Yes. You, me and every living things in this universe cannot stop it. I'm talking about about aging. It is definitely something we all cannot escape from, but there are some simple steps that I can recommend so that we men can all age gracefully, or should I say macho-ly. Anyway, for me, this has nothing to do with vanity at all. Let's face it guys: It is now 2007, and gone were the days where any educated fathers would tell their sons not to touch your face because they might ended up looking like sissy boys. In fact, looking good for men is equally as important as for the ladies. The reason why some pleasant-looking guy got better service at the bank, the reason why that two-face colleague of yours got that promotion instead of you, the reason why better-looking criminals have a higher chances of getting a lesser sentence in court...it's all proven that humans are somewhat more forgiving when it comes to dealing with “better” looking individuals. If you are still not convince, let me give you another reason why you should start taking care of your looks. Generally, in gay lifestyle, men are generally attracted to fit, healthy looking guys. Gentlemen, I need a quick show of hands: Those agreed with my shallow yet honest opinion, please raise your right hand. Those who don't have their hands up, that means you are either trapped in your own La-La Land for way too long now, don't really go out that much or had been fucking yourself in front of the mirror all this while! Some of you might say, well, why give a fuck-I'm going to work my ass off, earn lots of money, become a rich guy and all the hot young hunky guys will be swarming around me like bees to honey! I say, man, you better go out more often because times really changed. Nowadays, even if you are hoping to get a hot young hunky money-faced blood-sucker for your boyfriend, he still require you to look good! Why I know this? Because there are many guys who actually contacted me hoping to “work” with me. But they are quick to inform me in the same breath that they don't do guys above 40 years old, chubs, bald men, hairy arses....blah blah blah, you get the picture? So you see, times have changed...a lot. Then there's the Botox alternative. If you have the money and don't have any issues at the prospect of having a doctor injection liquid derived from bacteria, go ahead. Botox by the way, is actually Botulinum Toxin Type A, a purified form of a deadly poison, which contains albumin, a derivative of human blood. Of course you will never get to hear these kind of stuffs from the doctor; all he wants is to get it over and done with a.s.a.p, and hear his cash register rings. Okay, I might sound being too pessimistic here but in life, I always believe in the concept of “trade-offs”: Like LASIK surgery. Do you know that since the late 1990s, studies have indicated that up to 5% of people who underwent LASIK surgery encountered some kind of problems and complications. I know, 5% is a very small figure but imagine if you were to fall into that percentile group, who can you blame?
Now, back to the main agenda. Here are some some holistic approach for we guys to try to maintain our best face forward. I'm not surprise if you already know about this but I do hope my perspective will encourage you to finally take action. Not for me, not for everyone else, but for yourself. I always believe that in life what you cannot stop, you can slow them down. These steps are not to prevent aging because again, let me repeat, we can never stop aging but more of realistic and effective way to prevent premature aging. It's okay for we guys to have a few lines on our faces, in fact I find that quite attractive, but too many, you will feel miserable, trust me. So if you still want to have fun when you reach your 50s, I recommend you follow these simple useful tips. This time, we start with the basic, that is, to prevent premature wrinkles.
Meeting Mr Wrinkles!
Getting older is only part of it -- a very small part. It's estimated that 90 percent of wrinkles are due to sun exposure, or photo-aging and most of that occurs by the time we are 18. Almost all signs of aging: crepey skin, wrinkles, brown spots or liver-spots are sun-induced. The sun's long- and short-wave ultraviolet rays, or UVA and UVB, penetrate the deepest layers of skin, damaging the collagen -- the spongy protein that gives skin its structure, firmness, and elasticity. Fair skin wrinkles more readily than dark skin because it contains less pigment, which acts as a natural sunscreen, blocking some of the sun's damaging UVA and B rays. Now, we guys in Singapore, especially when we are gravitated at 1 degree North of the Equator, are more exposed to the damages and complications.
Smoking also contributes to the problem. The constant squinting and puckering causes vertical lines around the upper lip and crow's feet around the eyes. Smoking decreases blood flow to the face, robbing the underlying skin layers of important nutrients, and may produce free radicals, scavenging oxygen molecules that can damage skin cells.
There are also many other factors that contribute to the formation of wrinkles: the natural depletion of collagen in our skin, our diet and even how we constactly “animate” our facial expressions e.g frown, laugh etc. My focus here is how we can better protect our skin from the most harshest elements: the Sun. As for the other factors, let's just leave it to Mother Nature because if you want to fight every single thing, your whole life will be damn miserable!
Wrinkles Fight Club!
The best thing you can do is stay out of the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when it's almost directly overhead and UV radiation is strongest. This, of course, is most ridiculous because we all have to get to work somehow, right? The next best solution is to smooth on a moisturizer that contains sunscreen with sun-protection factor (SPF) 15 every morning, even when it's overcast or cloudy (up to 80 percent of UV rays pass right through the clouds). Okay, here's the tricky part: I don't like the feeling of having “stuffs” on my face so what I do is to invest in good sunscreen which is in a light, clear liquid, fast drying form. We are not aspiring to get as fair as Casper the Ghost here, and trust me, that will never happen. What we want is to get an optimum sun protection without too much hassle. And when you're planning to spend a whole day outdoors, you'll need a sunscreen with a higher SPF. Look for one that promises to shield you from a broad spectrum of ultraviolet rays, not just UVB. Put it on before you leave the house and reapply every two hours. Wear sunglasses (the wraparound kind block indirect light and keep you from squinting) and a hat or cap with a broad brim. And if you swim a lot, take a cue from me: I only swim after 5pm because that way, I can still get my little suntan while I exercise. Gone were the days where I would bake myself from 12pm for almost 2 hours every weekend; yes, I was that SILLY!
Lines Erasers!
Everything I started writing on something, I always anticipate the kind of questions my readers might have in mind. The most obvious, of course, is what can you do if you already have existing wrinkles on my face? There are so many, in fact, too many tips and advice that you can get through books, doctors and the Internet, so here are the most effective solutions that I manage to gather from my research. These tips, in my opinion, are most effective, even if you had spent your youth burning yourself like cowhide! It's not too late to reverse some of the damages. There is one particularly interesting medical study papers I found on the Internet. It's a damn long research papers so let me summarize the study for your advantage: It was documented that a medical research team studied a group of balding Irishmen who rarely left their retirement home. When they first entered the home, their splotchy, furrowed faces had exhibited the ravages of a lifetime spent working outdoors. But after ten years in front of the TV, they showed tremendous growth of new collagen. The study concluded that most people will see a big difference after only 18 months of shade. Yes, being a couch potato is not too bad after all, eh? Hahaha!
There are also existing products that can also help repair sun damage. However, the most effective ones are the one that are only available by prescription only. Renova is the first anti-wrinkle treatment to be approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. Delivered in the form of a soothing moisturizing cream, Renova is less likely to be irritating than its precursor, Retin-A. Both contain tretinoin, a vitamin A derivative that sloughs off dead skin cells and increases the production of collagen. Studies show that using prescription Renova for 24 weeks can reduce fine lines and age spots. Apply it at night, since it increases your sensitivity to the sun. If your skin begins to peel or becomes itchy, red, or dry, reduce the dosage until your skin adjusts. The way I look at it, if you really want to invest on a wrinkle cream, don't go to the Department store and get the most expensive, trendiest, most “in” products because we both know that the money you will spend will actually go to the packaging, the advertising, the promoter's salary etc. Go see your doctor if you are really serious and get proper medical supervision. You might even ended up paying less in the long run!
There are also some kind of acids that are supposingly good for your skin care regiment. One of them is Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are sugarcane, fruit, and milk extracts that slough off dead skin cells to reveal the newer, moister skin below. They are able to stimulate the growth of new collagen as well. AHAs also attract moisture to the skin, which temporarily plumps up fine lines. Dermatologists can treat you in the office with highly concentrated formulas, but it's unclear whether the more diluted creams you buy over the counter have any noticeable effect on wrinkles. However, be warned: they may cause irritation and make you more sensitive to the sun. May I advise that you do your research first before you embark on pouring acids onto your face!
In a nutshell, in my opinion, all you guys are beautiful in your own ways. But when it comes to beauty, there is such things as basic maintenance. Take the most simple step today. Invest on a good sunscreen ( it should cost you just over $20 bucks or less! ) and in 30 years, you will thank me for this one simple advice. Age well now like a vintage red wine, my friends and everyone else will appreciate you more in your golden years!
