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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

WRINKLES and Aging Gracefully

Samuel Ullman said: "Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years, We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."

Getting old is not necessarily the passage of time. It is lying awake all night fearing the dawn of another day. Getting old is giving up.

It is said that wrinkles go only where smiles have been or the scar left behind by tears. I believe laughter enriches our life while weeping strengthens our soul. As Clarence Day said: "age should not have it's face-lifted, but it should rather teach the world to admire wrinkles as the etchings of experience and the firm lines of character.

BE aware, getting old is a privilege.

WRINKLES

Dermatologists say that as we age, epidermal cells become thinner and less sticky. Moisture is released which causes dry skin. Cells decrease by 10% every decade and divides more slowly, the skin is less able to repair itself.

Wrinkles happen when collagen breaks down deep into the dermis (inner layer of the skin). Most "repair kits" contain generous amounts of collagen, precisely to prevent dryness and keep time at bay.

The experts say that free radicals in the atmosphere cause wrinkles. Air pollutants, smoking and exposure to UV radiation start the "cascading process" which destroys collagen and elasticity. Sunlight is a natural enemy of the skin. Hormones sometimes wreak havoc. Habitual frowns etch themselves permanently in our faces. Crow's feet, those little lines that radiate from the corner of our eyes, become more visible. Gravity is another culprit. It causes skin to sag.

Attempts to hold back time have included unprecedented hype to push Vit A CREAMS ON A DESPERATE PUBLIC. Retin "A" rejuvenator has enjoyed as much publicity.

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