Sense out of Senescence

Posted on February 14th, 2011

When we’re looking backwards, aging is a positive concept, We revere bygone civilizations. “Coming of age” stories, even the bittersweet ones, are for the most part positive in tone. The iconic status of great beauties isn’t diminished by their wrinkling—no one says Audrey Hepburn was gorgeous but boy did she age ugly.

Aging in the present, however, while it’s happening, elicits an altogether different response. The language of aging is one of fear (if you don’t wear sunscreen, watch out!), rage (waging the war against aging!) or hyperbole and desperation (all wrinkles gone with just one swipe!). Fear, plus rage, plus desperation can lead to a bad case of confusion about what to believe and possibly an addiction to trying anything and everything that hints remotely at eternal youth.

While you may never like the thought of aging, making sense out of senescence (the biological term for aging) can help you put it in perspective and make smarter decisions about how to tackle it.

There are two primary and simultaneous factors involved in pronounced maturity (looking older than your age). First, there are the dramatic signs of aging that cosmeceuticals are formulated to prevent and reverse: photo- and chronologic aging, the development of static and dynamic wrinkles, the appearance of sun spots and other discolorations with dilated vessels, attention-grabbing pores, and rough skin warts.*

The second happens below the skin’s surface yet is no less perceptible: it is the loss of architectural support. Bone, fat and tissue that give the face its fullness begin to yield to gravity and fat atrophy. Features that made one’s countenance unique diminish in definition: cheekbones become less convex and lose height, the eyebrow ridge and temple’s outward contours soften, jowls form that lend bluntness to the jaw line. Even one’s eyelids become traitors, with a droopiness that seems to match the sad sack lines behind the mouth and the deepening muscle insertion lines behind the nose.*

What does knowing this achieve? First, it demystifies much of what you see as aging: it is known and can be explained. Second, if you’re interested in dramatic anti-aging measures, this information gives you a 3-pronged plan of action. 1) Tackle aging topically (with prevention and treatment products with proven ingredients like retinoic acid, glycolic acid and virgin coconut oil**); 2), explore procedures (Refirme, Laser resurfacing (VBeam Perfecta is the machine), glycolic peels, etc.) to address the subcutaneous changes; and 3) fight aging from inside (get enough sleep, de-stress, switch to an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise).

Ask VSRC about available topical, procedural and nutritional help for anti-aging.

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