I’m a GP – here’s 4 ways to banish wrinkles WITHOUT Botox or fillers
WHILE you certainly don't need to do anything to your appearance as you get older, some people turn to Botox, fillers and surgery to slow the sings of ageing.
These kinds of procedures can be expensive and you might not relish the prospect of going under the knife for the sake of youth.
A dermatologist recently shared how getting filler injected into specific parts of your face - including your smile lines - could put you at risk of vascular occlusion and blindness.
Thankfully, there are other methods at our fingertips, some of which you don't have to pay a penny for.
Dr Asiya Maula, Director and GP at , said: “You don’t need to turn to cosmetic surgery straight away to retain a youthful appearance as this can be costly and involves recovery time.
"Plus, there is a risk of infection if you opt for surgery such as a facelift and your body can reject foreign matter like fillers and Botox.
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“It’s perfectly fine to age gracefully, but if you’re looking to explore ways of slowing down the signs of ageing then here are a few ways you can do so without going to extreme measures.”
According to Dr Maula, there are four ways you can gently banish your wrinkles.
1. Face yoga
Just like your body, your face can benefit from a little bit of light exercise.
"We obviously use our faces every day when smiling, chatting and growing but face yoga adopts intent behind the exercises, much like when you work out other areas of the body at the gym," Dr Maula explained.
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Isolating muscles in your face can help tone it and tighten your skin while also keeping plump, which the GP said can help maintain a youthful appearance long term.
It'll also stimulate blood flow to your face, which can encourage collagen production - this is a protein that supports your skin.
You can do facial yoga exercises twice a day, in the morning when you wake up and in the evening before bed. You don't need to spend more than five minutes on it.
First you'll need to warm up your face by opening your jaw as if you're yawning and then raise your eyes to look up at the ceiling without moving your forehead.
Hold for 10 seconds and repeat.
Then choose three or four poses, doing those for 30 seconds each.
If you find yourself hunched over a desk at work a lot, targeting the neck to release tension is a good place to start.
Move your chin to one side, lift it up slightly and pucker your lips into a kiss. Hold this for 10 seconds and switch sides to repeat.
2. Time outside
Dr Maula's second tip is very simple.
She recommends you make sure to spend time outside, which many of us forget to as we caught up in the daily grind of work.
Exposure to sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D, which is essential for maintaining healthy bones, teeth, and muscles, the GP said.
Vitamin D also plays a role in regulating the immune system and reducing inflammation, which can help slow down the ageing process.
Aside from doing good things to your skin, time outside can also reduce stress and improve your mental health.
With chronic stress being linked to conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and cognitive decline - non of which will do wonders for your skin - time outside seems like a good trade.
Exposure to natural light can also help improve your quality of sleep - they don't call it a beauty sleep for nothing.
3. Oxygen therapy
Ever heard of hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
It's a painless and non-invasive procedure that involves you lying down in a a tube-shaped hyperbaric chamber while you'r skin is supplied with pure oxygen.
This'll encourage collagen production, which can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Dr Maula said: “Oxygen under pressure can improve cognitive functions such as concentration and memory, accelerate the formation of blood vessels, and new nerve cells and increases the connections between nerve cells in addition to providing anti-ageing benefits.
“Research has found that HBOT increases circulation, thus helping cell repair which improves age spots, saggy skin, wrinkles, poor collagen structure and skin cell damage and increases skin elasticity, meaning you can enjoy a more youthful appearance for longer," she said.
Novak Djokovic and Christian Ronaldo have reportedly subscribed to the oxygen therapy craze.
4. Acupuncture
You've probably heard of acupuncture as a pain treatment but you might not have realised it could be used for anti-aging.
According to Dr Maula, the practice - involves inserting very thin needles into the skin - is on the rise due to it being an alternative to filler injections.
It works by targeting drooping muscles to tighten, lift and tone and the whisper-thin needles help boost blood circulation to the face, helping to promote oxygenation of the cells.
The GP said you can expect a soft, glowy and youthful complexion after a few sessions, with the most noticeable anti-ageing effects becoming apparent after four to six sessions.
“Acupuncture works by causing a tiny trauma to the skin as the needles are so thin”, Dr Maula added, “so this sends the body’s healing cells (fibroblasts) to fix the areas with collagen and elastin production which helps with loss of firmness in the skin.”
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An acupuncturist recently said there is a magic spot on your face that can make you feel more awake if you hit it.
And a cosmetic dermatologist recently shared which two cheap products you should be using if you want ageless skin.