The Truth About Youth – It’s Just What the Doctor Ordered

Looking youthful and alluring has been a part of life since the dawn of recorded history…just think Cleopatra and her legendary bathing rituals. The upside to living in modern times is that we have more options on how to become our own ideal example of beauty. Dr. Sheila Nazarian and Dr. Monica Bonakdar are not only among the most-sought-after in their field, they are strong, successful and beautiful women who possess the knowledge, skill and insight into what non-surgical medical aesthetics can do to keep us as young on the outside as we feel on the inside. Aging may be inevitable, but aging poorly is not, and they are the role models who prove it.

Seemingly counter-intuitively, despite society’s emphasis on maintaining our looks, there can be a slight stigma when it comes to anti-aging procedures. “I think this is because we only notice the really unnatural looking people we see on TV or out on the street,” says Nazarian. She believes that starting with an anti-aging plan and good habits early can lead to a more natural outcomes. Both doctors have a “less is more” philosophy: When a little is done here or there over time, people will notice a person who seems virtually ageless, unaware of the fine-tuning that takes place. This alleviates the common fear many have of being under scrutiny for simply wanting to look our best.

So which non-surgical beauty secret is best for keeping one’s age under wraps? For Nazarian, non-invasive skin tightening devices and lasers combined with microneedling are a very effective surgical alternative if skin laxity is mild to moderate. For Bonakdar, botulinum toxin and hyaluronic acid dermal fillers have been the game changers for youth preservation. So much, in fact, that according to Bonakdar, “These two procedures have shifted the pendulum from facial plastic surgery to nonsurgical facial enhancements.”

For those able and willing to invest, complete non-surgical facial rejuvenation is now possible. Bonakdar has developed a system to refresh your look, that when used in combination with regular maintenance, can render surgery almost obsolete for most. But what about clients whose skin is too damaged? Do non-surgical procedures have limitations? While every patient has different needs and goals, both agree there are instances when skin aging has progressed to a point where only a significant resurfacing followed by surgery is the only viable option.

Any reputable medical provider will advise you to choose carefully and do your homework. This couldn’t have more veracity than when it comes to something as delicate and personal as our appearance. Cosmetic science is as much an art as it is a science. Like an intricate sculpture, it takes a skillful eye, nimble hand and acute mind.

What we eat and drink, how we sleep and how we manage stress all impact aging inside and out,” says Wilder who in the past decade lengthened her telomeres by practicing what she preaches to those equivalent to a 25-year-old. Still her practice has an aesthetics offering for her patients with fillers, facials and devices that tone, tighten and resurface the skin.

“What we refer to as ‘natural-looking results’ is nothing shy of a mathematically perfect filler result that is often mistaken for luck of the draw in the genetic lottery,” Bonadkar expounds. It’s a challenge that she encounters daily and is a driving force behind her perfectionism. Because aesthetic medicine is evolving and progressing (expect to see longer lasting neurotoxins in the near future), new offerings will bring more people joy and confidence for years to come.