The Art of Aging Gracefully
There has been a recent appreciation for aging gracefully increasing the demand for holistic aesthetics. Thank goodness we are leaving behind the era of Botox and Fillers!! At The Wellness Lounge our goal is to nourish a culture that accepts and embraces the physical changes that occur naturally as a result of getting older. The art of aging gracefully is all about prevention.
Preventative aging means taking proactive measures to preserve youth and prevent or mitigate undesirable and potentially harmful effects of aging. This applies to whole health, not just aesthetics. 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 would if we took the steps to optimize our health. With preventative action, we not only can prevent looking older but also feeling younger! Age is just a number if you take your health seriously!
“Aging is a fact of life. Looking your age is not.” Said Dr. Howard Murad, a renowned dermatologist who utilizes a holistic approach to skin and overall health. What Dr. Murad is pointing out 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.” We could not agree more! The way we look in our skin and bodies is not just a result of a genetic blueprint or how old we are, but a reflection of our health and how well we take care of ourselves.
The aging process is greatly influenced by our health and lifestyle choices we make over our lifetime, for better or worse. To start, we have to understand the aging process and the foundations for health.
The Foundations for Health
Nourishment. Nutrients (obtained from food or otherwise supplemented) can heal and renew. Wholesome nutrients are the ultimate anti-aging medicine. One reason IV therapy is so powerful is that bypassing the digestive system allows 100% of the nutrients delivered to be absorbed and utilized.
Movement. When we are stagnant our bodies can not thrive. Movement releases endorphins, we sweat out toxins, our tissues are challenged and strengthened, and our immune system is optimized. This is how we fight aging.
Sleep. We need sleep for our bodies to recover, our minds and emotions to process, and our circadian rhythms to regulate hormones for optimal health and beauty.
Stress Management. Stress is unavoidable, and it is one of the primary culprits in premature aging and disease. The key is to learn how to effectively manage our stress. This study shows the importance of magnesium supplementation and stress management. Nutritional deficiencies are often associated with an increase in our perception of stress and hormone levels. Our other favorite habits to manage stress include walking, journaling, yoga, quiet prayer time, sauna, and napping (or just prioritizing our sleep).
Mental and Spiritual Health. Our spirit and minds are more powerful than most realize. Our thoughts greatly influence our health. We believe that we best thrive in community. That is why The Wellness Lounge prioritizes creating a communal space where people are seen and heard. We desire to be known! In this study, research concludes: “In any event, it appears that thought suppression stores an unwanted thought in the individual's cognitive representation of the suppression context. The potential impact of this phenomenon in the enterprise of suppression in everyday life should not be underestimated.” We are not meant to suppress our thoughts or live in isolation. Our health is greatly influenced by our community and those we spend the most time with.
The Aging Process
In our early to mid-30s testosterone levels start to decline in men and fertility starts to decline in women. With age in both women and men, collagen naturally declines as well. Testosterone in men is what promotes a lean physique, strong libido, and mental stamina. A woman’s fertility doesn’t just mean she is in baby-making mode, 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, the negative effects of the aging process start to manifest. For this reason, it’s crucial to start taking preventative measures. Maintaining your foundations of health as well as having annual functional lab workups and consults with your integrative provider will help 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 on the skin itself.
Skin Specifics
Skin Protection. We do not recommend wearing daily sunscreen. Hear me out! I know this is something that you will rarely hear from anyone discussing aesthetics and aging BUT we are about whole health. There are many known contaminants in sunscreen that are known to cause physiological and environmental harm (check this study out, and this one). Now, when we have prolonged sun exposure we do recommend protecting ourselves by wearing a hat and appropriate clothing.
If sunscreen must be used (for those sunny ocean days in Mexico) we choose wisely. Ingredients should be researched prior to lathering up. This study found that Zinc oxide is more effective protection than titanium dioxide against the UVA spectrum.
Interestingly, the same study found nutritional supplementation provides marked improvement with skin aging:
Topical coenzyme Q10 - a 6-month pilot study showed a significant reduction in wrinkle measurements
An oral supplement containing l-proline, l-lysine, manganese, copper, zinc, quercetin, grape seed extract, N-acetyl D-glucosamine, and glucosamine sulfate improved wrinkles by 34%
Another oral supplement containing vitamin E, vitamin C, carotenoid, selenium, and proanthocyanidin led to a significant decrease in collagen breakdown after UV exposure
Treatment. Reverse visible signs of aging with services like PRP microneedling (using your blood’s healing factors to stimulate collagen production and tissue healing) and holistic facials. You can also stave off the aging process by utilizing other services at The Wellness Lounge that treat and optimize your whole health with massage, sauna, IV therapy, ozone therapy, and oral supplements.