How you look on the outside is often a reflection of your overall health.  This is a reason why the mantra, “You are what you eat,” continues to be such a famous quote. 

It is true that you can improve fitness and stay firm by choosing a balanced and healthy diet, drinking lots of water, getting adequate sleep and exercising regularly. It is also true that eating natural and unprocessed foods, and making sure that your diet contains adequate healthy fats are essential in achieving youthful skin. But are they enough to keep you   looking your best if you routinely experience an overbooked calendar, stress at work, bad traffic, pollution, and little time to eat properly?

How you look on the outside is often a reflection of your overall health.  This is a reason why the mantra, “You are what you eat,” continues to be such a famous quote. 
 

It is true that you can improve fitness and stay firm by choosing a balanced and healthy diet, drinking lots of water, getting adequate sleep and exercising regularly. It is also true that eating natural and unprocessed foods, and making sure that your diet contains adequate healthy fats are essential in achieving youthful skin. But are they enough to keep you looking your best if you routinely experience an overbooked calendar, stress at work, bad traffic, pollution, and little time to eat properly?
 

In addition to those negative factors, maintaining a healthy and youthful appearance can be even   tougher as we age, because there is no denying the forces of nature.
 

Exactly how the skin develops with aging is complicated.  As you grow older, your skin gets thinner while some collagens and small blood vessels fail to fully function. Fat tissue in the subcutaneous layer also redistributes itself with age.  Fat, which once plumped your face, neck and extremities in your youth, now collects in the places you hate to see – the belly and buttocks.


At the same time, collagen and elastin, which help keep your skin firm and elastic, get weaker as we age. As a result, the dermis loses about 20 per cent of its volume while the epidermis grows thinner. In addition, oil and sweat glands produce less sebum and perspiration. Some blood vessels also shut down, reducing the blood supply that nourishes the skin.


All these developments that naturally occur with people as they age produce negative effects to the body, causing the skin to become dry, loose and wrinkled.
 

Fortunately, looking younger than your real age is not something unattainable. With technology and science at your disposal, you can live a longer, healthier and happier life.
 

The continual search for beauty has given rise to businesses concerning aesthetic enhancements for body and face. Many people opt to undergo surgery to permanently reverse signs of aging, but others have concerns about the risk those surgeries may pose.
 

Some options you may have to help preserve younger looking skin are:
 

• Microdermabrasion
• Laser for reducing cellulite and tightening skin, pigmented spots,  rejuvenation,  and wrinkles and blood vessels
• Radiofrequency for skin tightening
• Botox, Filler
• Cellular growth factor therapy, a process of using a client’s own blood to stimulate collagen production and improvement in skin texture and tone.
• Beauty from within

Remember- Fighting the signs of aging does not have to be a losing battle. Non-invasive aesthetic procedures can improve damaged skin without patients having to endure much pain. 
 

By Orapin Sukwong M.D., ABAARM