Finding the balance

I’m often asked about the beauty landscape and I’m always happy to share my experience and the reality of what I see, and what i’ve learned...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and one woman’s heavenly lips are another’s hellish nightmare. We’ve all seen celebrities be over injected to be dissolved, to sometimes be over injected again. It’s a very difficult line to walk, especially in the public eye, with judgement all around and that magical elixir to topple the ageing process, yet to be discovered. I will say a good sense of humour and boundless curiosity go a very long way though.

With non-surgical interventions, to what extent do we want to halt ageing? There’s a beauty in letting some things go, but also a strength in maintaining your appearance, sense of self and confidence in what you can do. Nobody wants to feel old, but it is also massively a mindset. 

There are some people who’ve just got it as they ascend through life. Gillian Anderson would be one example; Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds would be two more. Do they have “work”? I couldn’t possibly comment. However, if I said, more people do than don’t, perhaps I could answer that question indirectly.

To state the obvious, it’s how that work is done that counts for everything. Maintaining the essence of the individual, both at rest and on animation, is vital. Also, there is a huge nod to skin quality and a host of “background work”. (More on that later…)

Skin quality is astoundingly important. Generally keeping yourself well-nourished and hydrated, will support the process of course. However, there is nothing like a good peel and resurfacing, in the Autumn months, coupled with polynucleotides or injectable hydration, to get your skin in a super healthy state. Then there are a host of medical grade products to keep the good stuff glowing as part of a daily/weekly routine.  Prescription retinol (Tretinoin) remains my firm favourite, married with a medica SPF 50, as a no brainer. (If anybody hasn’t got the memo about UV rays and aging, I have no words.)

I’m all up for a full-face lift, when the time comes, but for those who want to maintain a wise, whilst lifted look in the meantime, there are areas in which you can use sophisticated fillers to lift and soften without a hint of “odd”. 

The temples are a good example, which become sunken over time as they lose volume and see the tail of the brow begin to descend. Behind the hairline is another excellent place to add a little lift without creating contours that don’t belong. The preauricular area (the section in front of the ear, an index finger width and length) is also helpful, as is the chin and the angle of the jaw. These lesser-known points, in public perception, are paramount in maintaining the package of you.

Then there is the putting downward pulling muscles back in their place, gently but consistently. I think there was an off day at the factory when our facial muscles were formed, as the downward pulling muscles (e.g. the frown and the mouth corners) get stronger as we age. This means our upward lifting muscles end up losing out to them, seeing us become furrowed and tugged down into an angry or sad looking person, which can have a mind-body loop effect.

Having treated yogis, people of the cloth and wholefood writers, looking tired or grumpy when you really are giving it your all to live a good life is extremely annoying. However, now that we understand what is happening as we age, we can prevent and reverse it by means of micro non-surgical interventions. Recognising and liking your reflection is a powerful connection to prioritise and maintain.

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