The eyes may be
the window to the
soul, but that doesn’t
mean they need to
tell the world exactly
how old that soul is.
Slow down the
clock with lifestyle
changes, topical
treatments, and the
best makeup tricks.
by MELISSA MILRAD GOLDSTEIN
remember the day I got old. It was a normal day, just
I
like any other. I woke up, hit snooze, woke up again,
and headed to the bathroom. Then I looked in the
mirror: Whoa! When did
that
happen? Crow’s-feet!
Crepe-y eyelids! Dark circles! These first signs of aging
had appeared around my eyes in the space of a single day!
Not quite, says Amy Wechsler, who’s both a dermatologist
and psychiatrist in New York. Those fine lines, she says, are
years in the making. “Our brains adjust to tiny changes until
they start to add up, a sort of daily denial until that defense
mechanism no longer works. Then it seems as if the wrinkles
happened overnight,” says Wechsler.
The skin around our eyes is thin, she explains, and starting
in our 30s we lose some of the hydration and elasticity that has
been keeping that skin firm and taut. That biological fact is only
abetted by the behavioral factors we can call living life: diet,
weight fluctuations, pollution, UV exposure, and all those facial
expressions that make you, well .
.. you.
Still, Wechsler says, there’s no reason we can’t give our eyes
a defense mechanism of their own. Some simple lifestyle
changes can make a big difference, she says—especially if
you start in your 30s and 40s.
Let’s start with the easy stuff.
Get some sleep. Research says we need eight hours, every
day. An hour before you’re ready for some shut-eye, turn off the
TV the computer, and your BlackBerry. Unplug. And once
you’re well-rested, stop rubbing your eyes so much—it
accelerates that dreaded loss of elasticity. And stop tugging at
your eyes: Find gentler ways to apply and remove makeup.
Wearing sunglasses will keep you from squinting and
protect your corneas from UV rays. Sunglasses will also hide
the puffy eyes you’ll get if you choose to ignore Wechsler’s
advice to avoid dietary salt, which causes water retention.
A more abstract but no less important lifestyle change?
De-stress. “Chronic stress causes aging,” Wechsler explains.
Literally: The stress hormone cortisol causes skin to lose
collagen, the protein that keeps it firm and plump. Altering
how you handle life’s stresses will help both decrease cortisol
and those signs of aging. Easier said than done, sure. But try to
find time to relax—watch a favorite TV show, get a massage,
spend even 10 minutes quietly alone. Get outside and enjoy
nature. And don’t forget to exercise.
Turn the page to find more line-fighting tactics,
including products and makeup tricks.
T
h
e
r e
i s n
o
s u c h t h
i n
g
a s a p
e r m
a n
e n
t s o
l u
t i o
n
. N
o
r w
o
u
l d
y o
u
,
w
a
n
t o n e . W
e
a r e d
y n
a m
i c a
n
d
c o
n
t i n
u
e t o
c h a n g e , a n
d
s o s h
o
u l d
t h
e w
a y s w
e
a d d r e s s a g i n g i n
t h
e e y e a r e a .
COSMETIC SURGEON
156 MARCH
2010
BETTER HOMES AND
GARDENS
PHOTO: VEER
