Growth spurts, pregnancy, and weight gain can all lead to a type of scar called a stretch mark.

Do Stretch Marks Go Away?

While stretch marks, like all scars, are permanent, they tend to fade and become less prominent over time.

Some natural ingredients may help to reduce their appearance and support skin health.

Natural Treatments for Stretch Marks

• Vitamin K

  This fat-soluble vitamin found in most leafy garden greens.

  Vitamin K is recommended to help relieve irritations of the skin, and increase the rate of healing in cases of:

  • stretch marks
  • scarring
  • acne
  • bruising
  • swelling

• Rosehip Oil

  Rosehip oil, also known as rosehip seed oil, is lightweight and easily absorbed by the skin.

  Rosehip oil comes as straight oil, or it can be combined with other ingredients in creams or powders. Applying the oil to the skin can help reduce scar tissue due to its essential fatty acid and antioxidant content.

  It is also known for its ability to brighten, firm, and tighten skin.

  Caution

  Rosehips are not recommended for:

  • pregnant and breastfeeding women
  • those who are diabetic or tend to get kidney stones
  • those with:
    • bleeding conditions
    • sickle cell disease
    • an iron-related disorder
    • anemia

  • Shea Butter & Shea Oil

    Shea is a seed fat high in oleic acid—a saturated fatty acid that is particularly compatible with the oils that occur naturally on our skin.

    It absorbs quickly and makes a highly effective moisturizer that can also reduce swelling. For this reason, it has been used to treat a host of skin ailments, including:

    • stretch marks
    • acne
    • dandruff
    • rashes
    • wrinkles

    You can apply pure, unrefined shea butter directly to your skin, or look for it as an ingredient in personal care products including body bars, lotions, and moisturizers.

  • Other Ingredients

    Other ingredients that may help reduce the appearance of stretch marks include:

    • cocoa butter
    • vitamin E
    • hyaluronic acid

Although the body’s immune system is most often associated with its role in preventing systemic illnesses, the skin contains a vast network of immune cells that aid its restoration and repair.

Certain nutrients that support whole-body immunity may also help ease the itching, soreness, and inflammation associated with painful skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and cold sores.

Nutrients for Skin Health and Immunity

• Antioxidant Vitamins & Minerals

  Nutrients with antioxidant properties are the first line of defense against skin ailments.

  By helping control inflammation, antioxidants give the skin a chance to recover from damage caused by infections, UV exposure, and free radicals.

  • Vitamin A

    Beta-carotene is a plant pigment—found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables—that is converted to vitamin A in the body.

    Vitamin A supports skin cell turnover and wound healing. It may be useful for treating acne and psoriasis, as well as other skin conditions, including warts and sun damage.

    Topical use of vitamin A may help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

  • Vitamin E

    The most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant found in the skin, vitamin E helps prevent skin damage caused by free radicals and UV exposure, especially when used in combination with vitamin C.

    Vitamin E also has anti-inflammatory effects that aid wound healing and may help treat chronic inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and acne.

  • Selenium

    A trace mineral, selenium helps the body make proteins and enzymes which protect against cell damage and inflammation.

    Selenium also supports healthy immune function and boosts hair and nail health.

    Insufficient intake of selenium has been linked to inflammatory skin diseases like dermatitis and psoriasis.

  • Zinc

    Another trace element, zinc has a long history of use for the management of skin diseases.

    Zinc deficiency has been linked to a host of inflammatory skin complaints, including acne, rosacea, and dermatitis.

    Zinc may also be effective in helping treat viral warts, genital herpes, ulcers, and other types of wounds on the skin.

• Amino Acids

  • Lysine

    Lysine is an essential amino acid, which means the body cannot produce it on its own and must get it from food or supplements.

    Like other amino acids, lysine helps the body make protein.

    Lysine may have additional skin health benefits, including antiviral properties that may help prevent and treat cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).

    Collagen Formation

    Lysine also supports collagen formation.

    Collagen is a type of protein that occurs naturally in the skin and gives it elasticity, but it decreases with aging, leading to sagging skin and wrinkles.

    Adequate lysine intake may help to slow the signs of aging in the skin.

• Herbs

  Several immunity-boosting botanical remedies may also support skin health.

  • Astragalus

    With a long history of use in protecting against colds and other respiratory infections, astragalus also has important antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that may aid wound healing and protect skin cells from damage.

  • Dandelion

    The leaves and roots of the dandelion plant (Taraxacum mongolicum) have anti-allergic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties that offer potential skin care benefits.

    Due to its ability to inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that helps bring pigment to the skin’s surface, dandelion may be useful for reducing the appearance of acne scars and age spots.

  • Echinacea

    An immunity superstar, echinacea may help soothe a host of irritating skin conditions, including eczema and acne.

    One recent study found that echinacea, in combination with probiotics and other botanical extracts, significantly improved the number of superficial lesions in a group with mild to moderate inflammatory acne.

  • Ligustrum

    A member of the olive family, ligustrum (Ligustrum lucidum) has traditionally been used to nourish skin and ease skin ailments.

    Emerging research suggests it may be particularly beneficial for inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis.

Precautions

Although medicinal herbs and dietary supplements are generally considered safe, they may interact with each other and/or other medications.

Always consult with your healthcare practitioner before adding any new herbs or supplements to your regimen.

Perhaps you’ve seen them? Futuristic looking masks embedded with LED lights that wrap around the face like a bewitching Halloween costume. 

The thrills don’t stop there. Spiffy ball caps are encrusted with neon red lights to boost blood supply to the scalp and increase hair growth. 

Not interested in wearables? Ergonomically designed handheld wands and spheres deliver red light therapy for skin conditions, anti-aging benefits, pain management, and wound healing.

High-level professional results from red light devices can even be sought after in day spas, wellness centers, doctor’s offices, gyms, and tanning salons. 

There’s no doubt red light therapy is having its day in the sun. But fear not, this therapy won’t give you ultraviolet (UV) light damage. 

Around for some time, red light therapy is now exploding in popularity. Endorsed by celebrities, pro athletes, and social media influencers, it’s still considered an emerging treatment—although one that’s generating a lot of interest.

What Is Red Light Therapy?

Commonly referred to as phototherapy or photobiomodulation, red light therapy is a therapeutic technique that uses low-level wavelengths of red light to penetrate deep into the skin’s dermal and subcutaneous layers to target cells at their source. 

What Does Red Light Therapy Do?

In the 1960s, lab experiments revealed that red light encouraged wound healing and hair growth. Today this therapy treats skin conditions like stretch marks, scars, acne, psoriasis, wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines. It can also improve skin texture and alleviate skin redness.

Not just for the skin, red light therapy can possibly target a reduction in body fat. It can also help increase blood flow.

Studies indicate that red light therapy can boost short-term treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome; improve hair growth in those with androgenic alopecia; reduce neuropathic pain; promote wound healing and tissue repair; relieve pain and inflammation in the Achilles tendons; reduce psoriasis legions and burn scars; and lessen myopia progression.

Studies on red light therapy offer promising results. But larger-scale studies and more research is needed to confirm effectiveness.

How Does Red Light Therapy Work?

Exposure to red light can provide a beneficial biochemical effect in the cells, helping to strengthen mitochondria where the cell’s energy is created. Red light therapy assists with this process by increasing oxygen consumption, electron transportation, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. 

The end result is cells that are able to function more effectively. This allows them to repair and rejuvenate, increasing the body’s natural ability to regain and maintain vitality. With this increased energy, other cells can work more efficiently and help the body with repairing skin and boosting new cell growth.

How often and how long to use red light therapy depends on the device. Those found in professional settings are significantly more powerful than home options. 

A typical approach for a home device is to use as directed, or at least 3 to 4 times a week for a minimum of 6 weeks to see results. 

A number of sessions may be needed to notice effects. If you’re looking to firm facial skin, it can take up to 3 months of regular treatments. But even one simple 10-minute session can be enough to see a reduction in inflammation.

Generally safe and painless, and a preferred method over lasers, the light source used in red light therapy is nonthermal and nonablative. 

Reality Check on Red Light

A 2018 study suggests that red light therapy can help lessen painful side effects from cancer treatments. However, a 2019 research review adds that red light therapy can increase cancer cell aggression and tumor recurrences. Those with cancer or a history of the disease may want to avoid red light therapy. Do not use red light therapy over metastasized tumors.

Although safer than traditional laser therapy, proper eye equipment must be worn to protect the eyes when using red light therapy. Do not look directly at the red lights, as they may cause damage. 

Some have reported burns, blistering, and lesions from red light therapy units, especially if they fall asleep with a unit on, or if the equipment is damaged. When using at-home red light therapy, be sure neither the device nor your skin overheats. If the light wavelengths create too much heat, this can cause pigment-producing cells in the skin to dump more melanin. The end result can be unwanted hyperpigmentation.

Keep in mind that when red light therapy products are misused, damage to the skin and eyes can occur. Long-term safety on these devices is unknown.

Home v. Professional Units

Devices designed for at-home use tend to be less powerful than those operated by trained professionals, so results can vary. Not all red light therapy is created the same, so do research before purchasing a device. 

If budget allows, you may want to consider a professional-grade device for home use. Inexpensive and non-regulated devices can be ineffective, break down, or stop working altogether.

Be sure the unit you purchase has been tested for safety. An FDA-cleared device can help ensure safety, efficacy, and results. These devices are available online or through a specialist’s office. 

Most insurance companies do not cover red light therapy. If yours won’t, reach out to a red light therapy practitioner’s office. Ask if they can offer a reduced rate or other payment options.

Finally, dermatologists stress that red light devices are not to be used in lieu of effective skin care routines. In other words, you still have to wash and moisturize your face. 

It’s fun! It tastes great! It’s sugar-free!

Dare to Share!

For real? Yes.

Before the ick factor kicks in, know that snail mucus or mucin has been used for years in the Asian beauty market. Now skin care companies in the US are marketing the slime of snails to help reduce signs of aging and inflammation. And the market is expected to reach $770 million by 2025!

Happy Trails to You

When snails glide along surfaces, they secrete a thick and sticky substance known as snail mucin or snail secretion filtrate. This slimy trail prevents the snails from losing too much moisture, as well as protecting them from injuries.

Realizing the vast potential contained within snail mucin, enterprising minds inquired: If mucin is so beneficial to snails, what can it do to soothe human skin?

What Is Snail Mucin Exactly?

Contained within snail mucin are many helpful compounds, including antioxidants, peptides, glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, low-dose glycolic acid, and growth factors. These help moisturize and regenerate skin, as well as possibly stimulate collagen.

Antioxidants are also present to help reduce signs of aging like sagging and uneven skin tone and wrinkles. In fact, studies reveal that snail mucin can help protect against damaging free radicals.

In a study of 25 individuals with moderate sun damage, a snail mucin product was used for 14 weeks. Users saw significantly less fine lines and crow’s feet when compared to the placebo group.

Another study found snail mucus helped decrease the growth and spread of melanoma cells in the lab.

Standing alongside niacinamide and hyaluronic acid for their abilities to maintain healthy complexions, snail mucin can be thought of as a humectant, an ingredient that helps lock moisture in the skin.

Years ago, those who handled these creatures noticed that snail slime left their hands soft and smooth.

How to Use It

Healing and hydrating to the skin, snail mucin works well with other skincare ingredients due to its unique composition. Some may not like mucin’s feel on their skin, as it can be thick and gooey. But if used properly, many find it provides a dewy glow.

Snail mucin can be found in moisturizers, serums, toners, masks, and eye creams. Apply product to a damp, just-washed face to boost moisture absorption. Results are experienced over time with consistent application of one to two times daily.

Moisturizers tend toward the heavier side, so use them at night. Some use snail mucin moisturizer in addition to their favorite moisturizer, adding the snail product as a bonus step to combat dry skin.

Since snail mucin moisturizer goes on rather sticky, add it last to lock in hydration.

Not Just for the Face

Snail mucin has other applications as well, including skin restoration after wounds. It’s also been known to combat gastric ulcers, act as an ingredient in surgical glues, and heal post-surgical infections due to its ability to form a protective barrier to keep out irritations.

The Price of Beauty?

Snail mucin is collected in various ways; some approaches kinder than others. One technique has the snails crawl over a mesh net, which collects their mucin in a dark and quiet room. The product brand that uses this specific collection process emphasizes that the snails do not experience external stress.

Other techniques can be harsh. In order to produce a certain protective mucin, snails must be under a stressful state. To achieve this state, the creatures may be poked with a stick or sprayed with certain substances to push a stress response. When the snails recover, they are released back to their homes.

Another method that can be employed is to crack the snails’ shells. The snails’ bodies are then removed and washed in water to collect the mucin.

Look for brands that sell a cruelty-free product.

Allergy Alert

If you decide to use a skin care product with snail mucin, be sure to do a patch test first on an area of the body besides the face.

Although those with sensitive skin can use snail mucin, allergies are possible, especially for those with sensitivities to snail-derived ingredients.

Let’s consider the wondrous bee. The miracle worker that is not only a champion pollinator vital to our food supply but also the giver of many healing substances.

The most popular of these is honey, that golden and sweet substance that’s been a food for humans throughout history. Now this sticky substance has found its way into skin care.

But honey’s not the only substance this mighty insect gives us. Propolis, bee pollen, beeswax, royal jelly, and bee venom are other popular ingredients finding their way into topical products to get the skin healthy and glowing.

Here’s the buzz on the skin benefits of these gifts from the bee.

Bee Products for Skin Care

• Honey

  This tasty sweetener, made by bees from nectar and honeydew (a sticky, sugary substance made by aphids), is truly a healing substance. It contains at least 181 ingredients! These include:

  • enzymes
  • organic acids
  • flavonoids
  • essential oils
  • proteins
  • amino acids
  • small amounts of vitamins and minerals

  Uses

  • Healing

    Not only a food, honey also has regenerative properties. It can help detoxify dermal tissue, improve skin elasticity and color, and smooth out wrinkles.

    Honey helps speed up skin cells’ healing activities. In fact, the Manuka variety is so beneficial for wound healing that it’s now used in clinical settings.

    For Acne

    Honey can also help heal acne scars. Apply it every day to scars to help the healing process.

    Always remove honey before going to bed. Remnants on the face can attract dust and dirt, which could lead to more breakouts.

  • Moisturizing

    Honey also helps soften the skin. It adds moisture to dry areas, and it makes creams, lotions, and oils easier to rub in. It’s a balm for chapped lips, dry hands, and even frostbite.

    In its sugared form, honey acts as a peeling agent.

  Usage

  If you decide to make your own skin care treatments, use only raw, unpasteurized honey. Heated varieties don’t have the same powerful nutritional and enzymatic properties.

  Dab raw honey directly on the skin to help with acne, candida overgrowth, eczema, or psoriasis. Or use it as a natural exfoliator to reveal brighter skin.

  Leave the honey on your skin for several minutes and then rinse it off.

• Propolis

  Commonly mixed in beeswax, propolis is also known as bee glue. It is a resinous substance that bees collect from tree buds, shrubs, and plants.

  Propolis has a whopping 300-plus active compounds, including:

  • esters
  • phenolic acids
  • flavonoids
  • aromatic compounds

  Uses

  With antimicrobial, antiseptic, antioxidant, antiviral, and antifungal properties, propolis treats fungal infections, skin burns, and acne vulgaris.

  Look for propolis in sunblock products and protective lipsticks, as it offers protection from ultraviolet radiation.

• Bee Pollen

  Bees bring pollen from plants back to the hives. Bee pollen has at least 200 active substances, including:

  • vitamins
  • flavonoids
  • hydroxy acids
  • unsaturated fatty acids

  Uses

  A strong antifungal, bee pollen is an anti-inflammatory and immuno-stimulating agent that can regenerate damaged skin tissue.

  With its high content of flavonoids, it affects cell metabolism and boosts regeneration.

  Bee pollen extracts and dried grains of bee pollen are sometimes added to natural cosmetics and skin care.

  Look for skin products combining omega-rich fatty acids with bee pollen to help with scarring and sensitive skin.

• Beeswax

  Beeswax is a natural secretion formed from the wax-producing glands in worker bees’ abdomens. It’s used by bees to build honeycomb cells. For us humans, it’s an important cosmetic ingredient.

  Uses

  An emulsifying agent, beeswax forms the base for many lip balms, lipsticks, and creams because of its softening and lubricating properties, which also help prevent water loss from the skin.

  Beeswax can help psoriasis, dermatitis, and the overgrowth of normal skin flora.

• Royal Jelly

  With such a regal name, it’s no surprise this ingredient is a supreme skin defender.

  Uses

  It has anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, antimicrobial, and regenerative properties to help repair skin tissues, wounds, and burns. It can also help heal shingles.

  Find royal jelly as an ingredient in balms, lotions, and creams. Products with higher amounts of royal jelly tend to absorb well with no greasy residue.

• Bee Venom

  It sounds scary, but don’t let the name sway you from bee venom’s healing properties.

  An effective, natural toxin rich in peptides, it offers antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antimicrobial actions.

  Uses

  Many like bee venom for its natural botox-like properties, which help boost collagen production and improve elasticity.

  Bee venom can be found in anti-acne products, as well as in treatments for wounds, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis.

  Bee venom’s recently been found effective for fighting wrinkles and photo-damaged skin.

  Those with dry, aging, and acne-prone skin benefit most from this ingredient.

  Look for bee venom-infused moisturizers to heal patches of itchy and dry skin.

Precautions: Bee Safe

Allergic reactions, though not common, can occur when using bee products.

Bee pollen is the most frequent allergen causing hypersensitivity, and beeswax is the least allergenic.

If you have allergies to bee venom, use caution with products containing honey and other bee ingredients.

Allergies to honey are rare. However, some individuals can experience skin rashes and eczema when applying royal jelly topically. Always do a patch test before using.

Do you wake up looking puffy and tired? Consider a simple technique to de-puff your face, called gua sha (pronounced gwah-sha).

What is Gua Sha?

This time-tested muscular sculpting technique is based in traditional Chinese medicine.

A type of massage that can relieve tension in the face, it also helps lower inflammation, improve blood circulation, increase skin elasticity, and smooth out wrinkles and smile lines.

Benefits of Gua Sha

Regular gua sha facial massage can help contour the face, lift the jaw and eyebrows, lessen dark circles, and reduce puffiness.

Some even report this technique helps relieve sinus pressure, tension headaches, neck pain, TMJ, and migraines.

About Gua Sha Tools

To perform a gua sha on yourself, you need a gua sha tool.

These scraping devices are typically made from jade stone. You may find one that’s rose quartz, obsidian, glass, or even wood.

Each material offers its own benefits. Jade is the most common and generally preferred, since it’s firm, cool to the touch, and soothing to the skin.

Gua sha tools are unique looking. Typically, they are flat and smooth with a shape like an elongated heart. You may come across moon designs, as well as different rectangular or oblong versions.

What they all have in common are smooth, rounded edges. These edges gently scrape over the contours of the face, providing a healing facial massage.

Performing Facial Gua Sha

Here’s how to perform a facial gua sha on yourself.

1. Preparation

   Prep your face by patting over a facial oil. This allows the gua sha tool to slide over the skin smoothly and easily.

   If you prefer using a cream lotion, you may need to apply it more than once during the massage.

   Make sure your hands and the gua sha tool are clean.

2. Jawline

   Hold the gua sha tool at a slight angle (about 30 to 45 degrees). Position the notch of the tool (that’s the top of the heart), so it hugs the center part of your chin along your jawline. You can also use the long, slightly indented, and curved side of the tool.

   With gua sha tool in hand, glide it along the edge of your jawline moving up toward each ear. (Holding your chin firmly with your free hand may make this easier.) Use long, sweeping motions to help contour the area.

   Repeat for a total of five times on each side of the jaw. You may want to hold the gua sha in place for a second or two at the end of each sweeping motion.

3. Forehead

   Move on to the forehead. Divide this area into three sections, starting at the forehead’s center. Glide the gua sha tool up and out toward your hairline. Drag the tool up and over each brow bone, moving from the center of your face out.

4. Cheeks

   Now on to the cheeks. Start on one side of the nose and sweep up toward your ear. Repeat with the other cheek. Move down the cheek two more times on each side, repeating the movement. 

5. Lips

   If you wish to work the lip area, firmly hold the skin above one side of the lip. Glide the gua sha tool over the lips to create a plumping effect. 

Precautions

During the massage, avoid rubbing the gua sha tool up and down or back and forth. This will only stretch and aggravate your skin.

You want to see a little redness on the skin, but never enough that the face starts to hurt.

Frequency

To avoid bruises and bursting capillaries, don’t press too hard when using the tool.

How often should you do a gua sha facial massage?

Consistency creates the best results, so aim for three to five times a week with about three minutes per session.

Beyond the Face

If you have a bloated abdomen, you can also use your gua sha tool to massage your belly.

1. Start by moving the tool in a downward motion across the upper abdominal area six times. Repeat. 
2. Next, go to the lower abdominal area near the hips. Move the tool down and in toward your pubic bone. 
3. Last, move it in a counterclockwise, circular motion about 24 times. 

A gua sha massage on the abdomen can be done every day, but even a few times a week can be effective.

This technique is best performed on an empty stomach, so there’s no interference with the digestive process.

You can also try using the gua sha tool behind your neck to alleviate tension.

For an extra cooling effect, place the tool in the fridge for 30 minutes before using. 

Keep it Clean

Occasionally disinfect the gua sha tool by placing it in boiling water (if the material allows for this).

You can also immerse the tool in a watered-down bleach solution for a few minutes.

If the tool chips or breaks, discard it. 

In our 20s and 30s, a softening of the jawline is hardly a concern. We pay little, if any, attention to our necks and chins.

But once mid-life hits, the mirror doesn’t lie. We can hardly believe the face staring back at us.

Cheeks, once smooth and taut, have receded. Our neck skin is loose, and the jaw that once had definition is now a bit of a mess.

It can be distressing when the image reflected back to us doesn’t appear as it once did. Fortunately, jowls are harmless and don’t require medical intervention.

But: it helps to know how they happen, and what we can do about them—if we so choose.

Causes of Droopy Jowls

Here are some common issues that cause loose and sagging facial skin.

• Age

  Due to a natural decline in collagen production, skin’s elasticity decreases. Fat in the face is distributed evenly when we’re young. But as we get older that fat loses volume and can drift down, causing cheeks to sag.

  Another unfortunate thing: our chins and necks actually accumulate more fat as we age, causing a jowly look. Skin becomes drier and thinner, which makes it hard for it to appear tight and defined.

• Time

  Gravity is constantly pulling down on the cheeks, and this can give the appearance of sagging jowls.

• Major Weight Changes

  Extreme or rapid weight loss can give a droopy and hanging appearance to the skin.

• Cigarettes and Alcohol

  Smoking and drinking lead to premature aging, including dry and drooping skin.

• Genetics

  Weak chins are often an inherited trait. If either of your parents had jowls, chances are good you will too. If you have thin skin, jowls may appear even earlier for you—as soon as the teens or 20s.

• Ultraviolet (UV) Light

  UV light accelerates the breakdown of collagen and it affects elastin, causing the skin to stretch and lose its ability to snap back. Avoid extreme sun exposure, and use a facial sunscreen daily. Also consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors.

• Repetitive Habits

  Talking on a phone with it pressed to the face overuses the mouth and jaw area.

  Repetitively looking down at a computer or smartphone for hours a day also causes a loss of elasticity in the neck. There’s even a name for this syndrome: tech neck.

  Chewing gum and frowning can be other reasons why skin loosens around the chin. Yet another reason to smile more.

Mitigating Saggy Skin

To help improve the appearance of an aging face, try the following. 

• Facial Massage

  Massage techniques, as well as instruments like facial rollers and the gua sha, help create a more contoured appearance for the jawline. They also help improve circulation for a more lifted look.

• Facial Exercises

  Often referred to as facial yoga, it helps improve the structure of the face and can help jaw and neck muscles better retain their shape.

  Hold each of the following exercises for 5 to 20 seconds each, and then release. Repeat 8 to 12 times a few times a day. 

  1. Close your mouth and blow the cheeks up and out as far as comfortable.
  2. Chew with the head slightly lifted up.
  3. Place the lower lip over the top lip, and tilt the head up.
  4. Press the tongue against the roof of the mouth and hum.
  5. Grin as widely as possible, and then slowly tilt the head up and down.

• Mewing

  Mewing has helped some people by changing the construction of their jaws. Developed by orthodontists, this technique involves keeping the tongue pressed on the mouth’s upper palate while applying increased pressure over time.

• Lymphatic Massage

  Lymphatic massage helps clear fluids that build up in the lymphatic system and lymph nodes. A lymph massage, particularly along the jaw and neck, can lessen puffiness and encourage toxins to drain from the body.

• Topical Skin Care

  Moisturizers and creams can minimize the appearance of aging. Look for ingredients like vitamin A, C, or E; hyaluronic acid; CoQ10; and retinol.

  While no product can perform the magic of fully lifting saggy skin, high-quality and effective ingredients can help.

• Facial Masks

  Facial masks can be used to tighten the skin. Look for ingredients like cucumber juice extract and aloe vera.

• Makeup

  Makeup contouring along the chin and neck with the right shade of concealer or base can lessen the appearance of jowl lines.

• Sleeping Posture

  Sleep on your back instead of your side or stomach. Years of sleeping on the side or stomach puts strain on the face and accelerates aging.

• Limit Sugar Intake

  Too much of the sweet stuff causes the body to store unhealthy fat tissues. If you have sugar cravings, reach for fresh fruit.

Age Gracefully

Lastly, remember that sagging skin is a normal part of aging gracefully and nothing to take shame in. It happens to everyone as they get older.

Hearing loss affects some 13 percent of adults over the age of 18, according to the National Interview Health Survey. That figure doubles in people aged 65 and older. Unfortunately, people typically wait a decade before they seek help with hearing loss. This delay can have serious health ramifications. Hearing loss has been linked to falls, depression, and even dementia.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Sometimes mistaken for dementia (and in the very young, for autism), hearing loss in adults has many causes, including:

• the effects of aging on the ear
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• ear damage from loud noise, illness, or infection
• some prescription medications
• inherited disorders

Turn Down the Volume to Protect Hearing

It may be from years on the job in a loud environment or a one-evening blast of noise at a rock concert. Either way, once the tiny fibers in your ear become damaged, hearing loss results—and it’s permanent. 

Whatever your age, there are actions you can take to protect your hearing. The audiology team at Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends the following:

• Have your hearing tested, so you have a baseline to work with later in life.
• Wear protective gear (earplugs, noise-abating headphones) when you’re in a noisy environment.
• Monitor the volume levels of your devices (TV, radio, smart phone, etc.). Turn the volume of your TV, for example, to the point where you don’t have to strain to hear a program—but not so high that you can hear it from another room.

Over the Counter Hearing Aids

In mid-August 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new rule designed to “improve access to safe, effective, and affordable hearing aids for millions of Americans." FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, MD, said, “Hearing loss is a critical public health issue that affects the ability of millions of Americans to effectively communicate in their daily social interactions.”

The FDA noted that consumers aged 18 and older “with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment [will be able] to purchase hearing aids directly from stores or online retailers without the need for a medical exam, prescription or a fitting adjustment by an audiologist.” 

The rule for over-the-counter hearing aids went into effect in mid-October 2022, and consumers began to see them in retail and online outlets.