Anti-Aging for the 20 Something....

If I read your fortune and told you that in ten years you are going to lose your job what would you do?

Go back to school so you can be more qualified for other fields?

Start saving extra money?

Buy lottery tickets?

Quit today and save yourself the hassle?

Whatever path you chose, you would certainly do something. It would be foolish to have a glimpse into the future and not do anything about it today. Luckily for you, I can see into the future. And while I might not be able to read your fortune about your career, I can tell all you 20 somethings one thing: you are starting to age. Yes, I'm talking to you. You are starting to age today and in ten years it'll be even worse. I know what you're thinking: I just graduated college/grad school, I just started my career, I still get carded at bars, I'm too young to age! The truth is that once you hit your 20 somethings you are starting to age, like it or not.

I always thought myself that I had a baby face and that I was going to look like this forever, that is until one day I looked in the mirror and saw a new crease in my forhead. I'm only 23 but my face was already starting to change. Do me a favor, find yourself a mirror and raise your eyebrows as high as you can. Now scrunch your eyebrows. Release those expressions and give your face a second to rest. Now look into the mirror, do you see any lines on your forehead or in between your brows at rest? If so, your face is also showing signs of aging.

See the aging process is simple: there are all sorts of muscles in our face that allow us to show expression: frown, smile, look surprised etc.  Ever have your mom tell you, "keep making that frown and your face will freeze that way"? Well she has a point: over time (lets say 20 years or so) those muscles strengthen and with each time you make a certain expression you are creating a groove under the skin. As we get older, our skin loses the ability to jump back into place and as a result, those grooves become permanent marks on the skin.

Lets say however that you currently don't have any grooves on your skin, do you still need to worry about aging skin? This brings me back to my question I first asked you at the beginning: If I told you your future, even if it was something that might not happen for ten or more years, wouldn't you still want to take action today so you could be prepared? The same can be said for your skin: just because you aren't showing signs of aging now doesn't mean that you wont eventually, because  I can assure you, you will! There is another reason to start the anti-aging process now even if you have no visible wrinkles: go back to that eyebrow raising and furrowing we did earlier. As we age those muscles get stronger and stronger making those expressions not only more dramatic but more permanent. If you take action today and prevent those muscles from getting stronger, you are less likely to develop those strong grooves later on.

So now you know why you get those grooves, but how exactly do you prevent them? The answer is surprisingly easy: neurotoxin injections. Neurotoxins, made popular by the brand name, Botox, temporarily prevent the muscles they are injected into from moving. Here at Dr. Lenahan's office we use what we feel is a superior form of Botox, Dysport. Dysport has all the benefits of Botox but lasts longer (3-5 months) and sets in quicker (3-5 days). Basically when injected, Dysport keeps you from making those dramatic frowns and eyebrow raising that will later turn into deep wrinkles.

Five days ago I had Dysport injected into my forehead at Dr. Lenahan's office. I was admittedly really nervous to get it done since I am scared of needles and I have little to no pain tolerance. The process, which took about 15 minutes, was almost completely painless; to be honest I didn't even feel the needle going in for most of it. Today, five days later and I cannot believe how dramatic the difference is. Before the injection my forehead would scrunch up and leave serious grooves. Today my forehead is smoother and I can't make those lines anymore. I was a little worried that I would look expressionless or "frozen" like one of the Real Housewives, but I can still move my eyebrows, I just cant move them enough to cause wrinkles. While this injection isn't going to last forever and I'll need to come back in 3-5 months to get it done again, the more treatments you get the more effective they become over time and the length I need to wait between injections can increase to 6-9 months. Most importantly, I feel more confident with the way I look and I feel better knowing that I'm taking steps today so I look and feel younger tomorrow.

Before Dysport Injections (Brows Raised)

Five Days After Dysport Injections (Brows Raised)

Interested? You're in luck because currently you can get your Dysport at a discount. For a limited time at Dr. Lenahan's we are offering a "Wrinkle Free Friday" promotion. If you book an appointment to get injected on a Friday you can save 10% off a Dysport injection in one area, 20% off a Dysport injection in two areas or 30% off a Dysport injection in three areas. You really have no reason not to see what Dysport can do for you and your skin.

You're Only as Old as You Look...Feel...Look.

In 1962 the average life expectancy for an adult living in the United States was just over 70 years. Today, fifty years later, the average life expectancy according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is 78.5 years.  With advances in medicine, healthcare and education we are living longer and doing more as we age then we ever have before... some people even go so far as to say that 50 is the new 30.

While we may be living longer, how do we look while doing it? Who cares if 50 is the new 30 if our skin is telling everyone that we are much older than we look or feel? During the summer many of us turn to tanning, exercise or new clothes to make us look and feel younger and more attractive. Few of us, however, think about what our skin says about our age until it is too late.

A 69 year old truck driver who has severe sun damage to one side of his face from years of sun exposure

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun...that means you can blame all those wrinkles that you hate so much on all the time you spent in the sun when you were younger. In fact exposure to the sun can cause: freckles, age spots, spider veins on the face, rough and leathery skin, fine wrinkles that disappear when stretched, loose skin, a blotchy complexion and actinic keratoses. This type of aging, caused by sun exposure, is called "photoaging." Younger people are at risk of photoaging as well, in fact people as young as 20 can start to show sun induced signs of aging. 

Every year Americans spend more than $10 billion on plastic surgery with the majority of the budget going towards procedures aimed at reducing the signs of aging. From anti-aging creams, to cosmetics and surgeries overall, Americans spend about $30 billion a year to regain their youth. The good news is that you don't need to worry about spending all that money later if you take care of your skin now. At our office we carry a superior skin care line including products made especially to protect your skin against harmful UV rays. 

Glytone, sold exclusively through physicians, is a product that was born in the United States in 1943 by two pharmacists who wanted to create a skincare line that produced younger, healthier looking skin. In keeping with that tradition, Glytone developed a perfect summer sunscreen lotion (SPF 40) and sunscreen spray mist (SPF 50). Both are fragrance-free, oil-free and non-irritating while the mist has the added benefit of being water resistant.  

If you come into our office and purchase either the lotion or the mist, we will throw in a free collapsible beach mat for all your summer adventures. In addition, everyone who buys a bottle of the Glytone sunscreen lotion will receive a family set of UV Sun Sense bracelets. The Sun Sense bracelets warns by color change when to reapply sunscreen and when to get out of the sun. Simply slip on the bracelet, put your sunscreen on as you normally would (including on the bracelet) and then go about your day as your bracelet changes color to warn you when you need more sunscreen and when you've had enough sun. All these products are available for purchase today and we strongly recommend investing in professional and proven suncreen products this summer. 

Remember: you're never too young to start investing in your skin care.

Get a Summer Glow Without the Melano(ma)

Moisturizing glow in one hour!

In the summertime everyone is searching for the perfect bronzed look and many flock to the beach, pool or tanning beds in order to achieve that "sun kissed" glow. The problem is that long after the tan fades your skin is still left with the harmful and potentially life threatening damage that comes from excessive, unprotected exposure to UV rays.

A common alternative for those savvy in skin safety are sunless or self-tanners, spray tans or bronzing products. Every year it seems that a new tanning product comes out on the market promising a natural, long lasting and glowing tan. Unfortunately as most of us who have tried one of more of these products know, these promises are all too often "too good to be true."

As a naturally pale woman I have never been able to tan without first building off of a very painful base burn. Eventually my lobster red skin would turn into somewhat of a bronze shade before peeling off from all the excess sun exposure. As I got older and started to become more knowledgeable about the dangers of skin cancer, sun damage and wrinkles, I decided that I would seek a safer method to tan my skin. I tried countless products that promised to turn my pasty skin into a golden bronze. 

Self-tanning lotions seemed like a safe bet since the idea of a "gradual" tan promised to give me some control over what shade of bronze I ended up with. I found that all the self-tanning lotions had a weird cheerios smell however, which was irritating since the product insisted that I apply it after the shower. Despite the smell, half the lotions went on clear and it would often be difficult to tell if I had evenly applied it or not until I woke up the next morning and discovered streaks and blotches from where I had forgotten to put product. I have tried some other very expensive self-tanning lotions that went on and instantly bronzed. In this case it was easy to tell where the product was applied however nine times out of ten my clothes would be left completely stained. 

I tried the self-tanning wipes from the popular infomercials that promised a quick and long lasting tan. However unlike the ad where the model instantly went from white to bronze, my skin didn't change color for hours. The ad also said that one of these pricey towelettes would cover an entire body, but I found despite my 5'3 frame I needed almost 4 wipes for full coverage.

Thinking that maybe I was doing something wrong, that maybe all the times I looked freakish umpa lumpa like where somehow my doing, I splurged and got a $75.00 custom, organic, eco-friendly spray tan at a luxury salon. After standing for about 30 minutes in a tent while a woman sandblasted me with tanning product and I stood with my arms outstretched (the best triceps workout of my life), I was left with an instant natural looking tan that was supposed to develop even more bronze within a few hours. As the tan developed my skin kept getting dark and darker until I panicked and showered well before the 4 hour waiting period that the cosmetologist had told me about. At the end of it all, I spent about an hour using lemon juice and a loofah desperately scrapping my skin off until I started looking less like a bronze statute and more like a human being.

Brittany before using Avène's Moisturizing Self-Tanning Lotion

I had resigned myself to looking pale forever until I started working at Dr. Lenahan's office and she recommended Avène's Moisturizing Self-Tanning Lotion. I was told that the non-greasy lotion was healthy for my skin and was made with thermal spring water, was hypoallergenic and had pre-tocopheryl that provided powerful antioxidant protection. Several of the other girls in the office had used the product as well and raved about how easy it was to apply and how happy they were with the results. I hesitantly tried Avène and was pleasantly surprised. I found the lotion to have a light pleasant smell that was vastly different from the cereal or chemical scent I was used to. It was easy to apply and doubled as a good moisturizer. In just one hour I started to develop a natural and even tan that made me look like I had just come back from a beach vacation. The best thing about this product is that it didn't stain my clothes and my skin looked tan without me ever having to risk damaging my skin. Also a big plus for Avène is that it is soothing and light enough that it can be used on your face and body so there is no need to buy two separate products. In addition, the triglycerides in the product locked in moisture and kept my skin soft all day.

Everyday Dr. Lenahan cautions staff and patient about the dangers of sun exposure. July is National UV Awareness month and with all the sunny weather we have been enjoying in Western New York, the need to protect our skin from sun damage is increasingly important.  While even one sunburn may double your chance of eventually developing melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer), you are still at risk for skin cancer even if you never actually burn. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation,  skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually. An estimated 76,250 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US in 2012, with an estimated 9,180 to result in death. With statistics like these, chancing a life threatening form of cancer for a tan that will fade within days does not seem like a worthwhile trade off.

So, why not play it safe and skip the sun altogether? 

You can buy Avène in our office for only $22.00 which is a bargain compared to the $40.00 I had been used to spending on tanners from Sephora. I would strongly recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a sunless tanning product that is good for your skin, looks natural and is reasonably priced.

Brittany after using Avène's Moisturizing Self-Tanning Lotion