Maintaining your looks after 50

In a couple of months, we will be ushering in another new year, welcoming 2014 with a big bang!  Another birthday coming up, another added year in our biological clock!  During our youth, we welcomed each birthday with excitement, but as we got older, we wished we could put a noose on Father Time and rein him in before it could hit us with another birthday.  As the prophets of doom would say, “after 40, it’s downhill all the way!” 

Says who?  Talking about the glass as half full instead of half empty, I would rather think of my 40s as my glorious years.  In retrospect, I truly enjoyed being in my 40s as those were the years when I got over the insecurities of my 30s. I felt comfortable in my own skin and I felt a certain maturity setting in as I realized there were certain body parts I could no longer change, no matter how many hours I spent in the gym!  I capitalized instead on my assets and did not dwell on my unattractive body parts like my flat bum. With that mind set, I said goodbye to all my insecurities and faced the world with a certain aura of confidence.   

Reaching the half-century mark is a different story! The feel-good hormones start to wane and the unwanted hormones start to kick in!  For women, it’s the menopause years and for men, andropause starts setting in.  Aging presents some problems, but in this era of advance medical technologies, there are remedies and options. 

• Problem: During menopause, our bodies lose estrogen; testosterone is free to act freely and causes us to grow unwanted hair on our faces, our nose, our underarms, and to lose hair on our heads. 

• Remedy: For unattractive facial and underarm hair, waxing or hair depilatory cream is  effective.  Laser is recommendable for permanent hair removal.  For nasal hair, cut or pluck it out.  A woman with nasal hair sticking out is the most unattractive sight! For our crowning glory, there are so many hair tonics that can help restore hair growth, like the aloe vera hair tonic (sabila) sold at Rustan’s Supermarket and Watsons for P215 or less.  Minoxidil is also recommendable, but it only works for as long as you use it.  Vitamin supplements, compounded with B complex, work for me.  Not only do they restore hair growth, they also boost the immune system.  There is also the option of hair transplant, which is done by many cosmetic doctors. 

If your hair is thinning because of some illness, consult your doctor.

• Problem: As we age, our gums start to recede and our teeth become yellow. Our once-upon-a -time Closeup smile is no longer attractive for closeup photos. In the same way that our skin loses collagen fibers, our gums lose mass. 

• Remedy: A good preventive measure is to keep your gums free of bacteria by flossing and brushing twice daily because bacteria cause gum disease, which worsens gum recession. As for discolored teeth, cosmetic dentists will recommend bleaching the teeth to restore them to their natural color or veneers which will shape the teeth to an attractive size suited to your face.  There are cosmetic dentists listed in the yellow pages, but the one I know is at Dusit Thani Manila, 3rd floor, Smiles by Dr. Cecile with telephone number 840-4284.  

• Problem: Crow’s-feet, deep lines on the forehead and around the mouth, sagging jowls, light eye bags, melasma. 

• Remedy: All of the above are treatable in a non-invasive manner in different aesthetic clinics all over the Philippines.  Botox is used to treat crow’s-feet, deep lines on the forehead and around the mouth. Restylane injections and other fillers are used to fill deep labio-nasal lines.  For sagging jowls, light eye bags, and all-around facial tightening, RF (radio frequency) and IPL (intense pulse light) treatments are recommended.  Melasma (or hyperpigmentation) is treated by peeling, bleaching creams, and laser.  

For the budget-conscious, there are promos going on this season for the above treatments at the following: Skin Perfect, owned by Sheila Ong-Ching, 3rd floor Robinsons Magnolia, tel. no. 961-4207; MSkincare and Wellness Institute, managed by Margaux Arambulo Lucena, tel. nos. 696-7567 and  502-0009; Aivee Teo Skin &Stem Care Institute, Burgos Circle, Global City, owned by Aivee Teo, tel. no. 403-3245 and cell phone number 09175579619. 

• Problem: Losing some inches vertically while gaining horizontally.  This is the sad part about aging.  Men and women start to lose half an inch per decade (or more) and the girth stands to expand.  Over the years, the discs between the vertebrae flatten, there can be joint space narrowing and muscles start to lose mass.  This could affect posture, causing older adults to stoop more. 

• Remedy: Stay as active as possible.  Exercise, do stretching exercises (yoga specifically stretches the body). My father hangs on a chinning bar as part of his exercise regimen and has shrunk only an inch at age 92.  A skilled physical therapist can stretch you also.  Eating a healthy diet, coupled with calcium and vitamin D supplements, is one way to slow down the decline in height.  Have a bone density test done so you can take precautions depending on your results.  The yoga studio I go to is  Bliss Yoga, Unit 203, Plaza 100, VA Rufino St. corner de la Rosa, Legaspi Village, tel. no. 720-8696.  

• Problem:  As we age, our feet change their shape and flexibility. High heels are painful to wear. Bunions start to grow. Yikes!

• Remedy: Don’t wear heels when you don’t have to.  Stretch your Achilles tendon and plantar fascia (the ligament that runs from your heel to the ball of your foot), wear supportive shoes, (sneakers are best) or if your feet are really hurting, consider going to a podiatrist. Pampering the feet through foot spa and pedicures helps maintain healthy feet. 

So the sweet bird of youth has passed us just like that. The golden years and onwards are cruel to the looks and the body.  But let’s keep our spirits high and be vigilant about our maintenance program.  As the wise man says, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!