Are There Such Things as Anti Aging Pills ?

Would it not be great if we could all buy an anti aging pill? Just pop it into our mouth and we look young again! Sounds far fetched but the cosmetic industry keeps on making “anti aging pills” every week and there are thousands of individuals who buy them.


The fact is that nature can not be reversed-no matter what the industry says. The best treatment we have today for aging is prevention. As far as reversing what you have on your face, everything we have today is an illusion. While botox injection will make you look young for a few months, there is as yet no anti aging pill that even comes close to it. Almost every type of ingredient has been formulated into an anti aging pill and hyped up to reverse signs of aging.


Pills containing DHEA have for years been touted to reverse or erase the signs of aging.
DHEA is a steroid precursor for the male and femal sex hormones. The industry claims that taking pills containing DHEA can make you feel and look young. Further athletes use DHEA to enhance performance. But do these pills work? Is there any individual out there who can come forward and actually claim that his/her looks have been altered by taking a DHEA pill? The simple answer is NO.



There have been many scientific studies carried out not only on DHEA but other anti aging pills. As far as DHEA is concerned, one French study found that the pills did not erase the wrinkles but certainly increased libido. On this side of the Atlantic, DHEA has been extensively studied. While the pills have not shown to have any harmful side effects at low doses, DHEA did not do much to the figure or skin texture. This industry claimed that no anti aging effects were seen because the pill was used at low doses. However, health care experts remain concerned that high doses of DHEA may increase the risk of certain cancers.


Asides from DHEA, HGH is also rumored to have anti aging properties. HGH is sold in various formulations in health food stores and is claimed to be the ideal anti aging pill. So far HGH and its anti aging benefits remain illusive as no one has any proof that it does anything.


There are many other products out in cyberspace touted to work anti aging pills. And in each and every case, the pills do not come cheap. Unfortunately, the majority of anti aging pills are infact marketed by health care workers who simply want to make money with exorbitant claims. For the present, the best anti aging pill does not come in a bottle or as capsule. Before you embark on a fruitless journey in search of Pandora’s box, use the following anti aging prescription- exercise regularly, eat healthy and avoid smoking. This free and cheap anti aging pill promises little but will deliver the results. Slow, sure and safe..

Staying Fit After Forty: A Guide to Midlife Health with Antiaging Exercise

It should be no surprise that exercise at any age is beneficial, but it might come as a bit of a shock to find out that leading a sedentary life is as dangerous when it comes to heart disease as smoking. Study after study proves that even the smallest amounts of daily antiaging exercise can lower the risk of death even if you don’t start until after you're forty.


So what's the real deal behind antiaging exercise? We know that it's good for us and even that some sort of exercise program is being followed by millions of people worldwide, but we might not know exactly why. Of course it's all about the heart and how it pumps blood, but it's a proven fact that the heart that exercises has less strain that one that doesn’t. So it stands to reason that some kind of antiaging exercise program leads to a longer life. With that out of the way, it becomes important to know what kinds of exercise is appropriate for people over forty.


Backs And Abdomens


One of the first things that we need to do is define what manner of antiaging exercise is best for people in this age bracket. There are several areas that each age group needs to focus on, and with those over forty the experts suggest that they keep their backs and abdomens strong. Therefore, sit up and crunches are a great way for these people to maintain their health.


Another area that they might not be familiar with is balance. As people age, they lose part of this sense but a little practice can keep this important characteristic sharp. Remember too that the focus for the mid lifer should be moderation. There's no need to push too hard anymore; in fact, some of the more strenuous activities can be harmful rather than beneficial.


Biking

You might need to change a few activities as well. Some mid lifers that are particularly concerned with their health give up the more strenuous sports like tennis and take up something a little more mellow like mountain biking. It's important to remember that no matter what you decide to do as part of your routine at this age, the preparation work at the beginning becomes important. Stretching is one of the things that you'll need to take more seriously so that you don’t wind up hurting yourself no matter what low impact antiaging exercise you decide on.

Collagen Injections for Lips

Collagen is one of the original dermal fillers and was once widely used in cosmetic surgery. Collagen injections can be used to plump up lips, erase wrinkles and diminish acne scars. Collagen injections lips are something many people wish to have.


Collagen injections essentially replace the missing or broken down collagen in the body. Once the collagen is injected, it fills up spaces in the tissues and supports the skin. This leads to a decrease in the wrinkles and fine lines. When the lips are injected with collagen, they appear plump, sexy and luscious.


The currently available collagen lip injections products used in cosmetic surgery include Zyderm and Zyplast. Both are derived from bovines and widely used. Other bioengineered collagen lip injections include cosmoderm and cosmoplast. The major difference between the bovine and the bioengineered collagen is that the former do not require an allergy skin test.


Collagen lip injections are typically done by a physician who has been trained in the field of plastic or cosmetic surgery.


Sometimes the surgeon will use your own body’s collagen to inject it elsewhere. Autologen is extracted from other parts of the body – the major benefit of Autologen is that there is no risk of an allergic reaction.


Another collagen lip injection product is dermalogen which is collagen extracted from human cadaver. It is also widely used but there is always a risk of an allergic reaction. Collagen injections lips are not for everybody.


A recently developed collagen lip injection product is ArteFill. This dermal filler is a hybrid gel made with bovine collagen and synthetic microspheres (polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA).


Prior to the collagen lips injection, the physician will cleanse the face and mark the area. To numb the pain, the area will be numbed with a local anesthetic. All collagen lip injections provide a temporary cosmetic benefit. The lips will appear luscious but future injections are required to maintain the cosmetic benefit.


After the procedure, there is mild discomfort, swelling and bruising which subsides in 48-72 hours. The lips may remain red for about 24 hours but this can be hidden with some lip make up.



Even though the lips appear swollen, the final cosmetic result is more obvious after a week. In almost all cases, the lips may appear overfilled but this is only transient. The injected lips will appear sexy and erotic for about 2-6 months.


For those individual who are allergic to collagen and wish to get collagen injections lips, there are other options available to augment the lips.

What to Eat to Get Glowing Skin

Olive Oil Moisturizer: Cut down on skin-clogging saturated fats and use healthful olive oil instead. Olive oil moisturizes skin naturally from the inside out. This nutrient-packed oil is full of essential fatty acids and is said to help minimize wrinkles and give skin a fresh, glowing appeal.



Healthy Bottled Water: Well, you drink water, not eat it, but it has to be mentioned because many people still don’t drink enough of it. The body needs eight glasses of water a day to stay properly hydrated. Dehydration can cause an ashen appearance to the skin – the total opposite of a glowing look!



Oily Fish: Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel have essential fatty acids the body needs. Fish is great for the skin and should be eaten at least once or twice a week. This is easy to do if you cook enough fish for a main meal once a week and then use the leftovers in a salad or sandwich for a lunch.



Nuts and Seeds: The fat in nuts and seeds is healthy as long as you keep portion sizes small. Nuts and seeds are thought to contain antioxidants that help combat the effects of sun and pollution on skin. For a great dessert or snack, top unsweetened applesauce with some toasted nuts such as walnuts or pecans.



Fat-Free Natural Yogurt: Fat-free natural yogurt contains healthful bacteria that promote good digestion and great skin. You can mix yogurt with salmon or egg to make healthy sandwich fillings. Fruit blended into yogurt can make delicious smoothies.



Vegetables and Fruits: All types of fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent for glowing, healthy skin. Avocados provide good fats that moisturize dry skin. Mangoes, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and berries have many vitamins and minerals that nourish the body and the skin.



Whole Grains: Eating whole grains is an important part of keeping skin healthy and glowing as fiber helps eliminate waste properly from the body. Waste build up may affect the skin in a negative way. Choose whole wheat bread and pasta over the white, refined types of these foods. Enjoy tasty whole grains such as oatmeal and brown rice for nutrition that promotes health throughout the body including the skin.

Collagen 101

Mankind has always been in search of a remedy to stop or reverse aging. While we still do not have the magic bullet, there are some who believe that collagen may be the molecule to help us look young. What is collagen you may ask?



Well, collagen is natural substance in our body and is vital for maintaining support and integrity of the tissues. Collagen also plays an important role in wound healing. If collagen is absent, wound healing can never occur. Further collagen is vital for bleeding to stop after a cut on the skin. The collagen molecule is also a good absorbent of water and maintains hydration.


When collagen levels decrease for whatever reason, the underlying tissues will shrink, the skin will sag, fine lines and wrinkles will develop. Collagen does disappear with age but why collagen levels shrink prematurely in some individuals is not known. Smoking is known to cause a premature decrease in collagen levels and this results in the appearance of wrinkles much early in life. So how does one increase the levels of collagen in the body?


Collagen Creams

There are many collagen creams and lotions available today which contain collagen. These collagen based creams are said to be effective moisturizers and supposed to reverse aging. Anecdotal reports indicate these collagen containing creams – antiaging creams can erase stretch marks, smoothen out the fine lines and help the skin recover after an injury. The internet is inundated with website that make exorbitant claims about such collagen containing creams and helping you fight the signs of an aged skin. The big question remain how effective are these collagen creams? One has to remember that aging is not only dependent on levels of collagen but there are many other substances like hyaluronic acid, glycosaminoglycans, elastin, copper, vitamin C and so on. The other problem is that not all the collagen in the creams can penetrate the skin and enter the deep layers. Most experimental work reveals that collagen containing creams have little effect in reversing signs of an aged skin. Further, these collagen creams are relatively expensive, the majority have never ever been tested and there is no clinical evidence to back up the claims made by the dealers of these antiaging creams.



So what is the other option?

Collagen Injections

For about 3 decades, collagen injections have been used as dermal fillers to erase wrinkles, lines and even plump up the lips. The injections of collagen do work but of course, they are much more expensive than the creams. There are many types of collagen injectables available today. Because of the possibility of an allergic reaction, all individuals have to undergo allergy testing before the injections can be done. This takes about 4 weeks and the injections are only done if there are no signs of an allergic response. The collagen injections lips are done with a very fine needle and can help make you look young and have sexy luscious lips.



The majority of individuals who undergo collagen injections lips procedures are in their middle ages and would like to erase the wrinkles, fine lines and frown lines. The injections are done in a spa or a clinic and have some downtime. All individuals get some degree bruising and swelling which subside in 4-9 days. Most individuals get a decent result but there are many who do not. The collagen injections lips process are not entirely pain free and they are expensive. And finally, collagen injections do not maintain the cosmetic changes forever. Most of the cosmetic benefits of collagen injections disappear anywhere from 3-6 months. Collagen, today, is not a commonly used dermal filler as there much better and safer fillers available.


So is there a way to stimulate collage synthesis in the body?

Yes, there are some ingredients that can promote synthesis of collagen. The most commonly used agents include the following:

Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen. In the old days, deficiency of vitamin C was known to cause severe depletion in collagen, bleeding gums and sagging skin. Augmentation of the diet with vitamin C in these individuals rapidly led to reversal of these skin ailments. Thus, if you are going to buy any skincare product to increase your collagen, make sure it has vitamin C.


The other key ingredients which are also important in the synthesis of collagen is
Copper. In the past decade, there has been a lot of data indicating that copper peptides can stimulate the synthesis of collagen and erase some of the signs of aging. Formulations containing copper peptides are available but they are also expensive.


Collagen supplements

There is a lot of hype about collagen supplements and their role in treating aging and many other medical disorders. Today supplements containing collagen such as collagen pills, antiaging creams – collagen creams are widely sold in many spas and health stores. When it comes to skin care, there is a lot of controversy about collagen supplements. The vast majority of collagen taken as a supplement is immediately broken down in the stomach and very little is absorbed in the body. Plus, no scientific data has ever shown that taking supplements of collagen can reverse aging. The majority of supplements containing collagen sold in spas do only one thing- clean your pocket.


Conclusion

For those of you who are looking for something to fight nature, just remember that collagen is only component among the myriad molecules which are involved in aging. All the collagen pills, collagen creams – antiaging creams ,lotions, potions and injections have one thing in common- they cost money and a lot of it.


If you plan to look young and remain beautiful, this involves a more comprehensive multistep approach. Besides taking vitamin C and eating a healthy diet, stop smoking and walk or do antiaging exercise regularly. Adopting this simple cost free method of skin care will keep you young and beautiful, and of course, praying a little every now and then would not be a bad idea. God may listen, but whether he/she will make you look young is another story.

Doesn't she look happy and healthy in this photograph?