The Adversaries:

• Pronounced lines around the mouth, eyes and forehead
• Skin begins to lose elasticity due to natural loss of collagen
• Dryness or oily conditions increase as hormones fluctuate
• Skin around the eyes and neck starts to droop and lose its firm texture
• Time spent in the sun takes its revenge with premature wrinkles, loss of pigmentation and age and brown spots

The Rx:

• Sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection, everyday.
• Photofacials/Skin Rejuvenation
• Microdermabrasion and Chemical Peels
• Prescription Medication
• Collagen Stimulation
• Dermal Fillers
• 2 liters of water a day
• Vitamins
• NOT Smoking

The aging process really begins to take hold in our 40s. The laws of nature - call them gravity, genetics and sun damage - visibly start rearing their ugly heads resulting in fine lines, pigment discoloration, age spots, and a loss of elasticity. Rosacea, blotchiness and adult acne can also set in. Now is the time to start investing in topical creams that target aging with glycolic acid, retinol and Vitamins A and E... nutrients that have shown to subtly improve the skin's condition and tone with regular use.

Our Worst Enemy: The Sun

We soaked it up at the beach, in the ballpark bleachers and in our own backyards - sometimes with baby oil and reflectors no less! In our defense, we weren't aware of the damage we were doing in the 1970s and 80s or we might have done things differently.

The first aspect Dr. William Greenberg, medical director of Skin Thera P Medical Cosmetic Spa in New York City, assesses with new patients is the degree of sun damage. From there he conducts the rest of his analysis and prescribes a recommended course of treatment, most often a combination of medical spa treatments and cosmeceuticals to use at home. "After evaluating sun damage and treating it with microdermabrasion, photofacials, chemical peels and in some cases prescription medication, our next step is inducing collagen production," Dr. Greenberg explains. "Increasing the production of collagen by using products and procedures that facilitate your own cells to produce more of it, will help achieve that fresh-faced look we all desire." There are dozens of cosmeceuticals designed to stimulate collagen production in the cells, from Retin-A to Vitamin C. Dr. Greenberg recommends Obagi C-Clarifying Serum and Neocutis PSP Bio-Restorative Skin Cream in particular.

Product Picks

Obagi C-Clarifying Serum
The Obagi System is a highly preferred cosmeceutical of medical professionals worldwide. By penetrating deep below the skin's surface, the products promise to correct damage in all layers of the skin (the stratum corneum, the epidermis and the dermis). It functions at the cellular level transforming the cells and stimulating renewal, therefore helping the skin on the surface look and act younger and healthier. C-Clarifying Serum helps restore the skin's natural moisture and is one of the most concentrated collagen stimulators available. For a list of physicians who carry Obagi, log on to www.obagi.com.

Neocutis PSP Bio-Restorative Skin Cream
The bio-pharmaceutical company Neocutis was founded in 2003 on a surprising discovery... prenatal surgery can be performed so that the baby rarely presents scar formation after birth. Once the technology for isolating the cultured fetus cells that prevent scarring was complete, the company developed a derivative product that actively heals wounds and skin irritations without any scarring. Neocutis PSP Bio-Restorative Skin Cream contains an extensive combination of 18 growth factors, antioxidants and matrix proteins that rebuild collagen and elasticity while nourishing and revitalizing the skin's outer layer using the exclusive PSP (Processed Skin Proteins) formula. For more information about Neocutis, visit www.neocutis.com or log on to find a physician that carries the line near you..

Filler Up

Injectables have become an easy option for pumping up on the fly. Hundreds of thousands of women of all ages are turning to the industry's leading injectables - Botox®, Restylane®, Radiesse®, and Juvéderm™ for immediate gratification. Here's how they stack up...

Botox®: A purified protein produced by the clostridium botulinum bacterium that can temporarily reduce moderate to severe frown lines. It is most often used between the eyebrows, the glabellar lines.

Restylane®: A biodegradable dermal filler derived from hyaluronic acid that is most commonly used to fill the glabellar lines, the lips and the nasolabial folds, the lines from the bottom of the nose to the corners of the upper lip.

Radiesse®: A synthetic dermal filler made of calcium hydroxyapatite used for soft tissue augmentation and to treat skin folds and wrinkles mostly nasolabial folds and oral commissures, the lines around the corners of the mouth toward the chin commonly called marionette lines.

Juvéderm™: This hyaluronic acid gel is a dermal filler intended to restore skin volume and smooth away lines mainly the nasolabial folds and oral commissures.