Makeup is supposed to be the finishing touch that gives us confidence, but here’s what many women don’t realize: the way you apply your makeup could be adding years to your appearance. Take foundation, for example. What’s the best foundation over 50?
Foundation is a makeup must-have for most women. Wearing foundation is a great way to smooth out your skin tone and give you a flawless, airbrushed look…if you don’t overdo it. Women in their 20s can get away with just about any product, but as we age, our skin demands more age specific cosmetics.
Reveal Your True Beauty
Many women make the mistake of layering on their foundation, but thick layers can create a mask-like effect. Even worse, heavy foundation also has a way of settling into – and magnifying – every tiny line and crevice on your face, not to mention the ones that aren’t so tiny. That can add years to your appearance.
Another common mistake is using foundation that doesn’t match your natural complexion. Applying a bronzy colored foundation to pale skin and stopping at chin level is not an attractive look. Always try to match your natural skin tone as closely as possible and use a cosmetic sponge to blend all the way down the neck and décolletage.
Anti-Aging and Makeup in One
We over 50-somethings want products that multi-task and some big companies are stepping up to the plate. The best foundation over 50 does double duty. These new products cover flaws and imperfections while at the same time including anti-aging ingredients.
Three New Age Appropriate Foundations
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind is a super-concentrated formula with Goji berry and collagen that tightens and improves skin elasticity. It has a patented Micro-Corrector Applicator that micro-fills and smooths imperfections on the skin’s surface while SPF 18 sunscreen helps protect skin from sun damage. Seven years of clinical research proved that it doesn’t just cover, but after eight weeks of use reduces imperfections without makeup on.
COVERGIRL Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation is the newest COVERGIRL + Olay creation where makeup meets skin care. This anti-aging liquid foundation also has clinical studies showing that continuous use helps reduce the appearance of discolorations, such as age spots, and helps improve skin tone over time.
COVERGIRL + Olay Simply Ageless Foundation is infused with Olay Regenerist Serum. This SPF 22 foundation stays suspended over fine lines and wrinkles and is clinically shown to offer significant improvement in skin condition in just four weeks. Customer Amylynn from Wimberley, Texas, raves about it on the company’s Web site. “This is the best makeup…young or old. My daughter at 18..me at 48. It goes on smoothly…hides imperfections with flawless coverage. Would recommend to anyone of any age! Please don’t change formula or colors…EVER!”
Whoa! This is ultra sun damage that may have been avoided with sun protection; I wonder, was he a smoker, too?
The shocking photo that reveals the damage the sun does to your face: This man was a trucker for 28 years… guess which side of his face was next to the window
This man is 69 years old, but one half of his face looks far older, due to years of sun damage to his left side.
The unnamed man spent 28 years driving a truck, meaning he was far more exposed to the sun’s rays coming through the window on the left of his vehicle as he drove.
The shocking difference between the two sides of his face shows the dramatic premature ageing effect that sunshine can have on the skin.
Two-faced: The 69-year-old looks far older on the left-hand side of his face after years of sun exposure as a trucker (see image attached)
Scientists at Northwestern University in Chicago studied the damage to the trucker’s face.
The condition, known as unilateral dermatoheliosis, or photoageing, is caused by the sun’s UVA rays and results in thickening and wrinkling of the skin.
UVA rays, which are responsible for the tanning effect caused by the colouring of skin pigments, are the most common form of light rays, and are prevalent in tanning booths, which produce doses 12 times stronger than the sun’s.
Danger: The ageing effect was caused by UVA rays, which are used in tanning beds
Unlike the UVB rays most commonly associated with skin cancer and sunburn, UVA rays can penetrate glass such as the trucker’s window and are present even on cloudy days.
Although UVA light was previously believed to be relatively safe compared to UVB – resulting in ranges of sunscreens that blocked only UVB – recent research and the university study have shown that skin cancer can be caused by both types.
Scientists Jennifer R.S. Gordon and Joaquin C. Brieva at Northwestern University said the trucker’s extreme damage meant he would require regular monitoring for skin cancer.
The research highlights the danger of UVA tanning beds, which were once believed to be safe due to emitting fewer UVB rays, and comes as a warning to sunbathers after the hottest period of the year last weekend saw thousands flock to beaches across the country.
Warning: Sunbathers in Brighton last weekend (see image attached). Scientists have highlighted the danger of prolonged sun exposure
A defined eyebrow arch can take years off your look – aestheticians call it a mini eye lift. New York City based Eyebrow Specialist Elke Von Freudenberg and Two-Time Emmy-Nominated Celebrity Makeup Artist Dee Dee Marcelli offer their expert advice.
Perfect Eyebrows – Tweezing
Don’t over-tweeze eyebrows. Tweezing brings out the perfectionist in many people, which leads to over-plucking and uneven brows.
Perfect Eyebrows – Makeup Brush
Many makeup artists suggest using a brush to fill in brows, but this one is too big. Opt for a slimmer, smaller, angled brush instead.
Perfect Eyebrows – Threading
Eyebrow threading is one of the most popular methods for shaping brows. It’s fast, provides longer lasting results, and can be less painful than other methods.
Perfect Eyebrows – Madonna
Which is best, thick or thin brows? Marcelli explains, “Everyone should have eyebrows that go with their face and that can vary from thin to thick and from face to face.” Madonna gets it right with the perfect, natural look.
Perfect Eyebrows – The Man in Your Life
Marcelli’s favorite tool is a little must-have all-in-one razor with brush and comb from Chella – especially for men. “Men do not want to be plucked, but when they hear the word ‘razor’ they’re just fine with cleaning up their brows,” she says. Beau Bridges, did you hear that?
Perfect Eyebrows – Gwyneth Paltrow
“The goal of perfect eyebrows is to have people notice your eyes and you, not your eyebrows,” says Von Freudenberg. Gwyneth Paltrow gets it right with her soft, natural look.
Perfect Eyebrows – Catherine Zeta-Jones
“Once women have had their eyebrows done terribly wrong, they realize the importance of eyebrows and what they tell others about you,” Von Freudenberg says. Always gorgeous, Catherine Zeta-Jones shows off perfect eyebrows.
Perfect Eyebrows – Valerie Harper
Web site Eyebrowz.com offers a graphic to find your face shape and choose the best brow shape to complement your face. Valerie Harper’s bangs make her look younger and you can still see her eyebrows showing through.
The best way to get Vitamin D is from the sun. Photo credit:Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images
Have your summer vacation plans been squelched by your pocketbook? Why not pamper yourself with your own at-home spa day? Itʼs easier and more economical than you might think and you probably have plenty of the products you need in your bathroom cabinets. If not, quality spa products are as close as your nearest pharmacy or big box store.
Unlike a day at the spa, you can experience your at-home spa over and over again just by re-using your products and gadgets. Plus, Mother Nature gives us free heat in the summer months that we can use to our advantage.
Exposing yourself to heat makes you sweat and that has many well-known health benefits. Sweating is said to increase circulation, cleanse pores, make muscles more supple and provide pain relief.
You can use summer’s heat to help you look and feel more youthful, but remember that prolonged direct sun exposure will age you. In fact, many people are under the misconception that you can’t get sun damage on a cloudy day. You can.
“Ultraviolet rays come right through the clouds that block the visible light rays. Never forget that ultraviolet is invisible and you cannot use less visible light as an indicator of less ultraviolet light,” explains Tampa, Florida dermatologist Henry E. Wiley III, M.D. It’s the invisible ultraviolet rays that wreak havoc on your skin, causing wrinkles, discoloration, skin roughness and more.
At-home spa tips
1. Deep condition your hair. When your hair cuticles become dry and damaged, they can result in a dull, frizzy look. Deep conditioning your hair allows the cuticles to lie flat, restoring shine and youth with longer-lasting results than you get by simply using conditioner in the shower for a few minutes.
On a particularly hot day, clip newly washed, towel-dried hair into sections. Release one section at a time, applying the conditioner of your choice to each section to ensure uniform coverage. It doesn’t have to be exact; you just want to be sure you’re not leaving out some very dry areas. Next, pile your hair on top of your head and apply plastic wrap or a plastic shower cap. (Note: Keep plastic away from your nose and mouth!)
Then, sit outside in the shade for about 15-20 minutes with a good book, magazine, iPad or anything that passes the time. Rinse out the conditioner and style as usual.
2. Enjoy a facial mask. Regular cleansing removes surface dirt and makeup, but a facial mask will draw out impurities from beneath the top layer of your skin. Using a mask helps to unclog pores and exfoliate the dead skin cells from your face. It also helps to stimulate circulation and, depending on the product, helps hydrate and protect your skin.
Using the product of your choice, apply the facial mask and sit outside in the shade on a hot day. If you’re planning to deep condition your hair, you can save time by doing your hair and facial mask at the same time, because many masks direct you to wash off after 15-20 minutes.
Here’s an extra tip: Use some of the mask on the tops of your hands – they can show your age, too. Rinse mask according to the product directions and pat dry.
3. Get your free Vitamin D. Our bodies need Vitamin D for optimal calcium absorption. It also helps to lower blood pressure, decrease the incidence of some cancers, boost the immune system and has other healthful benefits.
The best way to get Vitamin D is from the sun. Experts say 10 to 20 minutes a day in direct sunlight is all you need to keep your levels optimal. Here’s a tip: Nowhere in the medical books does it say you must expose face, neck, chest and hands, which are the areas that can show age the most. Keep those covered.
4. Exercise in the great outdoors. Winter’s harsh conditions can force us to get our exercise in the gym or at home for months on end. With summer comes the opportunity to enjoy fresh air and warmth while exercising.
Take a walk, do some yoga, or, if you’re feeling really energetic, take a jump rope or hula hoop outside in the shade for a quick workout. Be careful when exercising outdoors if it’s super hot. Do your workout in the morning or evening and avoid the hottest part of the day. Also, be sure to keep your water handy to stay hydrated.
5. Extend that exercise to include your face. You can get a “natural” face lift at home with Cynthia Rowland’s Facial Magic facial exercise program. Just like you’d exercise your body at the gym to keep your muscles in shape, your 55 face and neck muscles need exercising, too.
“Facial Magic rejuvenates the underlying muscles with specific and targeted exercises so your face looks fresh and lifted with tight, youthful contours and better looking skin,” explains Rowland. “These exercises leave you looking like yourself, only younger.”
Standing in the midst of a large department store looking at the array of cosmetics can be daunting. How do you choose the ideal brand for your needs? What is your objective? Do you have particular products in mind that your friends have described or did a certain advertisement lead you to the door?
Does the rush of fragrances, colors and containers immediately put you in overwhelm? Navigating the sea of choices can make you somewhat distrustful of your desires – just how do you put all of these products in perspective?
Most cosmetic purchases are geared toward anti-aging. Some are potent, some are dangerous and most of them do not produce the results you are hoping for…that ‘facelift in a bottle’ just isn’t what it’s touted to be. How could it? The biggest culprit of aging isn’t spots, or sun damage or mottled skin. Rather, the biggest offender of an aging face is sagging facial muscles.
Hoping to corral your soft, sagging chin, droopy eyelids and dreaded wattle with a topical cosmetic product is basically money down the drain. Maybe one of these days that type of product will be available but right now, that product has not been developed. Even plastic surgery or injections that plump and paralyze won’t stop your facial muscles from elongating and atrophying.
The shifting, the softening of your features, the faint lines and glaring wrinkles are a result of muscles lengthening and colliding into each other.
This downward action greatly affects the skin, creating the perfect environment from the hairline to the base of the neck, for pouches, wattle, an invisible jaw line and crows’ feet to develop.
Your face is worth saving. It probably wasn’t that long ago that you were more confident in your appearance. Do you see your face resembling your mother, your aunt, or your father? Do you see the tell-tale signs of sagging attacking your face and wish you could stop it right now?
Well, you can!
For your face to radiate youth, you must devote a few minutes each day to facial fitness. Facial fitness is the natural way to stop a soft, spongy face. Your face has 55 tiny muscles and they need exercise if you want to look your best.
Just like you exercise your waist, tummy, arms, torso, hips and thighs at the gym, or go to yoga or Pilates to strengthen your core, you know that your entire body needs exercise and that includes your face… facial exercise. The youthful contours return to your face when it is exercised. Your face can look years younger, radiant and refreshed.
Wearing makeup has never been so easy. The contouring and lifting sets the palette for successful makeup application because makeup looks better on a glowing, toned and lifted face.
Disguising jowls is impossible, wearing mascara if your eyelids are sagging is flirting with smears and just forget about wearing a bright lipstick if your mouth corners are turning downward. These are all signs of an aging face and these areas can be greatly improved using facial exercise.
Your mirror is your friend, so take a close look at your face. Does your forehead feel loose? Are you wearing crows’ feet? Are there lines or puffiness under your eyes? Do your cheeks feel heavy and saggy? Are there pouches near your mouth? Do you wear marionette lines? Is your chin and jaw line firm and taut? Do you see more lines and wrinkles today than you did, say, six months ago?
Facial exercises that use isometric with resistance contractions eliminate the threat of infection, disfigurement and even death because there is no risk. Exercise is natural. Without contortions, twists, puckers or funny faces but just with your fingers, thumbs and a pair of exercise gloves, in the privacy of your own home and in just minutes a day, you can restore, lift and firm sagging facial muscles. You can create a fresher, smoother, younger looking face.
Facial fitness is the secret to wake up your makeup. Create the firm, lifted and toned face that looks 5, 10, even 15 years younger.
Do you suppose this is true? I have a friend that I call “The Baroness”. She is absolutely gorgeous and her favorite food? Butter! Butter in everything!!! And, she, too, drinks red wine! Wowee Zowee! Jackie Silver, AgingBackwards.com guru impervious to aging and visualizes herself becoming younger every day. Maybe we need those fats, butters and protein…
This woman is 51…see attached photo
She is TV health guru Gillian McKeith, advocating a holistic approach to nutrition and health, promoting exercise, a vegetarian diet high in organic fruits and vegetables.
She recommends detox diets, colonic irrigation and supplements.
This woman is also 51…see attached photo
She is Nigella Lawson a TV cook, who eats meat, butter and desserts.
Have you heard the latest news about coffee health benefits? I’ve been telling people for years that unless their doctor tells them otherwise, they should thoroughly enjoy their morning cup – or three – of java because it could be good for the brain.
Now, a new study reported online in the well-respected publication, The New England Journal of Medicine, reveals that frequent coffee drinkers have a lower risk of dying from many diseases compared with people who only drink some coffee or none at all.
Drinking two to three cups a day lowered the overall risk of death 10%, says the study, funded by the National Cancer Institute and AARP.
Neal Freedman, the study’s lead author, cautions, “We wouldn’t recommend that anyone go out and drink coffee based on these results,” but he says his study could offer some “reassurance” that coffee didn’t seem to cut patients’ lives short.
WebMD.com also reports, “A growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, heart rhythm problems, strokes, and more.
“There is certainly much more good news than bad news, in terms of coffee and health,” says Frank Hu, MD, MPH, PhD, nutrition and epidemiology professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Coffee’s other big claim to fame is its brain benefits. Several studies suggest that a daily caffeine habit may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Your cup or two a day, though, probably isn’t enough. Researchers say 500 mg of caffeine, or about five cups of regular coffee, is the dose that seems to protect the brain and provide the coffee health benefits.
This may sound like an excessive amount of caffeine, but one researcher swears by it.
“I drink five to six cups a day religiously,” says Gary Arendash, a researcher at the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, part of Florida State University. Arendash says he’s convinced that caffeine is protecting his brain.
Ellen Sirot is a Super Model of Hands and Creator of HandPerfection® . When Ellen turned 40 and began to see the signs of aging on her own hands, she searched for an anti-aging hand care solution, but found herself coming up empty handed. She felt inspired and compelled, given her unusual body of hand knowledge, to create an innovative, comprehensive, solution-oriented line of anti-aging hand care products.
Ellen Sirot’s Hand Care Tips:
1. Cut the fingers out of the Facial Magic gloves and use when you’re enjoying a gel based manicure. The gloves will alleviate over exposure of UV rays.
2. Make certain you protect your hands when you’re outside because the back of the hands have thinner skin, more like the under eye area and that needs protection.
I think that it is possible to stop and even reverse the look of a sagging jaw. First of all realign your computer monitor so that you are not looking down. Chin level, looking straight ahead is probably the best advantage for your face. The same with your phone…be aware of your facial posture, perhaps an ear piece would be helpful and if you’re using Face Time, position the phone more eye level.
Facial exercise will help correct those sagging jowls and that wattle. Try this exercise at your desk…(lift your chin, nestle your tongue flat in the roof of your mouth, push up with your tongue and count to five)
Watch out! Experts believe smartphone use could promote sagging jowls(see image attached)
Technology addicts may be at risk of sagging jowls, according to aesthetic experts. It is believed that smartphone and laptop use, could cause facial skin and muscle to lose its elasticity as people spend an increasing amount of time sitting with their heads bent.
It is now believed that the phenomenon, dubbed ’smartphone face’ could be behind the growing trend for skin tightening treatments and chin implants which cost around £4,290.
According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) ‘chinplants’ are becoming the fastest growing cosmetic surgery trend.
In 2011 its popularity grew more than breast augmentation, Botox and liposuction combined.
And a number of leading doctors believe that technology could be behind the growing trend, as poor posture can promote saggy jowls, double chins and ‘marionette lines’ – the creases from the corners of the mouth down the chin.
Confirming the condition, coined ’smartphone face’, Dr Mervyn Patterson of the Woodford Medical group told the Evening Standard: ‘If you sit for hours with your head bent slightly forward, staring at your iPhone or laptop screen, you may shorten the neck muscles and increase the gravitational pull on the jowl area, leading to a drooping jawline.’
According to Ofcom’s 2011 Communication Market Report 91 per cent of adults use a mobile phone while 27 per cent opt for smartphones.
Meanwhile the Health and Safety Executive’s Horizon Scanning paper reports that by 2015, 70-80 per cent of workers could be, at least partially, working remotely from a laptop.
ASPS president Dr Malcolm Roth also suggests that the use of video chat causes people to be more conscious of their appearance.
Technology to blame? This patient underwent surgery to change the shape of her face – pictures courtesy of Dr. Sherman, a plastic surgeon based in San Diego(see image attached)
‘The chin and jawline are among the first areas to show signs of ageing.
‘As more people see themselves on video chat technology, they may notice that their jawline is not as sharp as they want.’
While chin implants are still relatively rare in the UK, surgeons have noticed a rise in the number of requests.
A spokesperson from UK cosmetic surgery provider, Transform, told MailOnline: ‘Over the past 18 months to two years we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of those opting for the procedure, but we’re around three years behind the U.S. so we expect a similar pattern to gradually emerge.’
Dr Nick Lowe of London’s Cranley Clinic revealed that other causes of a sagging complexion can include a naturally short, weak chin, weight fluctuations and even exercise and diet.
Certain lip injections can cause a myriad of problems – lumpy, bumpy, uneven lips are not flattering so why take the chance that your body might reject a foreign substance? Consider using our lip pump to create smooth, pouty, more kissable lips without harm or surprises. _______________________________________ ____________
• Lauren Smalley endured hours of painful treatment and surgery in bid for permanently plumped-up lips leaving her with blood poisoning
• Specialist doctors still struggling to remove chemicals from her lips
• Bio-Alcamid filler ‘almost killed’ 30-year-old from Bristol
A woman addicted to lip filler injections has been left disfigured and traumatised after plastic chemicals nearly killed her.
Lauren Smalley, 30, endured hours of painful treatment and surgery to remove Bio-Alcamid from her face after it was used to provide her with permanently plumped lips.
The financial researcher from Bristol was infected and hospitalised after the filler formed tiny tumours called granulomas on her face.
And after a decade of problems, a surgeon was finally forced to cut the product out of her top lip in an invasive three-hour surgery after suspected septicaemia – blood poisoning – was diagnosed.
Disfigured: Lauren Smalley, 30, endured hours of painful treatment and surgery to remove Bio-Alcamid from her face after it was used to provide her with permanently plumped lip(see image attached)s
Now Ms Smalley faces years of expensive and painful treatments to reconstruct her lip.
But the filler is still in her bottom lip and could result in another deadly infection.
She said: ‘I hope to warn other people of the potentially devastating effects of permanent fillers which left me hospitalised. Bio-Alcamid has left me dreadfully scarred and I feel deformed now.
‘The product is still in my bottom lip and could cause another infection at any time but I can’t afford to have it removed and I’m not sure I could go through another operation after the last one.’
Ms Smalley’s problems started while growing up in Hampshire. At the age of 12, she was diagnosed with acute anxiety, insomnia and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Poor self-esteem saw these problems develop into body dysmorphic disorder – a mental illness in which people become obsessed with perceived physical flaws or imagined ugliness – by 15.
And cruel comments at school led her to become obsessed with her face, convinced that it was different to how everyone else’s looked.
She said: ‘I began to hate the way I looked. I was constantly comparing myself to others and believed my face was deformed.’
Ms Smalley became convinced the only way she could overcome her insecurities was through cosmetic surgery.
She said: ‘I worked the weekends and saved as much money as I could. At 18, I made an appointment to see a surgeon.
‘I simply did not want the face that I so despised. I had only managed to save £500 and it seemed the only procedure that was around this price was lip enhancements.
‘It was the first step into a world that would almost destroy me.’
Ms Smalley as she looks now (left). She faces years of expensive and painful treatments to reconstruct her lip (see attached photo)
She began having regular injections in her lips of the fillers Perlane and Restylane at a Harley Street practice.
Although normally these fillers last up to six months, Lauren soon found she was going on a monthly basis, spending between £250 and £300 each time.
She said: ‘At first, the procedure helped. I looked a little less like me and therefore felt a little more confident. My lips were a little tender but I was satisfied that I looked different from how I had before.
‘As they got bigger and bigger people around me started to express their concerns, especially my parents who were really worried. But my distorted perception of myself prevented me from being able to see what they saw.’
Following a breakdown, Ms Smalley was admitted to Warneford Hospital in Oxford and was prescribed anti-psychotics for her increasingly obsessive behaviour.
She was held back a year at university and was forced to face facts. She could no longer study and support her expensive filler habit at the same time.
She said: ‘I began looking for a permanent filler to reduce my number of visits to London.
‘I came across a product named Bio-Alcamid which claimed to be safe, long lasting and easy to remove should the need arise.’
Bio-Alcamid is a compound derived from acrylic acid which is injected in liquid form but creates a permanent ‘prothesis’ inside the body. The body naturally forms a capsule of collagen around the injected area, meaning it is not reabsorbed like other fillers.
It is normally used to treat lesions or HIV patients who have suffered lipodystrophy – fat wastage – in their faces as a result of drug treatments.
At 20, Lauren was injected three times with Bio-Alcamid at a clinic in Harley Street.
At no point did any of the doctors who administered the injections attempt to stop her, despite knowing that she was taking medication to combat mental illness.
At first she was delighted with the instant, permanent and dramatically different result. But she soon noticed the reaction from the rest of the world was not so positive.
She said: ‘I began to notice people staring at me and making nasty remarks.’
Ms Smalley was left with huge, abnormally swollen lips which to her horror were starting to develop hard lumps beneath the surface.
She said: ‘My lips were stiff, immobile and painful. I couldn’t move them naturally and it started to change the way I spoke. They were like two, overfilled sausages.’
However, contrary to the claims of Italian manufacturer Polymekon, some people have found Bio-Alcamid migrates under the skin, causing disfiguration.
Others complain of infections and how, despite being marketed as easily removable, the product is almost impossible to get rid of.
Ms Smalley began seeing Dr Shaun Cummings of London-based private clinic Freedom Health.
He told her that ‘this product should never have been put in my lips and in such a quantity’.
Ms Smalley said: ‘He said he felt bad because he was part of the industry and the industry had let me down.
‘Every six months, he would puncture my lip with a large needle and squeeze the product out. This made a bit of difference but contrary to their claims, the Bio-Alcamid would just move and seemingly expand to fill the void.’
At no point did any of the doctors who administered the injections attempt to stop Ms Smalley, despite knowing that she was taking medication to combat mental illness
During her university years, Ms Smalley found she could no longer study and support her expensive filler habit at the same time – so she opted to find a permanent filler
By 2009, Ms Smalley was barely able to leave the house and fantasised about running away to a place where she would no longer be subject to cruel jibes and taunts.
In May of that year she quit her job and began volunteering for an animal shelter in Guatemala where people were more accepting of her appearance.
But soon a large, hard lump formed under her top lip which was tender to the touch and while travelling in Argentina a doctor informed her that it was likely to be a granuloma.
Granulomas are small, non-cancerous tumours that sometimes form around foreign bodies. The Bio-Alcamid had fused with Lauren’s own tissue and this was the result.
On her return to the UK, Lauren went to see Dr Cummings again.
She said: ‘He probed the lump and it burst, revealing that I had a massive infection in my top lip.
‘He drained the liquid as best he could and prescribed antibiotics but they didn’t work. Neither did the ten other kinds of antibiotics I was prescribed over the next three months.
‘Researching on the Internet revealed that despite the company’s claims of low infection rates, hundreds of people, many of whom have Aids and have used the product to fill lesions, were suffering from seemingly incurable infections.
‘Finding it impossible for doctors to treat them, desperately they were resorting to cutting the product out themselves and even shared tips on how to do this.
‘I would later find out that Bio-Alcamid actually harbours infections because it blocks the immune system from fighting it. Any infected area could not be treated and would have to be removed, most likely by surgery.
‘Over the next months I tried many different antibiotics but continued to have to drain pus from my lip every few hours. When I mobilised my mouth, liquid would ooze out and every morning I would wake up to a soaked pillow.
‘Alarmingly, big lumps of the Bio-Alcamid were also coming out of the hole as my body fought to expel the product.
‘About a month after Dr Cummings first identified the infection I woke up to discover that my upper lip had swollen to three times its normal size and I couldn’t stop being sick.’
For a long time, the financial researcher was barely able to leave the house and fantasised about running away to a place where she would no longer be subject to cruel jibes and taunts
Ms Smalley’s father rushed her to A&E where the doctors suspected septicaemia. She was put on intravenous antibiotics for the next three days.
Eventually, a specialist confirmed that the only way to get rid of the infection was to cut out all of the Bio-Alcamid.
She was informed that her lip was riddled with infection and that antibiotics were useless because of the nature of the product.
In September 2010, Lauren underwent a £3,000 operation to remove the filler which involved cutting the whole of her top lip from one side to the other and scraping out the lumps of hardened product.
Where the chemical had fused with her own tissue, that had to be removed too and she was left with a huge incision, stitches in her lip, and large indentations where the tissue was removed.
She said: ”It took almost three months for the swelling to completely subside.’
Ms Smalley has since endured six fat grafts to reconstruct her top lip but because her nerves were severed during the surgery she has no feeling in that area and the grafts do not always take due to her poor blood supply.
In addition, all of the Bio-Alcamid remains in her bottom lip meaning that at any time she could experience another infection and have to undergo even more traumatic surgery.
She said: ‘I’m angry at the medical staff and clinicians for not identifying that I had a problem despite the frequency of my visits.
‘Recently I went back to the doctor who put the Bio-Alcamid in my lips to implore him not to use it on other people and to find out why he put it where it should not have gone.
‘He denied ever having put the product in my lip saying he had put it around my mouth and it had simply migrated.
‘I could not believe he lied to my face. He simply blamed the product, which he no longer uses.’
The makers of Bio-Alcamid have released a statement in response to an increasing number of patients who have similar horror stories. They blame the application and technique of surgeons injecting the product.
Most clinics do not offer Bio-Alcamid any more due to the high number of reported problems but a cursory look online shows it is still being openly advertised at up to £400 per injection.
My wonderful, sweet friend, Carol Edmonston, the “Doodle Lady”, has two of her doodles for sale on eBay to raise money for Neurofibromatosis. Let’s support her endeavor and see who ends up with those doodles.
The USA National Doodle Day auction went live this afternoon.
Here are the direct links to your 2 beautiful doodles:
The auction will end on Sunday, May 20 at 2pm PDT for Doodles #1 and 3pm for Doodles #2
Carol Edmonston
Author: “Create While You Wait…a Doodle Book for All Ages”
Carol Edmonston (aka The Doodle Lady) is an inspirational speaker, transformational artist and human potential advocate. She shares valuable insights on the health and financial benefits of living a joy-filled and stress free life. She has a deep interest in spirituality, especially in the arena of medicine as it applies to health and wellness.
As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Carol speaks on ways to transcend chaos, confusion and life’s challenges. She is committed to impacting quality of life by weaving a creative connection between mind, body and spirit, integrating ancient wisdom and art.
She has developed a unique program for the City of Hope National Cancer Center in Los Angeles called Create While You Wait which offers patients and family members a creative outlet while waiting for treatment and/or doctor appointments. This program is also being used at Christie Cancer Center in Manchester, UK.
Carol shares her message with children as well as adults. She has authored two books – “Connections…the Sacred Journey Between Two Points” and “Create While You Wait…a Doodle Book for All Ages”.
In her experiential workshops for children and teachers she also strives to keep the legacy of her uncle, Syd Hoff, alive – acclaimed cartoonist and children’s author of hundreds of books, including “Danny and the Dinosaur” and “Sammy the Seal”.
Carol was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from the University of Southern California with a BS degree in Physical Therapy. She worked at Orthopedic Hospital in Los Angeles where she met her husband, a now retired orthopedic surgeon. They have one married son.
Carol also spent many years involved in philanthropic organizations before becoming the Orange County CA coordinator for the National “Just Say No” Club program, a drug prevention program for young children supported by Former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Her service in this arena came about as a result of a drunk driving tragedy in which an acquaintance and her 3 children lost their lives.
After ten years in this position, Carol decided it was time to move on, yet unsure as to what was to follow. It was then she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which marked the beginning of another new adventure and one that has proven to have forever transformed her life. Her passion, and life’s work, is about inspiring others to explore, experience and embrace the life they have been given.
Doodles in this auction have been drawn on 8.5″ x 5.5″ cards.
The purchase of the doodle card does not include the underlying copyright.
Please be aware that, while we are extremely careful with the doodles, the two-way mailing process and the Doodler’s handling may result in minor imperfections such as frayed edges, bent corners, smudges, indents, and slight creases.
Insurance is included in the shipping and handling charge.
About Doodle Day and NF Network
These doodles have a very important aim: the funds they raise will benefit NF Network, an organization dedicated to providing support to individuals and families affected by neurofibromatosis (NF).
Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that affects one in every 2,500 births. NF is more common than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy and Huntington’s Disease combined. Funds raised from the Doodle Day auction will go to support education, advocacy, coalitions, and research for treatments and a cure.
Sandra Parsons, author of the following article, Facelifts at 50 are an ugly betrayal, reminds us that “the simple truth is that all you have to do to look younger is lose a bit of weight, do some exercise and colour your hair. All it takes is the courage to start — because once you’ve begun, you won’t want to stop.”
That’s exactly why I love facial exercise. The movements create a vibrant, younger looking face. Heavy jowls and pouches? There’s a facial exercise for that! Tired of seeing droopy eyelids that impair your ability to wear your favorite eyeliner and shadows? Try this Upper Eye Exercise. Every portion of your face and neck can benefit from isometric exercise. No funny faces, puckers, twists or contortions.
Actress Frances Barber, who’s 54, says she’s saving up for a facelift.
She’s hardly unique. In certain parts of London, the faces of 50-something women are now so stretched you could practically trampoline your way along them from Chelsea to Mayfair.
They rarely admit they’ve succumbed to the siren call of cosmetic surgery simply because they want to look younger. Like Frances Barber, they claim it’s because they want to look ‘less tired’. But I, for one, am beginning to find this an extremely tiresome excuse.
Nip, tuck: Actress Frances Barber is saving up for a facelift (see photo attached)
Whether they go for the full ‘wind-tunnel’ facelift, as Barber describes it, or take the less drastic route of Botox and fillers, the end result is the same: curiously blank faces and a pernicious message to younger women.
Ageing is so horrific, they seem to be saying, that the only way to survive it is by undergoing major surgery or injecting yourself with alien chemicals.
What’s sad is that anyone looking at photographs of Frances Barber would have to conclude that she truly doesn’t need a facelift.
She looks terrific just as she is, with a seductively knowing expression that hints at intelligence, mischief and a fascinating life story. Nor does her lack of cosmetic surgery seem to affect her career, as she’s about to appear as an alluring QC in the second series of the BBC1 primetime courtroom drama, Silk.
And yet, like so many other women her age, she feels so unhappy about ageing that she’d rather have an operation — involving a general anaesthetic, and a scalpel — than continue to make the best of what she’s got.
Before long she’ll be another unfeasibly young-looking celebrity who makes the rest of us feel we’re ageing too fast.
Under the scalpel: Many women feel so unhappy about ageing that they’d rather have an operation than make the best of what they’ve got
If you want to see what really ages women before their time, you’ve only to look at the photograph of Carrie Fisher in yesterday’s Mail.
She’s 55, just a year older than Barber, but if you were to put their photos side by side, you’d think she was the senior by a decade. That’s because she’s spent years drinking too much, smoking and taking drugs.
The simple truth is that all you have to do to look younger is lose a bit of weight, do some exercise and colour your hair. All it takes is the courage to start — because once you’ve begun, you won’t want to stop.
I give thanks for the slipped disc I suffered some years ago, because it prompted me to start doing pilates. The form I practice, which is quite dynamic and involves weights, has transformed not just my body but my life.
Now, at 50, I feel fitter and more energetic than I’ve ever done. Most important of all, I hope I’m demonstrating to my 16-year-old daughter that age is nothing to be feared.
You’ve only to look at Kristin Scott Thomas, Vanessa Redgrave, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith to see that it’s entirely possible to age naturally and still be both attractive and successful. As 66-year-old Charlotte Rampling, who’s steadfastly refused to have so much as an age spot removed, let alone a wrinkle, put it recently: ‘You do have to look at yourself in the mirror every day. You do as much as you can to make it OK, and off you go.’
Growing old with grace: Kristin Scott Thomas is an example of a woman who proves that older age can be beautiful(see photo attached)
If only more actresses were brave enough to follow her lead, we could put an end to the whole self-defeating cycle, and use the time and money saved to go out and have some fun.
Our daughters need to see that, despite our wrinkles and our years, we still have energy and vitality. After all, who wants a mother who looks like a permanently surprised 35-year-old?
Better by far to look like a healthy 50-year-old who’s not only lived — but has plenty of energy and enthusiasm left for what’s to come.
Anna Paquin, a young, beautiful actress, has her head on straight when she says that undergoing plastic surgery could limit her future roles. You don’t have to be an actress to know that facial plastic surgery and injections that plump and paralyze can have devastating results. Once your exquisite facial features have been altered, there’s no going back because you will probably feel hypercritical and uneasy seeing a different person in the mirror. Fooling with Mother Nature won’t necessarily make you look younger so use proven facial exercise techniques that can help you look 5, 10, even 15 years younger in just weeks. What could be easier?
True Blood star Anna Paquin is reluctant to go under the knife as she’s certain cosmetic surgery would limit her choice of acting roles.
The actress, who is currently expecting her first child with husband Stephen Moyer, admits she sometimes feels insecure about her physical quirks.
However, Paquin insists she’d think twice before undergoing surgery as she’d have fewer acting opportunities if her looks were more generic.
She tells Zooey magazine, “Interestingly enough, I don’t really care about my teeth, but I think any woman on this planet could say, ‘I wish my a** was smaller, my arms were thinner and I had green eyes not brown.’
“I think anyone is as critical as they have the energy to self-obsess, but I also know as an actress you are more limited if you interfere with your looks. If you have a whole bunch of work done with your teeth and your face and your boobs then you’re only going to play modern people. That’s a big choice to make. Very limiting.”
She also told the magazine “I’m sure for some people saying they’re bisexual feels less scary than making a statement that they’re gay. For me, it’s not really an issue because I’m someone who believes being bisexual is actually a thing. It’s not made up. It’s not a lack of decision.”
“It’s not being greedy or numerous other ignorant things I’ve heard at this point. For a bisexual, it’s not about gender. That’s not the deciding factor for who they’re attracted to.”
Yum, red wine! I know it’s beneficial to our good health and it’s recommended that we ladies have a few ounces each day. My favorite wine is a California blend and Menage a Trois is the vineyard.
Good news for wine drinkers the world over. New research is showing the properties of a chemical present in red wine, known as resveratrol, does indeed have anti-aging properties.
It was always postulated that resveratrol had benefits, but the question was proving the mechanisms involved and moving beyond the realm of “old wives tale” and into the science of the process.
Understanding how resveratrol works would move pharmacists forwards into the possibilities of an anti-aging drug, although most people would probably prefer to pop a cork rather than a bottle of pills, there are many diseases such as alzheimer’s that could potentially be retarded with more focused treatment. It seems that mice lacking the longevity gene known as SIRT1, don’t seem to show benefits from resveratrol.
The red wine ingredient is termed a “dirty molecule” explains David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School who continues:
“Resveratrol improves the health of mice on a high-fat diet and increases life span.”
Although its actions had in the past been attributed to its action on the SIRT1 gene, the naturally occurring molecule in red wine seems to have other effects on dozens of proteins and previous evidence had pointed researchers towards its effect on another gene known as AMPK. This research in mice, yeast, worms and flies, called into question the intelligence of creating an SIRT1 targeting drug, since resveratrol seemed to have other benefits. Due to these findings, Pharma company Sirtris halted its 2011 clinic trial of resveratrol.
Scientists struggled to find answers because the mice lacking the SIRT1 gene didn’t survive, but Sinclair and his colleagues found a way to turn off the SIRT1 gene, and then proved that those adults with SIRT1 deficiency had no benefits from resveratrol.
They went further than this by clearing up some of the confusion surrounding resveratrol acting on other genes. The dosage seems to be the critical aspect, with high doses starting to act in other ways. Thus, it initially targets SIRT1, while at higher doses acting on other genes, but across the board, animals lacking that gene obtained no benefit.
The findings which are published in the May issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism offer the first definitive proof of the absolute link between the anti-aging properties of resveratrol and the SIRT1 gene. Researchers can now focus on small molecule compounds that act on the enzymatic activity of the SIRT1 gene. The promising new approach could produce many new drugs that combat aging, including diseases like Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Stroke and others.
Jackie Silver and I enjoyed our show today featuring Connie Bennett, author of Sugar Shock and her upcoming book, Beyond Sugar Shock, endorsed by many physicians and people in the know who believe sugar is a very toxic substance that produces injuries to our bodies. Connie has made it simpler for us to kick the habit of sugar with her Sugar Freedom Now Course. Check out her blog often: http://www.sugarshockblog.com
Connie Bennett is a charismatic former sugar addict and “Ex-Sugar Shrew” (as she playfully mocks herself). Connie is a motivational speaker, journalist, and author of the bestselling book Sugar Shock, which was praised by Dr. Mehmet Oz and many others. Now, nearly 15 years after quitting sweets, Connie is a popular Sugar Freedom Coach, who runs the Sugar Freedom Now Course. Her next book, Beyond Sugar Shock: The 6-Week Plan to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Get Slimmer, Sexier & Sweeter comes out June 1 from Hay House. You can pre-order the book here: http://tinyurl.com/BeyondSugarShock
Here is Connie’s 3 tips:
1. Don’t expect to be perfect (eliminating sugar from your diet)
2. Learn from your slip ups (they will happen and it’s ok!)
3. Don’t eat fruit by itself – pair it up with protein!
How often have you visited your favorite cosmetic counter at a large department store and spent money hoping to disguise a sagging face? Those sculpting powders and primers, while promising miraculous results, sadly aren’t powerful enough to stop the droopy jowls that make your face look old and tired. Maybe you’ve tried those eye strips designed to prop up eyelids that are cascading toward your lashes and have decided they are too much trouble. There are so many choices with little or few actual results.
It’s a hard lesson but money spent and spent on the huge array of cosmetic and skin care items probably have not produced the remarkable differences you are seeking.In fact, when you look in the mirror, the minor problems you were hoping to fix with skin care items five years ago have now escalated into major situations. That wattle keeps growing, the eyebrows are sinking and the jowls at the edge of your mouth make you look pudgy.
Are you tempted by plumping injections that inflate your cheeks hoping for contour and better shape? Did you know that paralyzing injections can create bunny lines on the sides of your nose when you smile? They’re cute on a 5 year old but not so much when you’re 40.
What other youth enhancing trappings have you considered? Facial plastic surgery?
The “stars” of film and TV, in their quest to maintain a youthful visage, have had their share of mishaps using surgery and injections. Surely, they have more disposable income than most “regular” people but even some of their well-paid doctors have somehow missed the mark leaving the recipients with irregular features and tweaked faces that scream, “Botched!”
Perhaps you have a friend, an acquaintance or a co-worker with whom you’ve discussed the subject of aging. It seems that when women, especially those over the age of 30, get together, one hot topic that is usually discussed is the latest and greatest anti-aging products they have either used or want to use. Not many want to look old in their ensuing years and genuinely want to stave off the ravages of Mother Nature’s tromp across their faces.
So how does one turn back the clock without the dangerous, toxic injections and facial plastic surgeries that require more than money?
Spending thousands of dollars each year for procedures that must be repeated time and time again means that you are playing a game that resembles Russian roulette. One of these days, it is likely that you won’t like the results or there could be a misstep that causes you disfigurement. That is why it is important that you know that facial exercise is a viable and proven alternative to injections and surgery.
Without drugs or anything harmful or invasive, you can turn back the clock using simple exercise movements that can help you look 5, 10 even 15 years younger. Your cheeks will lift and contour, your eyebrows will lift, your forehead will smooth and those unsightly pouches, jowls and chins will recede. By using your thumbs and fingers - your age erasers, you can systematically lift, tone and tighten the sagging facial muscles that can make you look older than your years.
Exercise is natural and it cannot harm you or put your beauty at risk. Learning a facial exercise routine is easy because the movements are simple and they hardly require any time at all to complete. In fact, in just minutes a day, all 15 regions of your face and neck can be thoroughly exercised.
Some facial exercise programs try to convince you that their contortions, twists, puckers and funny faces will act like a natural facelift. Do not be fooled. Facial exercises that shorten, tighten and lift sagging facial muscles require isometric contraction with specialized anchoring techniques performed using exercise gloves.
“I was a facial injection ‘junkie’ years ago before I discovered a fantastic facial exercise program,” says Jackie Silver, founder and president of AgingBackwards.com. “Thank goodness for this – it really IS magic! I have restored my face to the way it looked at age 25 using only exercises. I haven’t had any injections in years and I look like myself, only younger.”
Facial exercise works and it will work for you. Stop spending money needlessly on frivolous gimmicks and look better than you have in years!
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