Beating The Stress That Can Add Years To Your Face

Breathe deeply-If you do it right, breathing can be an excellent stress reliever. When you're breathing erratically (taking shallow, quick gasps of air), your heart rate increases, creating feelings of anxiety-something you don't need when you're already stressed out. Sometimes, all it takes to lower your heart rate and calm down is slow, deep, rhythmic breathing. Do 10 such breaths and let exhalation bring on relaxation.

Let your muscles go-Start with three to five shoulder shrugs. Here's how: Inhale while you tense your shoulders and lift them toward your ears, then exhale as you drop them and let yourself relax.

Give your face a lift-Too much stress can also accelerate facial wrinkles, furrows, sagging and other signs of aging. It used to be that a face-lift was the only answer-but times have changed. Although surgical cosmetic procedures have increased a bit recently, face-lifts actually declined in popularity, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Today's patients are embracing new, less invasive procedures that deliver a refreshed look without the risks, expense and downtime of surgery.

"Many patients want to treat sagging eyebrow and cheeks or drooping soft tissue around the jawline and neck but they just aren't ready or interested in a face-lift," explained Dr. Ben Schlechter, a noted plastic surgeon.

A new procedure called the Contour ThreadLift uses FDA-cleared "threads"-sutures with tiny bristles-to lift the skin's deep tissue. It can be performed under local anesthesia in less than an hour, and patients typically return to work in a few days with a renewed, stress-free appearance. Other nonsurgical treatments include radio-frequency and infra-red devices that target deep tissue to tone and tighten and lasers that can rejuvenate the skin's appearance.

To learn more about dealing with stress or improving the appearance of stressed skin, talk to your doctor and visit www.plasticsurgery.org and www.contourthreads.com. When your spirits sag, your face might, too. A new technique can lift both, without major surgery.