different serums
precisely 250 microns deep. That’s just where you
need it, in the upper dermis but above capillaries
and nerve endings. The result: No bleeding or pain.
“It’s a very quick way to give people a rejuvenated
appearance,” says Dr. Robert Jackson, MD, of
Indianapolis, Ind., who uses the device to deliver
peptides for anti-aging.

Breast Jobs Still On Top

Recent figures from the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons reveal there were 13.8 million total cosmetic
procedures in the U.S. last year, up 5% from the
year before (the second straight year of 5% growth).
The majority were 12.2 million ‘minimally’ invasive
procedures, such as neural muscle relaxers, fillers, face
peels and hair removal. Among the surgical procedures,
breast augmentations were still tops, but tummy tucks
were replaced by facelifts in the no. 5 spot:
• Breast Augmentations (307,000, up 4%)
• Nose Reshaping (244,000, down 3%)
• Liposuction (205,000, up 1%)
• Eyelid surgery (196,000, down 6%)
• Facelifts (119,000, up 5 %)

Too Thin? Too bad.

Every student of anti-aging knows that trim
people live longer. But can you be too thin? A new
study shows that very thin people (those in the
lowest fifth of 190,000 patients examined) have a
40% higher chance of dying in the month after
surgery. Researchers caution that some of those
skinny patients may have been sicker to begin
with, but still warn that being too thin can
compromise your immune system.

Sexual Healing

Talking about cosmetic surgery is taboo enough
without discussing procedures for your privates.
Thankfully, New Jersey cosmetic surgeon
Dr. Marco Pelosi, III, has come up with a name
acceptable even in dinner conversation:
Sexesthetics. “It’s stuff you are not supposed to
talk about, and pictures that you can’t show….
But we are seeing an increase in demand,” he
says. Now the subject can be broached without
using words that start with V or P.
Trademark pending.

Diabetes Nation

With chef Paula Dean now a diabetic, the disease
will certainly get more attention, as it should.
According to the Centers for Disease Control,
one in 10 U.S. adults now have diabetes. That
figure could rise to one in three by the year 2050,
says the CDC, thanks in large part to what we
eat. Some doctors predict worse. “By the year
2050 half the adults in this country are going to
become diabetic,” says Dr. Frederic J. Vagnini, a
cardiologist who directs the Heart, Diabetes and
Weight Loss Centers of New York. “People are not
on good diets.” You mean sugar, white flour and
lots of butter are bad for you?

28%

of all cosmetic
procedures last year were performed on
adults aged 51 to 64 (Baby Boomers).
Source: American Society for Aesthetic
Plastic Surgery.

By: J.P. Faber

At first blush, it sounds like science fiction. A doctor removes a small amount of fat from somewhere on your body—somewhere you don’t want it, like your love handles—then ships it to a special cryogenic processing and storage lab. There, stem cells are extracted from your fat and frozen, but not before some are multiplied and used to create a designer skin care line “just for you.”

This is not science fiction, however. It’s the method behind one of the boldest new forays into regenerative medicine for cosmetic purposes, the “U” skin care line from Personal Cell Sciences (PCS), which uses a client’s own stem cells to create a unique skin care line for each individual.

The “U” line works by using the healing and regenerative power of stem cells, special cells that have the ability to become other cells in your body or to make these other cells repair and renew themselves.

For years it was believed that human stem cells existed only in the embryo or in bone marrow. A little over a decade ago, however, it was discovered that lots of stem cells were also found in your fat. These so-called “adult stem cells” were revealed in the late 1990s after New York surgeon Dr. Sydney Coleman noticed that the skin of his patients kept improving after he carefully injected fat to restore their facial volume.

It was this observation—that the skin where Dr. Coleman injected the fat kept looking younger—which prompted numerous companies to launch what they called stem cell face creams. Over the last couple of years a flurry of these creams have come onto the market, using everything from sheep stem cells to apple stem cells—one reason that PCS came into being.

“Why would I want to use the stem cells of another species?” asks microbiologist Dr. Burt Ensley, the lead scientist for PCS. “You should at least use your own species. Better yet, you should use your own stem cells.”

That is just what PCS does. Once a client’s fat has been sent to the cryogenic lab—in this case the facilities of New Jersey-based American CryoStem Corporation—it goes through a process whereby the fat is broken down and the stem cells removed. A portion of these stem cells is then stored (frozen) for your future use and the balance sent to the PCS cosmetic lab. There they are put into a proprietary culture and multiplied. From these millions of stem cells special proteins called cytokines (growth factors) are extracted. These growth factors, which act as messengers telling other cells to repair themselves, go into a PCS skin care line designed just for you. Apply to your face and voila, the skin starts to rejuvenate.

Nothing Like the Real Thing

The innovator behind PCS is John Arnone, the company’s founder as well as the CEO of AmericanCryostem Corporation, one of the premier facilities in the country for freezing stem-cell rich adipose tissue (fat). Arnone and his investors had already put millions of dollars into American Cryostem in order to preserve stem cells for future medical use by patients, based on the fact that stem cells are more potent when they are younger. Then Arnone had his ‘ah-ha’ moment.

“I looked around and saw all these stem cell face creams, and discovered that most of them didn’t have any stem cells in them,” he says. “All they had were ingredients that claimed to stimulate the stem cells to regenerate your tissue… or they had stem cells from plants, or fish, or sheep.”

Arnone began working with Dr. Ensley, who had been one of the original scientists with Amgen, now one of today’s top biotechnology firms. Among other things, Dr. Ensley holds 19 U.S. patents, including several for something called Tropoelastin, a bio-identical copy of elastin, the protein responsible for our skin’s ability to stretch and return to its normal shape. Ensley was developing a skin cream application for tropoelastin, which he was using for wound healing.

“When I reviewed Dr. Ensley’s research, it seemed to me that wrinkles and lines on your face were just like wounds on your skin,” says Arnone. “I thought combining the elastin with the stem cell growth factors would create something powerful and unique for baby boomers who are at that point in life where they look in the mirror and see age creeping up.”

PCS is not the only company that is using human growth factors to enhance skin creams. Arizona-based Novo is another such firm, which uses the platelet rich plasma (PRP) from cord blood—the blood remaining in the umbilical cord after birth—for their skin cream. This is likewise collected by cryogenic storage facilities that save the blood for its red blood cells then get rid of the leftover yellow PRP fluid.

“There are huge amounts of growth factors in this fluid,” says Dr. Mark Engelman, the chief science office for NOVO. These factors are what signal other cells to renew, and in the case of skin, to produce more collagen, the protein that supports skin. “Cells need to be told what to do. On their own they know nothing,” says Dr. Engelman, whose firm has conducted double-blind research at Northwestern University to prove that growth factors actually induce skin cells to manufacture new collagen.

Other companies, such as Jeunesse (Luminesce) and Invitrx (ReLuma), use human stem cells, which they reproduce and then break down for their growth factors. What distinguishes Arnone and PCS is that they use your own stem cells and your own growth factors, not someone—or something—else’s.

By: Wendy Schmid

You probably don’t spend much time thinking about your leg veins. That is, until you notice them as hair-fine purple tributaries, spidery starbursts, or cord-like bluish bulges. Then they can make you look and feel older—and stop you from showing off what may be your best asset.

As an actress and former model, Pamela Thompson, 65, was used to baring her legs in chic, short skirts. “Over time, though, I started noticing spider veins and a few larger, bluish veins on my thighs. They made me self-conscious,” Thompson says. So she sought out New York cosmetic surgeon Kevin Jovanovic, MD, for treatment.

New Advances

Everything from genetics to your profession (teachers and nurses commonly seek treatment) can pave the way for faulty leg veins. Women are particularly susceptible due to higher levels of estrogen and progesterone. Evaluations in this complex field used to be done somewhat blindly, but now ultrasound is paving the way for better diagnosis and longer-lasting results. “With ultrasound we can see beneath the surface and locate what’s causing the damage,” says Dr. Jovanovic. “This allows us to treat more effectively from the inside out.” Similar to sonogram technology, topically guided ultrasound enables doctors to see not just the problem vein, but the source feeding the vein, on the screen. It also indicates if blood is flowing correctly or backwards.

“Even small spidery starbursts can be a warning sign of damage that’s causing pressure and may eventually result in bigger, protruding or varicose veins,” explains Dr. Jovanovic.

Dr. Luis Navarro, MD, medical director of The Vein Treatment Center in New York, considers ultrasound an invaluable tool. “It’s indispensable—like a phlebologist’s stethoscope,” he says. With good reason: It can help prevent re-dos. Says Dr. Jovanovic, “If there’s more damage beneath the surface and you just treat the visible issue, improperly flowing blood can back up again, eventually bringing you back to square one.”

In the case of spaghetti-thick, protruding veins on the calves, back-of-the-knees or thighs, the problematic source is often the saphenous vein, which runs from inside the groin to the knee. (Dr. Navarro estimates that it is the culprit in 70 to 80 percent of cases where leg veins are bulging.) “If blood in this vein isn’t flowing correctly, then closing it can relieve pain, pressure, and swelling in visible veins,” Dr. Jovanovic explains. “Depending on the case, it may solve the problem enough to prevent further treatment.”

The procedure for this, called endovenous laser ablation, is done by threading a tiny needle-like laser fiber into the vein and closing it from the inside. (The body re-absorbs it over the next two weeks.) This procedure isn’t always necessary, though it was for Pamela. With ultrasound, Dr. Jovanovic determined she needed closing of the saphenous vein as well as two other common procedures: Sclerotherapy and microphlebectomy.

Treatments and Results

When it comes to spider veins about the width of hair, sclerotherapy is the procedure of choice. A chemical detergent is injected into the tiny veins, irritating the walls and causing them to collapse and disappear over time. It’s very effective and often a one-time treatment, though stubborn veins may need re-injection. Pigmentation or lingering redness at the injection site is possible, but usually temporary.

When it comes to large, superficial veins that sclerotherapy can’t fix, doctors like Navarro and Jovanovic favor microphlebectomy. An incision is made and the doctor removes the vein (or veins) with a small instrument that looks like a crochet hook. As with any surgical procedure, even minimally invasive ones, there’s a risk for scarring or pigmentation changes, but Dr. Jovanovic says it’s rare to have lasting issues.

As for Pamela, who required all three approaches, she couldn’t be happier. “I’m glad Dr. Jovanovic used the ultrasound, which showed that I had back flow in some of my veins so we knew how to proceed,” she says. “I had great results with all three procedures and insurance paid for it. My legs look great and I’m back in short skirts again!”

By: Lisette Hilton

Nothing is quite as disturbing as that nagging inability to remember something. It’s no wonder, then, that cultures around the world have long searched for magical memory enhancers—herbs and other nutrients that could untangle the cobwebs in our minds and unleash clear recollection.

“The Chinese have pushed huperzine; the Russians golden root [rhodiola rosea); the Italians basil, rosemary and oregano; the Indians tumeric and cumin; and the Israelis olive oil and grapes, which is resveratrol,” says Eric R. Braverman, MD, founder of PATH Medical and author of several consumer health books, including The Edge Effect: Achieve Total Health And Longevity With The Balanced Brain Advantage.

Turns out, these and other herbs have memory merit. According to recent scientific literature, these nutrients have all been shown to improve memory to some extent when taken as a supplement. Dr. Daniel G. Amen, a psychiatrist and author of New York Times’ bestsellers Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Magnificent Mind At Any Age, was lead author on one such study. Published in March 2011 in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, his study measured the brains of 30 retired professional football players with evidence of brain damage.

The researchers measured subjects’ thinking ability, focusing on the major cognitive domains of attention, memory, reasoning, and information processing. The subjects were then allowed to participate in brain health interventions, including an educational program on a brain-healthy lifestyle that promoted proper nutrition, regular exercise, alcohol restrictions, drug elimination, smoking cessation and quality sleep. In addition, players were given daily supplements of fish oil, a high-potency multivitamin and a brain enhancement supplement called Brain and Memory Power Boost developed by Dr. Amen (see side bar).

More than two thirds (69%) of the participants reported increases in memory; 53% reported increases in attention; 38% felt their moods improved; 38% felt more motivated; and 25% said they were sleeping better. Follow-up brain imaging showed increased blood flow to key brain areas, helping to confirm those reports.

“We’re very excited about the results,” Dr. Amen says. “I always tell my patients that you have to do this in the context of good habits. That’s why we taught the football players about brain health and used supplements in combination.”

Supplement Breakdown

While Dr. Amen’s Brain and Memory Power Boost contained some special herbs as well as potent antioxidants, there are many more common supplements that can help.

Fish oil, like that used in the study, is considered pivotal in brain health supplementation for example; research has shown that it enhances cognition—i.e., our ability to think. There is also research showing that high-potency multivitamins can improve mental performance as well.

Some key ingredients for memory enhancement that can be found in multivitamins, or taken as separate supplements, are the B vitamins, which Dr. Amen says have been shown to enhance mental ability. Folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 all control levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood, and high levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.

Dosages that appear to be effective for improving memory among subjects in scientific studies, according to Dr. Amen, include:
• B6, 50 micrograms a day
• Folic acid, 800 micrograms a day
• B12, 500 micrograms a day

There are lesser-known B vitamins that also play their roles in memory. Dr. Braverman says these include: Inositol, a B vitamin found in foods such as beans and whole grains, which aide in cell membrane development; and choline, an integral part of cell structure and function. Dr. Braverman also developed a memory supplement—Brain Memory—with a balance of ginkgo, GPC choline, huperzine A and acetyl-L-carnitine.

Don’t forget about the other things…

Regardless of how many supplements you take, lifestyle is an overriding factor in brain health, according to experts. There are things we do in our everyday lives that help and hurt memory.

“Stress hurts memory. Empathy helps memory. The more we care about people, the more we feel them, the more it’s going to help our memory,” according to Dr. Braverman. “And you can never underestimate exercise … [for brain health].”

The simple answer for brain health is four words: avoid bad and do good, Dr. Amen says. “Being overweight is bad,” says Dr. Amen. “In addition, there is a whole list of medical problems that steal your brain power: diabetes, heart disease, hypertension….So getting yourself fit and healthy is good for the brain.”

The point is that supplements alone won’t do the trick. “I think if people just rely on supplements and continue to live a lousy lifestyle, [supplements are] not that helpful. But in the context of a brain-smart life, supplements can make a big difference,” says Dr. Amen.

Supplements To Keep In Mind
Resveratrol - A polyphenol compound found in red wine (also
extracted from the herb Polygonum cuspidatum.) Recent studies show that
resveratrol improves cognitive function in mice, as well as primates, by increasing
insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF 1) in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center.

Phosphatidyl choline – Helps increase levels of the neurotransmitter
acetylcholine, which is associated with brain speed and short-term memory function.
Appears to prevent further deterioration of mental function in Alzheimer’s patients.

Phosphatidyl serine (PS) – Occuring naturally in the brain, PS
supplement may reverse about 12 years of memory decline. PS is intricately
involved in the strength, permeability, elasticity and maintenance of the
structural integrity of all cell membranes, especially those of the brain.

Ginkgo biloba – May lessen age-associated memory impairment
(AAMI) and improve some mental functions in those afflicted with AAMI.

Brain and Memory Power Boost
This supplement, developed by brain specialist
Dr. Daniel Amen, includes ingredients good for
memory and brain health:
• Ginkgo biloba and vinpocetine, to enhance
blood flow to the brain;
• Antioxidants N-Acetyl-Cysteine and
phosphatidylserine, to help maintain brain
cell membrane integrity; and
• Huperzine A and acetyl-L-carnitine to
enhance acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.

By: Ivette Figueroa

FUTUREDERM.COM

Nicki Zevola

We all know the adage “Everyone is trying to sell you something.” Even knowing that, however, it’s hard to distinguish hype from fact in a beauty market constantly pumping out new products that claim they hold the secret ingredient that really works. If only there was someone out there who could help settle the debate. Oh, wait…. There is.

Nicki Zevola was like any other beauty addict except that she really knew how to do her homework. “I was always talking to my mom and friends about beauty products. I’d say, ‘This one has this ingredient and works and that one has that ingredient and doesn’t work…’ I think I was driving them crazy,” laughs Nicki, who is currently attending medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. “My mom suggested that other people might want to know this kind of stuff and that I should start blogging.”

And that was the birth of FutureDerm—a one-stop shop for all things beauty-related. Nicki’s goal was to provide clear, well-researched information about beauty and skincare from a slightly different angle than the rest of the blogosphere. “I analyze beauty products from a scientific perspective. I’ll take a product and review it and I’ll write what’s on typical beauty product blogs—how it looks, etc.—but then I take it one step further and analyze it from a scientific perspective.”

Indeed, her blog aims to educate as much as inform about products. And with over 100,000 views a month, people are starting to take notice. FutureDerm was named one of the top 30 beauty bloggers in the world by Konector.com and has received media attention from the likes of The New York Times and The Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

Nicki plans to publish her success in a book about beauty blogging. But more importantly, she wants to continue doing what she does best—giving advice on skin care products. “I always wanted to become a dermatologist, and I was always interested in skin care, so I always saw myself as a future derm.”

THIS WEEK FOR DINNER.COM

Jane Maynard

Like most great ideas, Jane Maynard stumbled into writing This Week For Dinner. “I had no intention of starting a blog,” says the Bay Area native. “I basically wanted to share my menus with my brother who lived far away, and I wanted my friends, who were more prepared than I, to tell me what they were cooking each day.”

When Jane first started the blog, her daughter had just turned two and she was attempting to get more organized by going through bouts of meal mapping, trying to plan ahead for weeks at a time. “I would go to the park in the afternoon with my daughter and I would ask my friends what they were making. I started the blog just to keep track of all the menus,” she says.

Over time, the idea evolved and This Week For Dinner became a hotspot for lots of busy folks on a healthy recipe hunt. “Every Sunday I post my menus and people come and post their menus in the comments. Beyond that, during the week I write my recipes or about favorite products or where we eat when we travel. It chronicles my life with food,” explains Jane.

Today, the blog offers all sorts of delectable dishes from the gourmet to healthy eats, garnering a spot in Martha’s Circle—a network of blogs chosen by Martha Stewart editors. “I can’t believe it’s been five years since I started it,” says Jane. “I feel like having the blog has improved my family’s life, since we are planning our meals and eating healthier.”

Indeed, that concept has carried over into thousands of homes as Jane’s loyal readers both feed and read the weekly updates.

And are there any future plans for the busy mom? “Between keeping This Week for Dinner fresh and updated 3 to 5 times per week, and being the editor of DailyBuzz Moms and FoodPress.com, my plate is full…and delicious! I think the key to longevity in blogging is loving what you’re blogging about.”

By: Camille Rankin

Like many women in their fifties—including Nora Ephron, who wrote a best-selling book about it—Robin hated her neck. “It was saggy and wrinkly, relative to everything else on my face, and the skin was loose, especially under my chin. It really bugged me,” she says. “I wanted a smoother, firmer neck and jawline, but I wasn’t ready for plastic surgery. I didn’t think I needed it yet.”

The 58-year-old turned to her longtime dermatologist, Dr. Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, for help. “This is one of the most common consults I get,” says Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas, who practices in New York City and is the founder of the skin care research company NY Derm. “It’s an issue that really makes women feel and look much older, so it’s of the highest priority. Unfortunately, where injections like Botox and fillers work superbly in the upper face and around the eyes, they don’t really help the lower face and neck.”

Popular non-surgical treatments for this area, such as Thermage and Ultherapy, use radiofrequency and ultrasound to produce heat energy in the skin, which triggers a “wound response” that increases production of collagen. Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas suggested Robin try a similar innovative procedure called ePrime, which the doctor has been performing since its first clinical trials in 2007. (The Syneron Candela device was approved by the FDA last year.) What makes it different is that instead of applying heat to the outer layer of skin, the ePrime device has five pairs of micro-needles that actually penetrate the skin to deliver heat deep into the dermis, or second layer, and contain it there.

Going Deep

“This is very different from treatments like Thermage and Ultherapy, which still fall in the realm of skin surface technologies,” says Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas. “The beam has to penetrate through the skin to reach its target. With ePrime, we’re going directly to the deep dermis.”

Dr. James Newman, a plastic surgeon practicing in San Mateo, Calif., who uses Ultherapy as well as ePrime, agrees. “We’re getting to a layer of the skin we haven’t reached before,” he says. “We’re seeing not only increased collagen, but also increased elastin and hyaluronic acid, the mortar that holds all of the individual components of the skin architecture together. It’s like the skin is producing its own natural filler.”

The result is a simultaneous tightening and plumping that brings back a more youthful contour to the jawline and reduces wrinkles and sagging on the neck and around the mouth, including the dreaded “waddle” and “marionette lines.”

“I saw a difference almost immediately, and then saw continued improvement over the next few months,” says Robin. “My jawline became more defined—it was just up more. And the loose skin under my chin—it really picked up. It used to drive me insane and it no longer drives me insane. It’s amazing.”

The procedure is relatively simple—it’s done in the doctor’s office and takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete. First, a topical anesthetic is applied to the skin, and then a local anesthetic is delivered via a series of small injections across the entire treatment area. This not only alleviates the pain of the procedure, but also eliminates bleeding and minimizes bruising.

Once the anesthetic has taken effect, the doctor uses a handheld ‘wand’ to penetrate one patch of skin at a time and administer several pulses of heat. The heat, which comes from radiofrequencies produced by the device, can be monitored and controlled as it’s being delivered, so ePrime is safe for all skin types. And there’s no sedative necessary, so patients are fine immediately afterwards and can even drive themselves home.

The Experience

If you’re wondering how it feels to be on the receiving end of what seems like a glorified staple gun, patients report there is some discomfort, but it’s tolerable. “In the beginning it doesn’t bother you, but then it gets a little intense,” says Robin. “However, it’s nothing you can’t handle. In my mind it was like a four or five, not a ten.”

Patricia, 56, a nurse who also had the procedure done by Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas, had a similar experience: “Your face is numb, and all you feel is warmth. In a couple of spots, it was uncomfortable, but it was not unbearable. The best part was that after the procedure, I didn’t feel anything, not one iota of pain or discomfort.”

Recovery time depends on the individual, and has a lot to do with how diligent you are about applying ice and anti-inflammatory cream at home. Patients are typically back to normal in seven days, with most of the swelling and puffiness gone by day three or four. Essentially, it is a “weekend recovery.”

The results of ePrime, which take three to six months to fully develop, can last up to several years. Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas says the procedure can be repeated anytime after one year but that patients of hers who were treated in 2007 and 2008 opted to be treated again in 2011, three to fours years later. “Always a good sign that means they were happy,” she says.

Dr. Newman notes that the second time around, the tightening results were even better. The skin’s elasticity was improved and the skin quality actually appeared more youthful and supple.

But how do you know if ePrime is right for you? “Somebody who has significant laxity of the lower face and neck but who is really not ready for a surgical lift, for whatever reason, should pursue this,” says Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas. “Age is not a determinant. Some people get it early, though people in their fifties are the most common. My overall guidance is that if you see you have lines in the neck or looseness in the lower jaw, this is something you should look at. It brings you back a notch, brings you back a category of skin laxity. Studies have shown that you get one-third the effects of a surgical lift.”

“I’m anxious myself to see what it looks like in a few months,” says Patricia, who had the treatment done only six weeks before talking to us. “Am I going to look twenty-one? No, I don’t have expectations like that. But I want some improvement so I can squeak by for another few years, and I’m already beginning to see that.”

You’ve heard the promises before. Lose weight in less time. Get fit faster. And yes, the claims are bogus more often than not. Now, however, new research is proving that there really is a way to burn more calories, improve overall cardiovascular fitness, and melt fat (including the most stubborn and dangerous type—abdominal fat) in less time.

The secret is interval training, which combines short, high intensity bursts of speed with slow recovery phases. It sounds simple, and it is, adaptable to almost any cardiovascular routine. For example, if you are using a treadmill, you might run all out for 30 seconds, followed by walking for 30 seconds. Then just repeat that sequence for twenty minutes.

Though serious athletes have used the technique for years, it is now proving to be one of the most effective strategies for the rest of us as well. “Research suggests that a workout with challenging intervals can dramatically improve cardiovascular fitness and raise the body’s potential to burn fat,” explains Caroline Jordan, group fitness instructor at Equinox gym in San Francisco. “High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is great for exercisers who to want build speed, endurance, or lose weight. It is a serious time saver, butt buster, and calorie killer.”

Better Results, Less Time

For years, standard thinking has been that the best way to get in shape is long sustained cardio workouts. The problem is that spending 45 minutes on a treadmill or an elliptical trainer is not only time consuming, but also can be, let’s face it, downright boring. Now, research shows it is also not necessary. “According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more calories are burned during short, high intensity exercise,” Jordan points out. “It can cause metabolic adaptations in the body that enable you to use more fat as fuel under a variety of conditions. This improves athletic endurance as well as your potential to burn more fat in your daily life 24-7.”

A number of research reports are backing up the claims. A new study by Stephen H. Boutcher, from the School of Medical Sciences at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, was recently published in The Journal of Obesity. In it, Boutcher found, “Most exercise protocols designed to induce fat loss have focused on regular steady-state exercise such as walking and jogging at a moderate intensity. Disappointingly, these kinds of protocols have led to negligible weight loss.”

What Boutcher found instead was a growing body of evidence suggesting that interval training—what he calls “high-intensity intermittent exercise” or HIIE—can be an economical and effective exercise technique for reducing fat in overweight individuals. Not only does it produce significant increases in aerobic and anaerobic fitness, it also has a dramatic and lasting effect on insulin sensitivity, that key measure of our body’s ability to burn sugar, rather than store it as fat.

Boutcher, a seminal researcher in the field, told New You that: “The calories used up by 20 minutes of HIIE is equal to about 40 minutes of moderately hard aerobic exercise.” The study found that interval training was particularly effective at reducing belly fat—which is not only unseemly (hello, muffin tops) but can lead to diseases such as diabetes.

How to Get Started

Interval training can be adapted to almost any workout, from running to a stationary bike, and can be modified to be low-impact (it also requires no special equipment!) “Interval training can be used in any sport from cycling and swimming to walking or dance,” Jordan says. “The best part is you’ll never get bored because there are endless combinations and intensity levels to mix it up with.”

The only caveat is to work in your new routine gradually. Make sure to challenge yourself, but always listen to your body and back off if you feel sick. Remember, all interval training workouts can be toned down—or intensified—to meet your fitness needs.

Exclusive 20-Minute Interval Training Workout

Caroline Jordan devised this interval workout challenge for New
You. It should be performed no more than 2-3 times per week.
Make sure to allow at least one day of cross training or recovery
between workouts. It can be done on a treadmill, an elliptical
trainer, or in the field—or even adapted to swimming.

FINISH! Take time to stretch and foam roll. Spend at least 5 minutes stretching your muscles.

By: Zoe Shaeffer

Elegant, full, healthy looking lips are a sign of youth and beauty. Unfortunately, they are also one of the first features to reveal age. Celebrity makeup artist Brigitte Reiss-Andersen, who works with Michelle Pfeiffer and Carrie Underwood, offers tips on how to keep your pucker looking plump.

“To minimize fine lines, first use a primer around your mouth,” she says. Then be sure to choose the right shade of lip color that can create an illusion of fullness. “Sorbet colors such as melon, strawberry and tangerine will add a needed pop of color to the face,” says Reiss-Anderson. “Stay away from dark colors which will only make lips look thinner.”

Finally, she suggests choosing a long-lasting pencil that perfectly matches the shade of your lip color. “By exaggerating the contour slightly, you can make lips look a bit more robust. Just be sure to use the liner after your lipstick so that you don’t go too far!”

Here are some suggested products to help your lips look their best—and youngest!

Full, pouty lips are a sign of
youth and this unique gloss,
infused with spicy cinnamon,
wintergreen and ginger, sends
a blood rush to your lips for
a bee-sting effect. DuWop
Shimmer Lip Venom; $17,
available at duwop.com.

This smoothing duo delivers a
must-have priming treatment
that locks in color and
prevents bleeding in two easy
steps: The primer locks in lip
color while the translucent
formula creates a barrier so
lipstick and gloss stays put.
Pixi Lip Liner Primer; $18,
available at pixibeauty.com.

Sea fennel extract is the star
anti-aging ingredient in this
lip treatment, while hyaluronic
filling spheres help to fill in
fine lines for a smooth, plump
pout. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment
Advanced Therapy; $25, available at Barneys.

Not only is this dual-ended
product anti-wrinkle care for
your lips, it adds immediate
whiteness to teeth with
hydrogen peroxide and
sorbitol a quick way to shed
some years. Talika Smile
and Kiss Booster; $35,
available at dermstore.com.

This lush lipstick is the first lip
product to contain vitamin A
acetate, which transforms into
the retinol once it’s absorbed
into skin, creating a full and
youthful appearance. Cle De
Peau Beaute Extra Rich Lipstick;
$60, available at
Neiman Marcus.

By: Lisette Hilton

The idea that taking vitamins is good for you is about as fundamental to the American way of life as apple pie and ice cream. Predictably, then, it sent shock waves through the health industry last fall when a couple of major studies showed that vitamin supplements might be doing more harm than good.

Since then, the debate has raged among doctors, nutritionists, and the $28 billion supplement industry. In the end, most experts still believe that daily vitamin supplements remain an important part of a good overall health regimen—but only if you practice the basic do’s and don’ts.

“Making a blanket statement about whether vitamins are good or bad is overly simplistic at best and irresponsible at worst,” says James B. LaValle, R.Ph., C.C.N., a nationally recognized clinical pharmacist, board-certified clinical nutritionist and founder of the LaValle Metabolic Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. While there are some studies that question the effectiveness of vitamins, “Do I believe that people should consider taking vitamins and minerals?” asks LaValle. “Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind. There are way more studies that show that vitamins have benefits.”

Frederick Vagnini, MD, medical director of the Heart, Diabetes & Weight Loss Centers of New York, considers the studies showing negative effects from vitamins to be flawed, not taking into account the overall diet of the subjects.

“Meanwhile there are a multitude of studies on the effects of multivitamins for high blood pressure, fatigue, neuro-cognitive impairment, and so forth,” says Dr. Vagnini—including a recent study presented by the American Heart Association that shows supplements effectively helped prevent heart disease. Dr. Vagnini also points to the highly successful use of vitamins and supplements to lower cholesterol, reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and in general “to slow down the aging process.” The reason he considers vitamins necessary: The soil our food grows in has been depleted of nutrients.

Part of the Package

According to Paulette Lambert, R.D., C.D.E., director of nutrition at the California Health and Longevity Institute, adults should take multivitamins that meet the recommended daily allowance, or RDA, and no more. Like many things in life, she says, vitamins are good for you in moderation but not in excess. That means no mega doses, unless you’re found to be very low in a specific vitamin or mineral. The concern, she says, is that taking too much of certain vitamins results in those vitamins becoming pro-oxidants and promoting cancer cell growth.

Instead, Lambert suggests that vitamin pills are best used as a supplement rather than a replacement for a healthy diet and lifestyle. “People correlate taking a multivitamin as a guarantee of good health, but it’s not, because people who take them often take liberty with eating poorly,” Lambert says.

According to Lambert, a good rule for eating healthy—and getting enough nutrients from real food—is to consume seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. When you do that, you get lots of minerals, vitamins and fiber. Nonetheless, she advocates taking daily vitamins. “The average American most probably needs a good multivitamin. A good multivitamin is in the range of the RDA and no more,” she says.

Filling the Dietary Gaps

Despite eating a healthy diet, many people fall short for some essential nutrients. This may be because certain foods are absent from their diets, or because today’s crops, as Dr. Vagnini suggests, are farmed in a way that degrades key micronutrients, or because they are losing vitamins thanks to certain medications or bad lifestyle habits.

“My opinion is that multivitamins are needed for people who have a poor diet and do not eat a balanced diet,” says Sahar Swidan, Pharm.D, a clinical associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Michigan and CEO of The Pharmacy in Ypsilanti, Mich. “If they require a multivitamin, it should be well balanced with all the nutrients needed.”

For such people, a multivitamin can cover the bases. Magnesium, for instance, is an essential mineral commonly found in most multivitamins. “The American public in general is getting below the RDA for magnesium,” LaValle says. “It’s great to say to people, ‘Just get it in your diet,’ but that means that people would have to start eating more responsibly”—which is not always a given.

Medications, lifestyle and environment can also lead to greater needs for supplementation. Commonly prescribed acid-blocking drugs, for example, have been shown to deplete the body of vitamin D and calcium. Studies also show that people who exercise vigorously have a higher risk for vitamin and mineral depletion than couch potatoes.

Reaching the RDA

But don’t be fooled into thinking multivitamins are magic bullets, either. They typically don’t cover all of your dietary needs, so certain additional supplements may be needed.

Multivitamins don’t always contain high enough levels of minerals, for example. “You can’t put a high level of calcium in a woman’s tablet because it would be physically too big,” Lambert says. “Postmenopausal women should be having 1,200 mg of calcium [so, they should consider taking a calcium supplement].”

Another example is vitamin D, which is connected with cardiovascular and bone health, as well as a healthy immune system. Not all multivitamins have the new recommended levels, which the RDA has more than doubled from 400 IU to 1,000 IU. “Because we’re wearing sunscreen, we’re not getting adequate vitamin D. And it’s hard to get it in the American diet,” Lambert says.

One thing you won’t see in most multivitamins is omega-3 fatty acid, an essential nutrient for cardiovascular, heart and brain health that’s found naturally in fish oil. Ask almost any doctor and omega-3 fatty acid tops their list of essential supplements. Lambert recommends a daily dose of 1,000 mg of omega-3, made up of a balance of DHA and EPA (two types of omega-3 fatty acids); many doctors recommend two or three times that daily dosage.

“Omega-3 fatty acids have undergone numerous studies, including one by the AHA, showing that they help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes,” says Vagnini, a board certified cardiologist and author of The Heart Surgeon’s Secret to a Healthy Heart. “We take omega-3 because it acts as an anti-inflammatory.”

According to Dr. LaValle, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is another supplement that is hard to get naturally and usually absent from multivitamins. “The research is becoming very compelling that, as we age, our CoQ10 levels drop, and, if those levels drop, our cells don’t have the energy that they should have. That accelerates the aging process,” he says.

However you choose to supplement, don’t forget the basics: keep it moderate. Among the more disturbing findings in the recent research is that high levels of vitamin C may not be beneficial to health; in fact it might help protect certain cancer cells. Another finding is that high levels of vitamin E could increase the risk of both heart disease and prostate cancer.

The answer is to get as much as you can from healthy eating. “Good nutrition is the foundation of health,” says Lambert. “No matter how many vitamins you take or how much you workout, if your nutrition is poor, it’s going to take its toll.”

By: Mary L. Hughes

Dr. Troy Robbin Hailparn of the Cosmetic Gynecology Center of San Antonio is driving and screaming letters into her cellphone: “F-en-es-t-ra-tion… fenestration.” She is describing a new labiaplasty procedure that conserves the edges of the labia, preserving contours while shortening. She is a global speaker, passionate about her work, and I have caught her between imperatives.

If you’ve never thought about what cosmetic gynecology means, Dr. Hailparn will tell you all about it; she sees women 17 to 74 come in for all kinds of anatomical issues.

There are several procedures that address the cosmetic and anatomical aspects of gynecologic surgery, but the two typical names you’ll hear are ‘laser vaginal rejuvenation’ and ‘designer laser vaginoplasty.’ But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s called “Designer V” for ‘Vanity;’ beyond purely aesthetic considerations, many women seek the help of cosmetic gynecologists to correct structural issues caused by childbirth, lifestyle, aging or simple genetics.

Dr. Hailparn describes functional issues that most women are too afraid to talk about—loss of sensation after childbirth, enlarged labial tissue, urinary inconstancies, or excess skin that affects access and sensation. “When you don’t have an issue, you can’t imagine it dragging you down. Living with anatomy as an issue every day has a psychological impact. Surgery can change women’s lives,” she says.

Aging, predictably enough, also plays a roll. “Over time,” explains Dr. Hailparn, “we lose texture in the vagina. When we’re young there are folds and grooves. With aging, there’s a loss of texture. It’s like the difference between a Ruffles or a Lay’s potato chip.”

Still others seek sexual benefits. Dr. Hailparn describes strides in “G spot amplification” trademarked by her mentor Dr. David Mattlock of the Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute in Los Angeles, in which a vaginal fold is used to create an internal ridge—thus increasing sensation for both partners and correcting the “wide smooth vagina problem.”

Regardless of cause or motive, more and more women are seeking physical and emotional relief through surgery. In 2009, there were more than 2,500 vaginal rejuvenation surgeries performed. “I have identified 24 reasons women come in for labial procedures. Fifteen percent is about appearance. The rest is about comfort and function [since] over 50% of labial issues involve urine going in multi-directions,” says Dr. Hailparn.

Dr. Hailparn prides herself in being on the leading edge of cosmetic gynecology. She has explored new procedures that include moving the placement of sutures and incisions to leave no scar, and new methods of supporting vaginal wall strength to counteract laxity and loss of sensation. But in the end, the most important part for her is creating a safe environment for women or couples to come in together, see pictures and understand the surgeries without fear of judgment.

Dr. Troy Robbin Hailparn of the Cosmetic Gynecology Center of
San Antonio is among the most experienced cosmetic gynecologists
in the country, having performed over 2,000 vaginal procedures.

Beauty Tip: For thick, attractive skin, make sure to get plenty of vitamin C on a regular basis.

Anti-Aging Tip: Replace ‘white’ foods with their colorful variations if you want to live a longer and healthier life.