No Need to Go Under the Knife: Alternatives to Cosmetic Surgery

We're in a day and age where the prevalence of beauty really does seem to be only skin deep. Every day, people are buying celebrity-inspired eye and nose jobs and entirely new physiques. In fact, China has even invented a whole new realm of beauty pageants. This October, China will be hosting the first ever Miss Plastic Surgery competition. The only qualification needed is proof of inauthenticity. Essentially, contestants just have to flash their medical receipts to be entered. Today, to be natural is to stand out, but even if you aren't resolved to venture down that tedious cosmetic surgery trail, you can still look your best at any age.

One of the first signs of aging appears around the eyes. Crows feet, puffiness, wrinkles, dark circles, and sagging often threaten to reveal your true age. These symptoms can be reduced and corrected. Although the skin around the eyes is sensitive, there are products designed just to combat these conditions. First, keep the skin below your eyes and along the brow bone hydrated and moisturized at all times. Try to use an eye product that contains ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Grapeseed, or Retinol.

Aging facial skin becomes depleted of vital nutrients over time. Gravity eventually pulls everything down and steals away the natural health of your skin. To ensure the proper maintenance mature skin, it should receive daily treatments of moisture and plenty of oxygen. Products with rich emollients such as Glycerin, Squalane, and Silicone are ideal for tired skin because they add and retain essential moisture for the skin. By using regular facial products to stimulate and renew circulation, you can also delay those unpleasant side effects of aging.

Products with Hyaluronic Acid plump and firm depleted skin by trapping water to help skin reach a greater level of moisture balance. Grapeseed Extract is popular in anti-aging skin care products for the eyes. It holds and protects collagen and elastic which are essential for the vitality of maturing skin. Retinol is also extremely effective in reducing the appearance and severity of fine lines and wrinkles. It stimulates skin cell turnover and renewal to reveal softer, smoother, and more youthful skin. Products with high levels of antioxidants are also important to combat and counter-balance the effects of environmental stressors and pollution.

Perhaps most important though, is to care for your skin while you're young. Eating healthy, sleeping, not smoking, and exercise are shown to directly positively effect the overall health of the skin. As the body's largest organ, skin needs just as much care as the rest of your body. By wearing an SPF of 15 or higher every day, you can also extend the life and durability of your skin.

So, before you decide to take that drastic step towards cosmetic surgery, consider the alternatives. Almost 75 percent of plastic surgery patients end up being displeased with their results in the end anyway. Patients tend to go in with unrealistic expectations of a “fountain of youth” of sorts, while this mythical fountain is really in your hands every single day. By treating your skin as well as you treat the rest of your body, you can slow down and minimize the aging process without having to forfeit your natural and individual beauty.

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