Some plastic surgeons have a message for their wrinkle-conscious patients: stop chewing gum. Chewing gum leads to wrinkles.
It freshens our breath and helps us quit smoking, but some cosmetic surgeons believe chewing gum does one more thing: It gives us wrinkles.
"Many of my patients who are gum chewers have a certain pattern of wrinkles around their mouth," says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a board certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon from Omaha, Neb. "And I think the gum is responsible to some degree for it."
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Experts attribute the gum-wrinkle connection to two things. First, there's the repetitive motion of chewing, which causes lines and folds around the mouth due to muscle overuse, says Dr. Hema Sundaram, a Washington, D.C.-area cosmetic surgeon and laser expert.
"I believe chewing gum promotes muscle over-activity and potentially breaks down support tissue within the skin, contributing to volume loss and perhaps loss of skin elasticity," she says.
What's more, chewing gum can dislodge dermal fillers that people have injected into their faces to plump up their wrinkles.
"It makes your Restylane and other fillers last less long," says Sundaram.
Your dentist will tell you that chewing sugar free gum will help reduce cavities and will reduce stains from drinking coffee and tea. But he or she will also tell you that chewing gum can dislodge expensive dental work. Plastic surgeons will tell you that using a straw all the time will make more wrinkles around the mouth, similar to those of smokers.
So, to sum up: to prevent wrinkles and keep your teeth white, don't eat, chew gum, drink coffee, tea or red wine, use a straw or go outside without vampire-level sunblock. Oh, and don't smile -- or frown. That really causes wrinkles.
Dr. Jennifer Ashton appears on The Early Show to talk about a new study that revealed that female skin tends to wrinkle faster than male skin. Dr. Ashton focused on the periorbital part of the face, which is around the mouth. Women have a different muscular structure in this area of the face, as well as fewer sweat glands. This all adds up to more wrinkles. Take a look:
Madonna's facialist Michelle Peck demonstrates the 02 Intraceutical Treatment which is what is more commonly known as an oxygen facial. Michelle says the treatment temporarily reduces the appearance of fine lines and gives an instant firming and lift to the skin. She uses hyperbaric technology to saturate the skin with oxygen and infuse a rejuvenating hyaluronic acid serum. Michelle goes on tour with Madonna to keep her skin looking hydrated and fresh (which is not easy with all the air travel Madonna does). Take a look:
Remember back in July when Olay named Twiggy as the face of the ad campaign for Olay Definity Eye Illuminator? The ad has had consumer advocates in Britain up in arms over what it says is a severely Photoshopped image. The ad came under fire for extensive airbrushing to make Twiggy (who is 60) look unrealistically wrinkle-free. The image does show a few crow's feet around her eyes, but that's really about it. That ad has now been ruled to be misleading and has been banned in Britain. Take a look:
Botox is one of the most popular nonsurgical wrinkle treatments. But some consumers are not thrilled about having needles stuck in their faces. Up until now, there really was no alternative. But clinical trials are going on right now which could eventually see a topical form of Botox on the market. One of the issues the researchers are looking into is if the topical version will migrate to sites other than where it is needed. Take a look:
Dermatologist to the stars Dr. Patricia Wexler talks to Kathie Lee and Hoda about the best skin regimen to keep your skin looking youthful and healthy. She demonstrates some of her favorite products for exfoliation, rejuvenation and prevention of damage. Her picks are all under $25, except for the LED light.
She doesn't mention it, but Kathie Lee reminds viewers that Dr. Wexler has her own line of products available at Bath and Body
Works. Take a look:
The American Heart Association wants Americans to stop eating sugar. The new recommended guidelines for sugar intake are very low. The Wall Street Journal reports:
In a scientific statement issued Monday, the organization says most women should limit their sugar intake to 100 calories, or about six teaspoons, a day; for men, the recommendation is 150 calories, or nine teaspoons.
The recommendations are likely to prove challenging for many consumers to meet. Just one 12-ounce can of cola has about 130 calories, or eight teaspoons of sugar.
Data gathered during a national nutrition survey between 2001 and 2004 suggest that Americans consume on average 355 calories, or more than 22 teaspoons, of sugar a day.
"We're trying to make reasonable recommendations around the amount of sugar in a diet that enables people to achieve or maintain a healthy weight," said Rachel Johnson, associate provost and professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont in Burlington and lead author of the statement.
As the heart association's statement acknowledges, the science directly linking added sugar consumption to obesity is inconsistent. This in part reflects, the impact of such things as genetics, physical activity and diet have on weight.
The heart association has encouraged consumers to moderate sugar consumption, but the new statement is the first time it has suggested specific limits. The recommendations apply only to what are known as added sugars—those that are added to foods during manufacturing, or by consumers. They don't include sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, dairy products and other foods.
It's unlikely that most Americans are going to pay any attention to these new recommendations because of the recession. People are losing their jobs and their homes and counting sugar intake is just not high on most people's lists. In fact, sales of fast food and bakery products are actually rising lately, not falling. There's a lot of carb-loading going on out there.
The Today Show's Ann Curry looks into the use of the filler Sculptra which is injected into the face to plump up hollow cheeks, fill in wrinkles and to promote collagen growth. Dr. Roshini Raj, an assistant professor at NYU School of Medicine, discusses the pros and cons of the procedure, which can last two years. Sculptra has been used in Europe since 1999 and has been approved for AIDS patients in the U.S. until the FDA recently approved it to treat wrinkles. This is the treatment that Madonna is rumored to have had to plump up her cheeks. Take a look:
Twiggy has been
named as the U.K. face of Olay Definity. Twenty-five years ago, Twiggy appears in an ad campaign for Oil of Olay, the company's first skincare product. Now she's back and ready to sell more skincare products to a demographic that loves anti-aging products.
Twiggy, who turns 60 in September, last fronted a TV ad campaign for the Procter & Gamble-owned beauty brand in 1985. At the time the range was known as Oil of Ulay.
P&G has signed Twiggy, who most recently appeared in a TV campaign celebrating Marks & Spencer's 125th anniversary, in a one-year deal to promote the Olay Definity range that "goes beyond fighting the appearance of wrinkles".
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"Some of our consumers will remember Twiggy's first campaign," said Carla Berry, P&G beauty and grooming spokeswoman. "But what is most important is that she is a relevant role model for mature modern women today."
Twiggy has had a very long modeling career and she still looks fabulous, although we don't think that the photographer did her justice in this ad. But the retoucher did his job. The ad is for Olay Definity Eye Illuminator.
Update: This ad has now been banned in Britain for being misleading. Authorities say it is too Photoshopped because Twiggy, who is 60, has too few wrinkles.
The New York Times has an in-depth article
about all the new treatments to banish cellulite. Unfortunately, none of them work. The best any of these expensive treatments do is irritate the skin, which temporarily plumps up the skin, making the cellulite less noticeable. So, why do we get cellulite anyway? And why don't men generally get it? The answer lies in genetics.
Cellulite is a telltale sign that life is a crapshoot. Most women get cellulite after puberty. But men usually don't, not even if they've got the girth to qualify for "The Biggest Loser."
That's because the connective tissue bands under men's skin are crisscrossed like a net, keeping their fat more evenly restrained. By contrast, women's tissue bands are organized in vertical columns, so fat may bulge irregularly.
"At a normal weight your fat cells fall nicely into valleys of connective tissue," said Dr. Michael D. Jensen, a clinical professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, who has studied fat for 25 years. "When you get too many fat cells or too big of fat cells now they push up on the roof." Or, your skin.
What's more, women don't have as thick a roof as men, all the better to show dimples. And thanks to estrogen, women have more fatty reserves.
It doesn't stop there. As we age, the connective tissue strands between our skin and muscle, which used to stretch to accommodate weight fluctuations, become inflexible. "Some of the bands tighten down and you get pockmarks with bulges next to them," said Dr. Brian M. Kinney, an assistant professor of plastic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California. Voila, cottage cheese.
Nor do all women start with the same give in their connective tissue. One explanation for a slender woman with cellulite is thin skin and unusually tight connective tissue. By contrast, the neighbor we love to hate can gain 15 pounds but is blessed with stretchable bands that accommodate a fat uptick. No orange-peel bottom for her. Grrr.
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An anti-cellulite cream can offer a "temporary benefit simply because of swelling, but you have to keep using it," said Dr. Michael F. McGuire, a clinical associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. (Most creams mildly irritate skin, causing a little swelling which camouflages dimpling for a bit.)
That reapplication is a "benefit" for the makers of creams, he added, especially given that "realistically there is no cure for cellulite."
Well, that was a downer. The doctors quoted in the article all throw cold water on the idea that these expensive treatments cure cellulite. In fact, some treatments, like liposuction, will actually make it look worse.
Ann Curry talks to dermatologist Dr. Debra Wattenberg about all the ways we can protect our skin from the damaging rays of the sun. Sun damage leads to skin cancer and lots of wrinkles and age spots. Wearing sunscreen is a key step to protecting your skin, but there are other ways to reduce the damage to your skin, as well. Certain types of clothing can protect your skin and damaging rays go right through many kinds of fabrics. Of course you also need sunblock. Take a look:
Dr. Amy Wechsler, who is both a dermatologist and a psychiatrist, talks about SPF -- Sun Protection Factor -- and why it's so important this summer. She also demystifies the SPF labels that seem to become more confusing each year. Dr. Wechsler says that the FDA has proposed new regulations that will simplify the labeling process, but they aren't official yet. Take a look:
Terri Trespicio, senior editor at Body+Soul, joins Martha Stewart to talk about how foods can help you maintain your health and how other foods can really hurt your health. Take a look: with the latest foods you should be eating -- and avoiding -- for your health. Take a look:
Exposure to the sun has been linked to skin cancer and wrinkles yet many Americans are not using it at all. Some parents are not even putting lotion on their kids when they are going to be outside in the sun for several hours according to survey reported by USA Today. The survey found that 31% of Americans never wear sunscreen and 27% of parents with kids under 12 say they "never or only sometimes apply sunscreen to their children when they are outside two to four hours."
Sun exposure can cause sunburn, wrinkles, age spots and contribute to skin cancer. But despite that, 31% of Americans say they never wear sunscreen, even if they are outside for more than four hours, according to a poll of 1,000 adults, age 18 and older, conducted by Consumer Reports' National Research Center.
Only 27% of men and 48% of women usually put on sunscreen if they are planning to spend two to four hours in the sun. And 27% of parents with kids under 12 say they never or only sometimes apply sunscreen to their children when they are outside two to four hours. Fourteen percent don't apply sunscreen to their kids when they are outside for more than four hours.
The American Cancer Society has a good article about skin cancer prevention here. They have shorter article here called Sun Safety 101.
Scientists say that 75% of how your face ages is on your genes. So can you just look at your mother to see what you'll look like when you're older? And what can you do to slow down the aging process? The Today Show talks to Avril Graham, the Executive Beauty and Fashion Director of Harper's Bazaar to explore the latest products which will help counteract the environmental causes of aging. She looks at products by different age groups and shows the best expensive and drugstore products. Take a look: