Michael's Salon and Spa - How To Age Beautifully

Friday, February 06, 2009

As women we are always looking for tips on how to age beautifully. Let's face it, we all want to look our best and most importantly look younger. www.Oprah.com shared five sured fired ways to slow time without going under the knife or using a needle. The top two tips are things Michael's Salon and Spa can help you with. At Michael's we offer Dr. Dennis Gross alpha/beta chemical peel service and MD Skincare retail products in our spa. And of course getting a great haircut and color always makes you feel wonderful.

Number 1 -Protect Your Skin

First stop: the office of dermatologist Dennis Gross, MD, where his luminous assistant, Magda, applies an exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid peel to my face and neck. When the (unlined) doctor enters the room, he explains that the change in pH level in the skin created by just one acid peel can generate collagen, the key to skin that ages well. "Collagen is the skin's structural fiber," he says. "As we get older, it breaks down, creating lines and large pores." What speeds up the degeneration? Sun exposure. "The absolute worst thing you can do is sit in the sun," he says. Sun exposure causes up to 90 percent of wrinkles, dark spots, and sagging. "It can take 10 years to see the effects, so people don't make the connection between a golden tan now and visible damage later," he says. "But by wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen and using topical treatments with as many proven collagen-producing ingredients as possible—including retinol and antioxidants, such as green tea extract and vitamin C—even a person who spent years recklessly sunbathing can make a turnaround."

(Be sure to ask one of Michael's Salon and Spa's professional estheticians about the Alpha/Beta peel at your next visit).

Number 2 - Getting a Good Haircut and Color

Did you know that a good haircut can make your face look firmer? "Side-swept bangs soften the lines on your forehead, and growing your hair a few inches below the chin takes attention away from sagging," says New York City stylist Eva Scrivo. Hormone changes accompanying menopause can cause hair to become thinner and more brittle, so Scrivo recommends emollient shampoos and soft, gentle brushes. You can also bulk up thinning hair with highlighting; the hydrogen peroxide in bleaching agents swells the hair shaft, making it look thicker, says hair and scalp specialist David Kingsley, PhD.

For the fair-skinned, going a little lighter is probably a good idea. "Dark hair can make your features look severe," says Sharon Dorram-Krause, head colorist at the John Frieda Salon in New York City. Are you comfortable going gray? "Weave in silver or buttery highlights or darker lowlights to deepen color and prevent your salt-and-pepper from looking ashy," says Dorram-Krause. Paul Labrecque, owner of the eponymous salon and spa, has only one hard-and-fast rule: "The most important thing as you get older is to wear a hairstyle that's not blown into place but moves."

Number 3 - Turn On Your Brights

Over time teeth may yellow from smoking, plaque accumulation, and coffee, tea, and red wine stains. In an ultraviolet whitening procedure, a dentist applies a peroxide gel to your teeth and then activates it with a UV ray. Because high concentrations of peroxide suck calcium from your teeth, making them more porous and thus prone to stains, your dentist can apply a remineralizing gloss, which adds back calcium and prevents discoloration.

Number 4 - Sleep Deeply

"Skin cells turn over more quickly when you sleep," says Jeanine Downie, MD, director of Image Dermatology in Montclair, New Jersey, and coauthor of Beautiful Skin of Color. "If you don't get enough sleep, your skin won't renew itself and will start looking dull—especially as you age, when cell turnover is slowing down." Skin temperature also rises when you sleep, allowing topical treatments to penetrate the skin more effectively than they do during the day. And there's the common badge of fatigue: dark circles. While puffiness is determined by genetics, shadows are often aggravated by lack of sleep, which can cause some blood to seep from the tiny capillaries beneath the thin skin under your eyes.

Number 5 -Straighten Up

"You need to maintain bone strength for good posture," says Lesley Fein, MD, director of the Women's Health Program at the Princeton Longevity Center in New Jersey. You lose .5 to 1 percent of your bone density every year after you turn 40, and that rate can increase to 3 to 7 percent after menopause. Calcium and vitamin D help mitigate the loss, though. In one study, postmenopausal women who took 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily lowered their rate of bone loss by almost half.