Older women, younger looks
By Gina Daugherty
Gannett News Service
Demi Moore's arm candy, the current "it" boy Ashton Kutcher, is 15 years her junior, and she's a 42-year-old divorcee with three kids.
Columbia Pictures
Madonna landed her own boy toy, Guy Ritchie, and we're betting it wasn't her acting skills that got his attention.
Demi Moore plays "fallen Angel" Madison Lee in a Charlie's Angels movie. A plastic surgeon says Moore likely has had body work done.
Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins make their 12-year age difference seem so, well, politically correct when they're flashing peace signs for the cameras.
What do these women have that other women older than 40 don't? A younger man.
If you're thinking about snaring one of your own, or just want to look like you can, we've got the formula.
Here, experts have the skinny on how to take years off your look:
Body double
When you hit 40, all sorts of unpleasant things start to happen. Your bone mass begins to decrease, as does your flexibility and probably your activity level. Your hormones are changing and you've probably noticed that drooping flesh on the underside of your arms, not to mention other parts of your body.
The good news is that with exercise, you can keep your bone strength, increasing your flexibility and firming up those arms.
Ohio personal trainer Aaron Lakanen has many women clients who seek his counsel on such matters as "being able to kick as a high as a Charlie's Angel."
"Anything from their head to their feet, we will address in a training session," Lakanen says. "Anything that will keep you off the couch and exercising is what I recommend. Rollerblading, whatever. We want to work on their structure so they will be able to lift their grandkids in 20 years."
(Hawai'i offers a variety of exercise options, from self-managed programs to individual training regimens.)
If an exercise-diet regimen isn't enough to satisfy you, plastic surgery can help take you to the next step.
Still hold out hope that Demi got that great bod through raw food and aerobics? Dr. Lawrence Kurtzman of the Plastic Surgery Group in Cincinnati is laughing all the way to the operating room.
"Of course she's had plastic surgery," he says of Demi. "Look at her. She's got three kids. She's probably had liposuction, a tummy tuck and probably had her eyes done. How many people in true life look like that?"
Well, you can try Demi's route. For 40-year-old women, Kurtzman recommends skin peels, which are about $65 and help reveal a younger, shinier you underneath that dull skin. Botox injections are about $200, while collagen, which helps strengthen the skin and keep it from sagging, is about $300.
"It's very affordable," he says. "Think of how much you spend on diets and personal trainers and food. To do a micropeel every three months is a small investment."
Most women in their 40s aren't facing surgical face-lifts yet. But most are facing years of skin damage from the sun. Kurtzman advises using sunscreen and hats to ward off further damage. Maintenance is key, he says.
Varicose vein treatment
Through no fault of your own, other than you were born to parents who had them, many women will get varicose veins — those little purple vein explosions — as they age.
When the veins become weak, blood flows backward, causing veins to become engorged. Cosmetic dermatologists see women who want to rid themselves of varicose veins or ropey veins in their hands.
For $125 to $250, a doctor of dermatology can inject a solution that will cause the veins to be absorbed back under the skin, making them invisible again.
Permanent makeup for eyes, lips and eyebrows is also an option. Great for those who can't see well enough to apply cosmetics or for women who are too busy to fuss with it, permanent makeup gets put on the same way as a tattoo. It can cost $400 for the eyebrows, $250 for eyeliner and $600 to $800 for lips.
Makeup can matter
If permanent makeup and $950 treatments are not your bag, how about some flattering color and coverup options?
Makeup artist and hairdresser Barbara Holzderber of Cincinatti teaches classes for women who want to shed their dull, ashen faces to reveal a more vibrant-looking, younger woman.
As you age, she says, "your skin becomes thinner and you don't have as much color. You don't necessarily use a darker color, you want more pinks and more brightness."
To achieve this, Holzderber recommends makeup with a matte finish, lipstick with a glossy finish, lots of moisturizer and exfoliation. She says women over 40 should trade in their browns for pinks and purples to add more color to their skin.
"I teach my classes to use lipstick for their rouge or blush because it is creamier and doesn't dry out," she says. "My greatest trick of all is that when you are done with your makeup, take moisturizer and pat it on your face."
About the choppers
Teeth whitening has changed the world of aesthetic dentistry. But Dentist Rick Singel doesn't advocate whitening without knowing why the teeth are discolored to begin with.
"There can be serious reasons for darkening teeth, such as periodontal disease," he says. "You should get a check-up to determine whether there is a problem first, and then slap on the whitening strips."
If the over-the-counter whitening products aren't working for you, Singel cites a recent study that calls home bleaching the safest, most cost-effective and longest-lasting way to whiten your teeth.
Adult orthotics are another popular way to improve the appearance. A technique dubbed Invis-align can straighten teeth without braces. The materials placed on the teeth are clear, so no one knows you are wearing them. Singel says they were invented for adults who want straighter teeth, without the hardware of braces.
Singel also recommends porcelain veneers and crowns, which can provide better shape and whiteness.
"We can change the color, shape and size," Singel says. "People come in with teeth that are too small and we can make them larger. Or we can rotate them and make them straight. Porcelain veneers and crowns and tooth color restoration have revolutionized aesthetic dentistry."
