Healthy and glowing skin doesn’t just happen. Even those blessed with the creamy, soft skin that everyone craves will need to take good care of it in order to keep it looking its best as they age. Remember: the skin is the body’s first line of defense against environmental toxins, and toxins exiting the body through the skin can cause imperfections and skin break-outs. This is also a solid reason why it is so important to drink plenty of water and eat fresh, nutritious foods. Here are some essential tips for achieving glowing skin. Hydrate and Moisturize Keeping the skin hydrated is the first step toward keeping it healthy. It is helpful to keep a spray bottle of distilled water nearby to spritz the face and hydrate the skin throughout the day. If you add a couple drops of peppermint oil to your water, you can fight pimples while staying cool and refreshed. Moisturize your skin at least twice a day, and use lotion on damp skin for optimal results. Swap Washcloths for Wipes If you are currently scrubbing your face with a washcloth, think again. Bacteria and germs cling to your washcloth, and this will all be transferred to your skin when you use it on your face. Instead, invest in disposable facial wipes to cleanse without the risk of exposure to bacteria or skin damage from harsh fibers. Make sure to read the product labels carefully, though: many wipes recommend that you rinse your face well after use to remove any harsh ingredients that might be harmful if they were to linger on your skin. Use High-Quality Bedding and Launder Well It’s easy to think of your bed as the softest, most comfortable place to be, but using the wrong bedding can wreak havoc on your skin. Pillowcases made of rough fibers can scratch and dry out your skin while you sleep. Try switching to soft cotton, bamboo fiber, or even silk and keep your beauty rest wholesome! Also, check how clean your pillowcase is; you’ll need to launder and replace it more frequently than you might change your bed’s sheets. Launder pillowcases every two or three days to prevent dirt and oil from rubbing off on skin during sleep time. Also, use gentle laundry soaps that won’t irritate your skin, particularly if you have dry or sensitive skin. Raise Your Head Sleeping with your head elevated slightly can improve circulation while you rest, and will leave you looking less blotchy and red-faced in the morning. This is because sleeping with your head raised allows for optimal blood flow so you wake looking refreshed and rejuvenated. Furthermore, this contributes to getting a better night’s rest, which can give the skin a more youthful appearance. Cut Up a Cucumber There are numerous health benefits conferred on the body by cucumbers, and they have some remarkable effects on your skin’s appearance, too. Slicing cucumbers and placing slices on your eyes for around 20 minutes can reduce any redness or swelling around this area. Also, rubbing cucumber slices over your skin after being out in the sun can cool and hydrate the face and help it recover, similar to the way aloe vera works. Try juicing cucumbers and adding lemon juice for a cheap and refreshing facial that will reduce the sight of scars or sun damage. Taking good care of your skin now may prevent the wrinkles and dark spots that can surface as you age, and will help to maintain the elasticity of your skin that is so important for a smooth, refined texture. Treat your skin well and take note of how much more radiant and youthful it can look!

There are few things as life-changing as having plastic surgery. Whether it’s for cosmetic improvement or to correct a health issue, plastic surgery entails a major alteration to your physical appearance, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Liposuction, facelifts, Botox treatments and breast enhancements are all invasive procedures, and your peace of mind depends on both the preparation and the skill of your doctor. Here are some of the questions you should ask—both your doctor and yourself—before you have plastic surgery. It Starts With the Doctor First and foremost, it’s important to get to know the surgeon who will be performing your procedure. It’s well worth the time to do a little research in advance of meeting with your doctor to determine if they’re a good fit. Is plastic surgery their primary practice, or do they specialize in another area? Do they have any patients who would recommend them? For an even safer bet, seek out referrals from your primary physician, or friends and family who’ve gone under the knife. After all, who better to ask than a satisfied breast implant patient? Formulate a list of questions about the doctor’s qualifications and licensing—if they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, for example—and schedule brief interviews. Your Safety During and After Surgery Is Paramount Once you find a certified plastic surgeon with whom you have some rapport and whom you trust, that’s half the battle. The next step is to familiarize yourself with any potential post-op complications. Your plastic surgeon should be able to candidly tell you the risks involved for any surgery he or she is capable of performing—and you should never hear the words “risk-free,” because there’s no such thing. Your surgeon should be able to accurately and confidently describe what you’ll feel after the surgery, if there will be swelling, and the program of rest and medicine you’ll need to recover. Hospital Information No matter who your surgeon is, there’s always a possibility that something could go wrong. As such, you want to be apprised of your surgeon’s plan and resources in the case of emergency. If you need to be rushed to a different hospital, does your surgeon have the necessary privileges to continue treating you at this new location? This is not guaranteed, and you do not want to a new surgeon to take over a plastic surgery operation, so it’s important to iron out these details in advance. You should make it a point to cover these questions during the initial consultation, and not count on your surgeon to cover them as a matter of course—other patients may not have bothered to ask, and it may not be a part of his or her routine. Many thousands of plastic surgeries are performed each year with high rates of success; just make sure you’re in good hands before you go under the knife.

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular plastic surgeries performed in the U.S. every year. Women go under the knife to increase their cup size, mostly, although a small fraction opt for breast reductions and reshaping procedures. In fact, out of all the face lifts, liposuction procedures, tummy-tucks and eyelid-augmentations, breast implants are the most common form of cosmetic surgery, with hundreds of thousands performed annually. A New Form of Enhancement At first, the “gummy bear” procedure may sound rather frivolous, but it is in fact a quickly-growing alternative to the staid silicone implant of old. It is very much an upgrade, with a more life-like and natural feel that, once molded into shape, actually stays that way. As with the materials used in any medical procedure, the safety of the so-called gummy bear gel had to be certified by the FDA in order to make it to market. The term “gummy bear” procedure itself is not actually official; it was coined by Dr. Stephen Grant precisely because of the material’s ability to maintain its molded shape, even when cut into separate pieces. The gummy bear procedure is yet another in a series of improvements to breast augmentation surgery that has caused a rise in the popularity of plastic surgery in recent years. Slightly under a $1 billion is spent annually on breast augmentation procedures, which represents a whopping 45% total increase since the turn of the 21st Century. The Physical Experience of Gummy Bear Implants Although still composed of high-strength silicone, gummy bear implants are now favored because they contour to the natural curve of the breast, as well as giving the look a fuller and more natural breast after surgery. Since they’re even stiffer than the normal implants, they don’t wrinkle or shift position. Some patients have reported the inability of their partners to tell that the new implants were not real, which makes the procedure even more tempting. In recent years, there have been a few problems with traditional breast implants from some companies, involving the nondisclosure of the origin of the silicone used. Once it was discovered that it was mattress-grade silicone, there were widespread recalls because of the instability of the implants made with this kind of silicone. The gummy bear breast implant is produced by Sientra, and has enjoyed FDA approval since March 2014. Almost 2,000 of their implants, used in female test subjects over a span of eight years, have proven that they work as advertised and are safe. As with any surgical procedure, the patient’s safety is mostly tied to the skill and experience of the practicing surgeon, so whether you opt for high-strength gummy bear silicone or traditional silicone, make sure you find the right doctor.

There’s no question that both men and women need the vitamins and nutrients that a balanced diet can provide to deal with the rigors of the work day, but women need to be especially diligent in fortifying their bodies. In addition to pregnant women, who need to adjust their nutrient intake to nourish their growing baby, women stand a greater risk of developing diseases such as osteoporosis as the years pass and estrogen levels drop during menopause. Looking After Your Bone Health Calcium is one of those super-nutrients that plays a huge role in helping women avoid osteoporosis. If you aren’t getting enough calcium from your diet, then your body extracts what it needs from your bone mass, which can lead to a skeletal deficit and brittle bones later in life. Not only does calcium ensure strong bones and support your posture, it also aids the passage of all the other nutrients you need through cell walls, ensuring proper muscle contraction and blood flow. Women have considerably less bone density than men, so it’s that much more important that you fortify your diet with calcium.   Vitamins for Anti-Aging and Overall Health Any woman you know would likely be eager to hear about any vitamins with anti-aging properties—and more than a few men, as well. These exist naturally, in the form of the vitamins beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C, which also perform a host of other health benefits. The primary function is to bind up destructive free radicals through chemical processes, which keeps the radical elements from tearing your body apart at the molecular level: destroying cell membranes, wreaking havoc on your intestines and causing intestinal disorders and more. Vitamin E, in particular, appears to play a part in reducing age-related ailments and processes. Together, these vitamins are classed as antioxidants. To make sure you’re getting your share of them, simply eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day. If you’re still looking for a boost, you can also try adding vitamin supplements to your care routine. The Alpha and the Omega (3) If calcium can be considered the first line of defense against body-breakdown in your later years, then omega-3 fatty acid can be considered the last line of defense. It turns out that women need almost twice as much of this essential fatty acid as men do, and it confers greater health benefits for a few exclusively feminine problems. For example, omega-3s have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it a godsend for menstrual pain. It can also help lift your mood, and can be used in conjunction with other treatments for depression. The good news about Omega 3 hardly stops there—it also has been shown to help manage various types of cancer that are more or less exclusive to women, such as breast and colorectal cancer. Most importantly of all, omega-3 must be derived from your diet, because the human body is incapable of manufacturing it on its own. There are some nutrients that women just need more of to stay healthy. These vitamins and other nutrients help keep women happy and healthy throughout long, productive lives.