Mature Wisdom
Growing older is better than the alternative, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to do it gracefully. Renowned physician Dr. William Sears tackles the quest for a healthy, fit middle age in his book, Prime Time Health. Sears clues us in on what to expect as our bodies grow older, as well as giving us the right advice to maintain or improve our health as we age.
Brain Power
Want to know what the most important organ for maintaining a fit, healthy body is? Look inside your skull. In Change Your Brain, Chain Your Body, Dr. Daniel Amen describes how keeping your brain in top condition is the key to a healthy physique. Learn about links between our grey matter and weight loss, stress and the immune system, blood pressure, depression, a sharper memory, and how the right foods, supplements and habits can keep us on track.
Fat Buster
The secret to getting rid of those extra pounds lies in knowing exactly where they came from. Why We Get Fat & What To Do About It explores the real nutritional science behind weight gain, busting the traditional calories-in, calories-out story apart as it explores the significance of exercise and genetics, as well as which foods are truly right and wrong for weight maintenance.
Age Solution
Estrogens make the skin more sensitive to sunlight, and sometimes during pregnancy or with the use of birth control pills a darkening of the facial skin appears called melasma. Sunblock and creams such as hydroquinone, Vitamin C, azelaic acid, kojic acid and tretinoin can be use to lighten pigmentation. Use these in combination with chemical peels and microdermabrasions and the skin will maintain a healthy glow, and pigmentation problems will be corrected. Some of the new treatments available include the Fraxel Laser and the Intense Pulse Light. Fraxel additionally causes skin tightening and closes the pores, helping with the texture and tone of the skin. The shape of the face also changes with time as loss of volume causes thinning of the lips, deepening of the smile lines and jowl formation. Fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm, Perlane, Sculptra, Radiesse and fat restore volume and fullness to the skin to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles. Dynamic wrinkles are caused by contractions of the delicate underlying facial muscles every time you smile, laugh or frown. As skin becomes less elastic over time, repeated frowning can result in moderate to deep lines between the brows, forehead and around the eyes. Botox/Dysport injections can prevent these lines…and best of all, you can resume normal activity immediately and will see results within days after your treatment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
› Dr. Susana Khouri is a Board-Certified Dermatologist at the Dermatology & Plastic Surgery Center at 580 Crandon Blvd. in Key Biscayne. For more information, call 305.361.8200 or visit MiamiDermatologyCenter.com.
