Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com
From acupuncture to “fanny facials,” there are many ways to fight the
age-old battle that don’t involve surgery, or even setting foot in a plastic
surgeon’s office.
For baby boomers who are embracing their age, and want to work with what they have, these treatments may represent healthy alternatives to wrinkle fillers and surgery. While some of the options don’t come cheap, they do come without the risks seen in surgery.
“I live in Berkeley and tend to run into a lot more people who don’t want to go that (surgery) route,” said Marie Veronique-Nadeau, the 59-year-old author of "The Yoga Facelift" and a licensed aesthetician. “I was investigating all of it. What I did notice was we had programs like pilates, but there didn’t seem to be much for the neck up.”
To be sure, drinking plenty of water, wearing sunscreen, getting enough sleep and eating properly can go a long way toward feeling young, refreshed and healthy.
Facial Yoga
Nadeau bases her facial yoga technique on isometrics, or a type of facial
strength training in which the muscles work against resistance.
“When you exercise and tone a muscle it shortens… so this addresses sagging in the skin,” said Nadeau, who teaches the technique for free at a Berkeley pharmacy.
“It’s really like magic when you can look at yourself and make faces. . .” she said. “You’re not some plastic thing.”
Sabrina Stephens, a personal trainer, massage therapist and aesthetician who provides facial yoga training in Oahu, added that the exercises are an opportunity to calm chronic habits such as a tendency to purse lips, raise the forehead or furrow brows.
Both Stephens and Nadeau said yoga could help to minimize facial fine lines within several weeks. But like any exercise, the key is making facial yoga a habit.
Facial Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves points on the body that anchor “chi,” or energy,
said Lynette Hirabayashi, a San Rafael, Calif., acupuncturist who specializes in
facial rejuvenation.
“I choose points to help direct more energy to the face,” she said. “On the initial (visit), I do a more generalized protocol with 30 needles in the face, and see how they respond.”
Acupuncture helps increase circulation in the face, as well as cell turnover, which helps stimulate collagen production. The needles are about as thin as a hair, so clients may feel a slight prick once inserted, said Hirabayashi, who’s trained in Chinese and Japanese techniques. They may also feel the “chi sensation,” or a little buzzing or energy, she said. But overall, it’s a relaxing procedure.
“I have even had people fall asleep while I’m doing it.”
While the skin typically becomes more radiant after the initial experience, Hirabayashi said most clients notice more substantial results around the sixth or eighth visit.
“They might have a slight lift in their cheekbone, the complexion is even-toned, and the skin is moist and fresh,” she said. “It’s subtle, but other people start noticing.”
Skin type and lifestyle play “a large part” in results achieved, but after 12 visits a “healthy” person may notice their eyes are not so droopy and deep fine lines reduced, Hirabayashi said.
“I recommend a refresher treatment seasonally, or if you’re a smoker you might want to come once a month,” said Hirabayashi, who pre-screens all clients to ensure they are good candidates before treatment.
A 12-session acupuncture series runs $1,500, which is not cheap, but still one-third the cost of a mini-facelift. Some insurance providers cover acupuncture, too.
Facials
There are many different types of microderm peels, some so strong that they could take a week of downtime. But generally speaking, peels offered by most day spas are a cost-effective, less intensive option, and help boost esteem and brighten skin.
“I work with a lot of anti-aging properties like caviar, seaweed and Vitamin C,” said Campo who estimated it would cost about $2,500 a year for a boomer who did an initial series of six facials, followed by monthly visits and product purchases to use at home. One bonus: day-spa pampering generally includes a neck massage as part of the facial sessions.
“Emotionally, (my clients) feel better,” Campo said. “It’s almost like getting a new hair cut or outfit.”
Fanny Facial
On an ending note, the “fanny facial” is generating a large following in
New York, said Nicole Contos, owner and chief executive officer of Smooth
Synergy Medical Spa, which charges $225 for the treatment.
The fanny facial involves a three-step process; exfoliation using a papaya mint scrub, a micro-current machine to lift and tone, followed by an organic spray tan for the full body and face.
Said Contos: “We got a great response when it first hit last (year), and now that it’s summer, everybody’s interested to try it.”
Read All Four Parts:
Part 1: Why We Do It
Part 2: Surgical Strikes
Part 3: The Costs & Risks
Part 4: Natural Alternatives
