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Wrinkled was never what I dreamed of becoming when I grew up; a zoo keeper, a talk show host or entrepreneur, sure, but I checked carefully and “wrinkled” definitely did not appeared on my list… not even once!
We had some new staff photos taken recently at Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Center. When we got them back I was startled to see a slightly older version of me in the photos. I was forced to acknowledge that I too am slowly creeping up on a time in life when minor changes in my facial structure are beginning to occur. When I look closely in the mirror, I can now see a hint of my mom looking back at me. I know there will come a time when decisions will have to be made. Will I decide to age gracefully or choose to defy it with a facelift? Let’s see. I better check my list one more time just to be sure. Nope, still the word “wrinkled” does not appear. Defy it is then.
How does one do that you ask? Well it is easier if you have stayed out of sun, but for most of us that is not the case. So that leaves protect and repair. Both my parents were diagnoses with skin cancer while I was in my mid to late twenties, so really just a few years ago. ; -) Hey… there is no judgment here ok. This is my blog. Besides, like I always say “if age is just a number then I would prefer to keep mine unlisted.”
Watching the anguish my mother endured when the tip of her nose had to be removed, leaving it disfigured and later when my dad who had a large cancerous lesion in the center of his forehead, I realized the true dangers of the sun. Protection is a must when abstinence isn’t possible. (from the sun!).
At that point, I began a daily regimen of sunscreen and swore off tanning. That alone has bought me some time. I am faithful to my medical-grade skincare regimen. I don’t jump around trying the latest and greatest infomercial skincare products. That’s a tough one for most of us – advertising can be so convincing., isn’t it? I stick with medical-grade skincare products only, and for-go over-the-counter skincare products. That’s not to say that there aren’t good OTC products out there, it is just that I value my time and money more than that and refuse to spend time and money hunting for something that “might” do the trick when I can go straight to medical grade skincare and feel confident that my investment will pay off.
I was recently telling a girlfriend that I am considering having full face CO2 Micro-Fractional Laser Resurfacing in the fall. She responded “For what? You don’t have a wrinkle on your face,” which of course isn’t quite accurate and to which I responded “yes, and I’d like to keep it that way.” I explained to her that I am a firm believer in preventative (early) maintenance for multiple reasons. First, addressing aging earlier rather than later gives me the opportunity to enjoy my results for as long as possible. Why wait until “I am bad enough or old enough, or wrinkly enough to justify making improvements.” The only thing that will accomplish is that my self-esteem will take a hit. I have always believed in taking care of myself with exercise, healthy food choices, and a clean lifestyle. I want to enjoy the rewards of my efforts. What if you just found out your home had a few termites, would you wait until the foundation was ready to collapse before something about it? Of course not, so why should our bodies be any different?
I believe early maintenance is beneficial because I think it provides more privacy. The more there is to repair, the more dramatic the change can be. Friends and family are less likely to suspect cosmetic surgery and more likely to assume that I am more well rested or that my new hair cut just took 10 years off my appearance. Well… unless you write a cosmetic surgery and skin rejuvenation blog and tell the whole world about your anti-aging game plan… that does tend to cause some suspicion.
So will I have a facelift? Well if the little things I do along the way; medical grade skincare, exfoliation treatments, Botox Cosmetic, laser resurfacing aren’t enough to keep the peace within myself, then, yes, I would consider a facelift when the time is right.
Yours Truly,
Anti-Aging With Grace
Roxanne Grace
Skincare and Laser Specialist
G. D. Castillo, M.D.
COSMETIC PLASTIC SURGERY
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