Why Looking Youthful Is The Key To Happiness
By Laura Casewell
As we get older we all look in the mirror from time-to-time and wish we looked a little younger. Poking and prodding our faces to see what we’d look like with a jab of Botox isn’t uncommon for those entering their 30s and beyond.
I’m here to tell you- unpopular as the following may be to some- that in an appearance-driven world, looks definitely do matter. And so does how we react to the ageing process.
A recent survey revealed 50% of Brits can have their mood ‘significantly’ improved simply by receiving positive comments about their looks, with the most valued compliment being that they look young. The research, which revealed over 43% of us enjoy hearing we look youthful to others, comes as no surprise to me as the editor of a cosmetic surgery and aesthetics magazine.
I speak to men and women daily that are looking for subtle ways to wind back the clock a little. Some want a drastic change of course, but most just want a confidence boost. If I had a pound for every time a reader told me, “I don’t want to look different, just a bit better,” I’d honestly be a very rich woman.
The truth is we all like to look nice and hear admiring comments from our peers – a compliment can do wonders for our self esteem. For example, an old work colleague saw me for the first time in 2 years last week and congratulated me on my (albeit subtle) weight loss. I was having ‘one of those days’ and I can hand on heart say her compliment about my appearance turned my day around and left me feeling flattered.
If the recent stats are to be believed, I think the same can be said for people who are told they look youthful. So what treatments are available that will get friends and family telling you you’re looking great without anyone suggesting you’ve visited the surgeon or asking if you’ve ‘had some work done’?
The truth is.. there are lots, and while some are favoured by the Hollywood elite, others you can undertake while watching TV in your own home. I’ve come up with three treatments that can knock years off your face and body, but keep you looking natural and fresh.
Hollywood Glow
We assume all celebrities nowadays have Botox injections to keep wrinkles at bay, but a new wave of energy-assisted treatments have been the talk of Hollywood in recent months.
Famed for shunning muscle-relaxing injections, forever-young actress Gwyneth Paltrow (you wouldn’t believe she’d recently turned 40) is apparently a fan of Exilis Elite; a non-invasive skin tightening treatment which uses radiowaves to provide a lift to the face. The energy is applied via a handpiece, to stimulate the lower layers of skin, without damaging the surface, and lasts around 45 minutes. The effects are not permanent but can provide a youthful collagen boost to the skin without painful surgery.
Armchair Aesthetics
If you lead a busy life or don’t fancy spending time popping back and forth to clinics, there is a device available in the UK which can help you look younger without you having to leave your home.
The Oralift is a mouth piece you wear a few times a week that can help the muscles in the face naturally rebuild their volume, thus reducing wrinkles and making the face look fuller. It can be used while watching TV, doing the ironing or even cooking the tea, and promises to help restore facial volume naturally.
Oralift’s creator, Dr Nick Mohindra, told me his patients get complimented on how well they are looking, although no one is quite sure why or how; surely the ideal reaction from a holistic treatment?
The Twilight Effect
No, I’m not talking about a certain fang-based movie saga, but rather an anti-ageing treatment available in the UK called the Vampire Facelift.
Officially known as PRPT (Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy) this treatment works on the basis that the body has a unique ‘self heal’ mechanism to repair and rejuvenate damaged skin using platelets from your own blood. It sounds a bit sci-fi, but PRPT can be used as an alternative to dermal fillers and can be used to rejuvenate the skin of the décolletage or the backs of the hands, which can be tricky areas to treat. Celebrity fans include Kim Kardashian, who had the treatment to look youthful for her wedding to Kanye West.
There you have it, three minimally-invasive ways to feel happier by looking younger without going under the knife. If you would like more information on looking your best, or advice on which anti-ageing treatments can help you reduce the visible signs of ageing, visit www.thecosmeticsurgeryguide.org
If nothing else, why not pay someone you know a compliment about how they look; you never know how much that little bit of flattery might brighten their day. Go on, you know you want to..
