Why Prevention is the Rule of Thumb in Aesthetics

In recent times there has been a push for graceful aging, which means learning to accept and embrace the physical changes that occur naturally as a result of getting older. While this is absolutely valid, there is nothing wrong with wanting to age both gracefully and preventatively. Preventative aging means taking proactive measures to preserve youth and prevent or mitigate undesirable and potentially harmful effects of aging. Without preventative action, we may allow premature aging to set in, which means our body [and aesthetic features] deteriorate earlier and more aggressively than it should for one’s age. With preventative action, we not only prevent looking older than we are but promote looking the best we can at our age – or possibly even younger than our age. So, why can’t we enjoy the journey of growing older while striving to look the most youthful versions of ourselves at any age?

“Aging is a fact of life. Looking your age is not.” Said Dr. Howard Murad, a renowned medical doctor, pharmacist, and dermatologist who utilizes a holistic approach to skin and overall health. What Dr. Murad is pointing out, is that although increasing age is inevitable, decreasing beauty and vitality is not necessarily a predestined consequence of aging. Dr. Murad also says that “When you’re healthy, you’re beautiful.” In other words, the way we look in our skin and bodies is not just a result of our genetic blueprint or how old we are, but a reflection of our health and how well we’ve taken care of ourselves. This means that the aging process can be influenced [greatly] by the health and lifestyle choices we make over our lifetime, for the better or for the worst. But how do we know what choices to make to age preventatively? Understanding the aging process and the foundations for health is a great place to start, as this builds awareness about where and when we need to intervene.

Let’s start with the foundations for health

Nourishment – what you feed your body, becomes your body. As Deepak Chopra says, “Food can heal and renew. Food can be your anti-aging medicine.”

Movement – our bodies are meant to move; when we move we release endorphins, sweat out toxins, shape our body composition, and strengthen our tissues, all of which fights aging.

Sleep quality – we need quality sleep in order for our bodies to recover, our minds to process, and our circadian rhythms to regulate hormones for optimal health and beauty.

Stress reduction – stress is one of the primary culprits in premature aging and unhealthy outcomes in general. If excessive and chronic, it breaks down both our mental and physical health overtime. 

Mental & spiritual wellness – a good mindset, regulated emotions, spiritual connection, meaningful relationships, fulfilled purpose, and positive experiences directly affect our physical health and exuberance.

Let’s move onto the aging process

In our early to mid-30’s is typically when testosterone starts to decline in men and fertility starts to decline in women. With age in both men and women, collagen naturally declines as well. Testosterone in men is what promotes a lean physique, mental stamina, executive function, strong libido, and overall vigor. A woman’s fertility doesn’t just mean she can reproduce, it means her hormones and cyclical nature are in balance. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body that makes up skin and other connective tissues that literally hold our body together. These are just a few aspects of aging, but when they diminish, is when the effects of aging start to manifest. For this reason, it’s crucial to start taking preventative action throughout your 20’s and certainly in your 30’s. Maintaining your foundations for health as well as having annual functional lab workups and consults with your naturopathic doctor will keep you on track. 

When it comes to aesthetics, the foundations for health and the aging process are not all we need to think about. We also need to focus in on the skin itself. 

Let’s talk about skin specifics

Skin protection – such as wearing sunscreen on the face, neck, and chest, keeping the skin clean and moisturized with non-toxic products, avoiding compressive forces on the skin, and filtering your shower water. 

Catching your youth – such as “freezing” your unwrinkled skin in time with botox, a naturally produced toxin that paralyzes muscles underlying the skin to prevent the repetitive facial expressions that cause wrinkles and fine lines. 

Reverse visible signs of aging – services like PRP micro-needling (using your blood’s healing factors to stimulate collagen production and tissue healing), radio-frequency (using heat to stimulate collagen production and skin tightening), and morpheus8 (AKA the non-surgical facelift, using radio-frequency and micro-needling to stimulate collagen and skin remodeling).

The thing about prevention is that it’s something that is best done before aging begins or advances – a culmination of all the actions we took to better our health and beauty. Our aesthetic services at LIVV are minimally or non-invasive and always integrated with natural, lifestyle approaches that promote beauty with health as a priority. If you want to start aging preventatively to promote and restore your vibrance, give us a call to set up a consultation!

Written by Jordan Valdez, ND, RD