You can't stop aging but you can slow it down

Did you know that there is a difference between how many years you have been alive (chronological age) and your biological age?  Biological age is the measure of the rate of aging in the cells of tissues and organs. How old you are doesn't necessarily reflect the amount of wear and tear on your body or its overall health. In fact by the time you are thirty, how old you are is more correctly measured by health of the system rather than number of years.This is very true when it comes to the look of your skin too. One person might be 25 and starting to get wrinkles while the next may be 55 and not have and wrinkles yet! Here are a few premature aging causes-

Sun exposure

Illness

Lack of rest

Stress

Over-treatment with skin care products

Sudden weight loss/gain

Menopause

Genetic factors

Free-radical damage

Malnutrition

Grief

Medication

Excessive alcohol intake

Harsh climate conditions

Dietary deficiencies

The things listed above then cause these physical changes in your face- degeneration of connective tissues, slowing of the keritinization process (cell turnover rate), and reduction in circulation just to name a few.

How do we reverse this premature aging?

One factor to slow the aging process and age gracefully is the amount of vital life force, known as chi, in you. Chi is what gives a person that positive energy and joy of living. You know that person you meet and think wow she is glowing and just has great energy! We all know a few and we cant help but want to be more like them. Well chi is the answer. The woman in her 60’s with a vibrant chi force can radiate youthfulness more than the 20-30 something with depleted chi. How do you get that energy and glow called chi? ACUPUNCTURE is your answer. It is a great way to build and balance your chi. Not only general body acupuncture but facial acupuncture too! But that’s a whole other post in itself! (coming soon) Getting to an acupuncturist and getting regular treatments to build and balance energy will help your aging process tremendously! 

 You also need to seek out an esthetician who you would like to build a relationship with and see every 3-4 weeks. The circulation of massage included in facials helps to tone muscles and bring blood flow back to the skin. You might also receive some alternative treatments such as peels, special masks, MLD for reducing inflammation and for detoxification, Accutonics, or essential oils. Peels are a great option when seeing an esthetician. Glycolic peels will break down the dead skin cells resulting in smoother, more radiant skin. It will also help moisturize the skin as well as reduce hyper pigmentation and fine lines.

There are also diet, lifestyle, and supplement changes you can make at home starting today to slow the aging process- 

Regular exercise

A diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean protein

Drinking ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily

Drinking detox teas

Green smoothies

Yoga or meditation

Flax seed oil

Using sunscreen daily

Following the at home skin care regime from your esthetician 

So if you are starting to see signs of aging it is defiantly not too late to go back! And it is also not time to do anything drastic. Making these fairly simple lifestyle changes can be your difference between the left and right side of the face in this picture!