How to Guess Someone's Age by Looking at Them

We love guessing games. Game shows such as Family Feud and Jeopardy have long been staples of game show television for Americans. These long-running shows have proven our fascination with guessing the right answer to life's most burning (and most trivial) questions.

But what about the game of guessing someone's age? With today's myriad of plastic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic enhancements, being able to guess someone's age may not be as easy as it used to be.

Here are several areas of the body to pay attention to when determining whether someone's aging gracefully or showing their true chronological age.

Celebrities Who Say They Have Never Had Plastic Surgery

According to a celebrity list published on Shine.Yahoo.com, several celebrities who look amazing and have not gone under the knife or needle include:

• Julianne Moore (52)
• Tina Fey (42)
• Sigourney Weaver (63)
• Selma Hayak (45)
• Kate Winslet (37)
• Helen Mirren (67)
• Emma Thompson (53)

As we look at the pictures of these lovely ladies, several common age-related signs are apparent. As Sigourney Weaver so eloquently states in a recent interview, "Actors' faces should actually be able to move." And she's right; when Botox is injected into the face (or anywhere for that matter), the muscles are paralyzed and no longer able to move.

Botox can stop existing furrows and wrinkles when frowning or smiling as well as preventing new ones from forming as the aging process progresses. This is something very appealing to men and women who are looking to preserve their aging skin for as long as they can before more drastic measures need to be taken to produce the same age-defying effects.

The down-side of Botox is that emotional responses that manifest themselves in areas of the face such as the eyebrows and forehead will no longer be apparent. There is a smooth, non-responsive muscle in the treated areas. One question posed for mothers who use Botox is whether or not babies who observed their mother's Botox-treated face would be able to pick up on the proper emotional responses from their mother.

Other Areas of the Face that Help Us Guess Someone's Age

Some other areas of the face that can show a person's age include the lips, cheeks, and under the eyes. Lips get thinner as we age, losing the fullness they once had during our more youthful years. Cheeks can become hollow, losing volume that once gave us that "fresh, dewy look". The area under the eyes can either get puffier (more common) or can lose volume and look shallow.

Taking a peek at these areas of the face can determine someone's age better than wrinkles or creases. Why? Because superficial skin issues such as sun spots, fine lines, and wrinkles can all show up at an early age (in our 20's) depending on the amount of sun exposure we've had and whether or not we've smoked, taken drugs, have been over-stressed, or have lived an unhealthy lifestyle.

Looking for a Pick-Me-Up?

If you've noticed that lately people are able to guess your age or are no longer complementing you on looking great for your actual age, it may be time to consider a natural plastic surgery option: fat transfer to the face. With a simple mini-lipo procedure, your fat can be removed from a problem spot on your body and transferred to where you DO want it; your face, cheeks, eyes, and lips.

The most advanced fat transfer for the face involves using your own Adipose Derived Stem Cells (taken from your mini-lipo procedure) and used in a customized, revolutionary anti-aging skin care line. Your own stem cells begin to transform aging skin into the youthful glow you once had, reversing the signs of aging from a deep, cellular level. The clinical results speak for themselves.

Give us a call today to set up a free consultation to see if these natural, advanced procedures are right for you. When you call us at 631.499.1831 (Long Island) or at 212.206.0023 (NYC), we'll take $250 off the cost of your procedure or products just for calling!

Dealing with the Challenges of Aging Gracefully

In an article by the New York Times, the question was posed: "How well are you aging by age 50?" They looked at President Obama and how he's changed over the last four years. They went on to explain:

Time, heredity, sunlight, illness, smoking, good fortune and bad — all leave their marks on the face. People make instant judgments about one another’s age, health, mood, personality and character based on facial features, and yet we often judge unconsciously, not fully aware of the cues we’re reading. There’s more — and sometimes less — to aging than jowls, wattles and crow’s-feet.

Since we know that all of the aforementioned factors play a role in how we look as we grow older, how can we halt or reverse these processes so we can look as youthful as possible for as long as possible? The answer is in several age-defying actions we can take now to preserve our face tomorrow.

Genetics: Can You Turn Back the Hands of Time?

Genetics is something we cannot halt or reverse. However, with a poor lifestyle (which includes eating porroyl and not getting enough exercise), aging can progress even more rapidly as our genetic tendency to develop grandma's jowls or mom's saddlebags increases. Through careful lifestyle management, we can truly hold off on "nature running all over our face and body".

Diet and Exercise: Your Fountain of Youth

Eating a well-balanced diet (preferably plant based) along with at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily can make all the difference in how well (or badly) we show our age. Choose anti-oxidant rich fresh fruits and vegetables such as those with deep or bright colors. Leafy greens such as kale and collard greens, red bell peppers, blueberries, and papayas are just some of the many natural foods that can help you look younger as you age.

The way they accomplish this is through their powerful antioxidants. These substances help to fight off and carry away free radicals, which are mutated cells that can cause premature aging in the cells of the body, including those in the skin. With a healthy diet rich in these types of foods, beauty is more than skin deep.

Environmental Factors in Aging

When we look at how gracefully we age, there are sometimes other factors involved that are less controllable such as a sudden illness, the illness of a family member, past overexposure in the sun, past drug use, or prescription medications used to treat a disease or condition just to name a few.

Though we may not be able to do anything about the past, we can do something about the damage that was done to our skin as a result of these types of environmental factors. With the advent of Botox and dermal fillers, fat transfer to the face, stem cell skin therapy, and lasers such as Fraxel, major improvements can be made to the skin where once there was no good solution.

If damage is extensive and irreparable through non-invasive, non-surgical means, a facelift is an excellent option. The standard facelift is available (upper and/or lower) as well as eye lift and neck lift surgery to lift these areas into a more youthful position.

No matter what you decide is right for you, speaking with a facial plastic surgeon is your next step in getting a more youthful look. Feel free to contact us today for a free consultation to see which anti-aging solution is right for you. Our NYC cosmetic surgery office number is (212) 206-0023 and our Long Island plastic surgery office number is (631) 499-1831.

To a More Youthful You,

Dr. Emmanuel Asare