Embracing a Healthy Family: anti-aging
Showing posts with label anti-aging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anti-aging. Show all posts

Best Anti-Aging Vitamins: 5 Supplements to Help Turn Back the Clock


Source



While aging may not be the most pleasant experience, the memories, experiences, and life lessons we learn along the way are invaluable. But what if someone told you there are ways to stop, or at least limit, the symptoms of aging. With help from specific vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, we can help rewind our body’s biological clock by replenishing valuable nutrients that we lose with age. That being said, aging is inevitable, and symptoms are almost impossible to avoid altogether. If anything, utilizing this collection of nutrients can help improve quality of life and raise bodily optimization.



What Happens When We Age?

 

As we age, our body stops producing certain chemical compounds previously in excess when we were younger. Additionally, our telomeres shorten with age. Telomeres help protect the ends of our chromosomes from deteriorating. When our telomeres shorten, our body’s cells go through a negative transformation that drastically affects an individual’s health and lifespan. 

Shorter telomeres have been associated with an increased risk of disease and lower survival rates. Most of the symptoms related to aging are cognitive. Yes, our hair turns grey, and we start to get wrinkles, but the slow cognitive decline is the most reported and impactful result of aging. So let’s take a look at some supplements that can help reduce these effects. 

 

1. Curcumin

 

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. Turmeric is a spice that comes from the turmeric root and is used mostly in Asian dishes. Curcumin is rated highly for its powerful anti-aging effects due to its antioxidant properties. 

Antioxidants are substances that help protect your cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. 

Additionally, this antioxidant protects our cells from cellular senescence. Cellular senescence occurs when cells stop dividing, and as we age, these cells accumulate, accelerating aging and the progression of age-related diseases.

You can easily increase your curcumin intake by incorporating turmeric in dishes or by taking curcumin supplements!

 

2. CoQ10

 

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is another antioxidant that is self-produced by your body. It is responsible for energy production and protecting cells from damage. As we age, our levels of CoQ10 begin to decline, and symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog become more and more apparent. 

In 2015, researchers ran an experiment to test the effects of supplemented CoQ10 in 443 older adults. The study found that supplementing CoQ10 and selenium (an element that aids metabolism) over four years improved their overall quality of life, reduced hospital visits, and slowed the deterioration of mental performance. 

Though CoQ10 shows the potential to be a powerful anti-aging supplement, there still needs to be more research and definitive evidence before it can be recommended as a natural way to prevent aging. Make sure to talk to a health care professional before trying it out.

 

3. Vitamin B12

 

Ah, yes, trusty vitamin B12. This keystone vitamin aids our body in numerous ways, like keeping our nerve and blood cells healthy. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia that makes people tired and weak. 

Aside from its “inner body benefits,” such as added energy and cognitive clarity, B12 can also aid our bodies cosmetically. It can help improve our appearance by reducing skin redness, inflammation, and dryness. It can also reduce hair breakage and help nails become stronger.

Our bodies don’t produce B12 naturally, but we can obtain it through various foods like fish, eggs, and chicken. Different types of vegetables, such as mushrooms, are high in B12 as well. B12 is also available as a daily supplement and can be found at your local pharmacy or natural food store.

 

4. Vitamin D  

 

Weakening immune systems are a sure sign of aging. At some point, catching a common cold will have a much more significant impact than it did when we were younger. Thankfully, a new UK research study has found that Vitamin D can have a positive effect on the immune system and help offset some age-related health issues.

It is also widely accepted throughout the scientific community that vitamin D compounds protect the skin against the hazardous effects of many skin aging-inducing agents, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

You absorb vitamin D naturally through the sun’s rays, but vitamin D supplements are widely accessible at any pharmacy or vitamin shop if you want an extra boost.

 

5. NAD+ Treatment 

 

And last, but certainly not least, NAD+ treatment. Yes, we know this isn’t a vitamin or antioxidant, but its potential is something we cannot overlook. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, is one of the most potent anti-aging molecules you can put into your body. In short, NAD+ keeps your cells “young” and helps to rewind your biological clock.

NAD+ treatment is relatively new on the scene. As of right now, the FDA has only given the green light for oral NAD+ supplements. However, injecting NAD+ intravenously is a very efficient way to receive the nutrient, as it allows for almost 100% bioavailability. 

NAD+ treatment can last anywhere from two to six hours and has been reported by some as being quite uncomfortable. Some patients have reported nausea, chest tightness, and lightheadedness. Fortunately, these symptoms are short-lived and pretty much counteracted by the treatment’s lasting impact on energy levels, mental clarity, and overall sense of rekindled youth.

 

Conclusion

 

Aging is inevitable, we all know that. As we age our body slowly stops performing at maximum efficiency and there is no way around that. These supplements and treatments are in no way the “end all be all” for aging symptoms, but what they do provide is a higher quality of life and, at the very least, help to manage current and future symptoms of aging.

 

 

This article was originally published at iveeapp.com.

Dr. Fincher - Dermatologist Special Interview on Aging/Treatment for Aging

I have tried product after product trying to find the perfect cream, serum or other miracle cure over the counter to stop aging and even reverse the signs of premature aging.  I have used products that offer a subtle change but nothing has been as drastic as what I saw after I received my first Botox treatment three years ago.  I tried it once more before I became reluctant in continuing its use.  I've often wondered about the various treatments, fillers and injections that are offered but have not had a chance to investigate further.

Megan Brown, Light Years Ahead, was able to virtually introduce me to Edgar F. Fincher, M.D., Ph.D.  I was delighted to have the opportunity for a question and answer session. 



First, I'll give you some information on Dr. Fincher:

Dr. Edgar F. Fincher received both his MD and PhD degrees from The University of Tennessee, Memphis. He then completed early training in General Surgery at Stanford University followed by a research fellowship, also at Stanford University, where he studied mechanisms of skin wound healing. Dr. Fincher then completed his Dermatology residency at Stanford University before relocating to Los Angeles for a Fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery, laser and cosmetic surgery.

Dr. Fincher's areas of expertise include the treatment of skin cancers using the Mohs surgery technique, facial plastic reconstruction following skin cancer removal, laser treatment of the skin as well as cosmetic surgery (facelifts, eyelid surgery and liposuction). Dr. Fincher has conducted extensive research into the mechanisms by which the skin heals and utilizes this information to create a superior surgical outcome with minimal scarring.

Dr. Fincher has conducted numerous presentations about his surgical techniques and laser research at national meetings for dermatologic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons and laser surgeons including work on the use of cutting edge lasers for skin rejuvenation, suture lifts for facial lifting and the combined use of liposuction with Thermage for maximizing neck rejuvenation.

By offering a wide range of treatments and the latest cutting edge technology, Dr. Fincher is able to tailor make the ideal surgical treatment for the individual patient and to provide a variety of laser techniques to ensure the ideal outcome following either cosmetic surgery or facial reconstruction after tumor removal.


Dr. Fincher and his wife, Dr. Helen Fincher, practice out of the Fincher Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery in Beverly Hills, California.

They provide many services and products and I saw they offer Dysport which is the latest competitor of Botox.

One of the factors I have looked for before trying to decide on a procedure or a dermatologist, are the pictures.  Fincher Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery offers before and after photos of facelift, facelift with chin implant, blepharoplasty, necklift and liposuction.

Just look at the difference in these two pictures of this patient who had a facelift:



If you've ever wondered about the various products and procedures available, Dr. Finchers' site is perfect for educating yourself.  Each product and procedure has a description of what the product/procedure is used for, what treatments will consists of and what to expect.

My Question and Answer Session:

Once a woman begins to see the signs of aging, what steps should she take to prevent further damage?

Unfortunately, part of aging is genetic process that we all must face, but this doesn't mean that we can't control it, reverse it or slow the clock down. Other parts of aging, or factors that will accelerate the process include sun exposure, nutrition and environmental factors such as smoking. Sunscreens prevent aging and protect the skin and collagen, good nutrition helps the body maintain the skin and its collagen. There are laser treatments and fillers that are also wonderful for either maintaining healthy skin or reversing visible signs of aging such as wrinkles, brown spots of loose skin. Topical skin care products such as retinoids or glycolic acid containing products can also help reverse signs of aging.

At age 40, I noticed an increase of crows feet and sagging upper lids, what do you recommend as the best treatment to reverse the appearance of those lines and sagginess?

The eyes are many peoples' tell-tale factor on aging. Loose eyelid skin can make one appear tired, older or run down. Add a few lines around the eyes and it is intensified. Loose eyelid skin can easily be treated by surgically removing the skin with blepharoplasty surgery. In many cases, this is a simple 1 hour procedure performed under local anesthesia. The excess skin is carefully measured and trimmed to create a smooth refreshed upper eyelid. For earlier or minimal skin laxity of the upper eyelid, a laser can be used to tighten the skin without surgery. The lines around the eyes, crow's feet, can be treated with either botox injections, laser resurfacing or both. The botox relaxes the muscles that are making the lines and helps smooth the skin. Laser resurfacing removes old damaged collagen, smoothes out the lines, tightens the skin and removes any pigmentation that might be associated. Botox injections are repeated every 3-4 months and laser resurfacing is generally a one time procedure with results that last years.

What should women of any age do to protect their skin from premature and normal aging?

Sunscreen and moisturizers are the two easiest and most important preventive actions that can be done. Sunscreens protect skin from the harmful effects of UVA and UVB that can damage collagen and elastin leading to wrinkles and also cause unwanted pigmentation.

With so many products such as fillers, Botox, laser surgery and so forth, what procedure do you use the most for your clients and why?

Every treatment is geared towards providing patients with the right treatment or combination to meet their needs and wishes. In our practice we offer the full spectrum of non-surgical to surgical treatments along with around 20 lasers. We take pride in being able to offer all options and not to pressure our patients to do treatments. We offer a comprehensive consultation and evaluation and then offer the appropriate treatments or combinations. These days, many people prefer to do a combination of smaller procedures in order to possibly avoid a larger procedure or to avoid the healing time of surgery. In many cases, this is appropriate and we can offer this alternative to them. The advances in laser technology have provided us with the ability to improve results, with safer treatments and minimal downtime. If these minimal downtime procedures are not appropriate and surgery is indicated, then we take pride in providing the latest techniques and the highest quality.

What are your experiences and thoughts on Botox? Do you feel there could be long term implications in using Botox such as permanent droopiness of the lids?

Botox has an incredibly safe record. Complications from the cosmetic botox injections are very rare and short-lasting. Drooping eyelids are from the botox being placed too close to the eye and will subside when the botox wears off. In properly trained hands, Botox or Dysport can do wonders to rejuvenate the face by reducing lines, and even elevating the eyebrows for a more alert refreshed look.

When choosing a dermatologist, what should you look for in terms of qualifications?

With any physician, Board Certification in their specialty is a fundamental but important point to look for as an absolute minimal criterium. Beyond this, you must look at the background training, such as the institution of residency training, expertise beyond the specialty, either double board certification or additional education may be a factor. Is the doctor a cosmetic doctor, a clinical doctor or both are also important questions depending upon the patient's needs. Even beyond this, you must look into what sort of practical experience a doctor has and what sort of applied expertise he or she has to offer.

What products do you recommend on a routine basis for women and men to use at home?

The three basic products are an oil-free moisturizer to nourish and hydrate the skin. Second, sunscreen is very important to protect and prevent UV damage resulting in fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration. Third, a retinoid product such as Tretin X, Renova, Tazorac or Avage. These products have been clinically proven to reverse sun damage, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, reduce pigment and rebuild collagen in the skin. Beyond this, there are other products containing growth factors or antioxidants that may provide extra benefits.

Ending comment Dr. Fincher:
The most important concept that patients should remember is that every person's needs are different. A beauty consultation should consist of evaluating a patient's skin and facial structure, listening to their needs and desires for areas of improvement. Once the evaluation is complete, various treatment options including topical skin care, laser and light therapy, fillers and or surgical procedures that can meet these needs can be discussed and an individualized treatment plan is developed.

I would like to thank Megan and Dr. Fincher for this great opportunity to explore the world of aging treatments. 

If you live in California, you are in luck as Fincher Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery is located in three areas:

421 N. Rodeo Drive (main office)
2nd Floor Terrace
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.274.5372

5400 Balboa Blvd
Suite 220
Encino, CA 91436
310.794.7422

3475 Torrance Blvd
Suite B1
Torrance, CA 90503
310.794.7422






Youthful Tips

Kudos to Shine & the UK: Twiggy's Photoshopped Olay ads banned in England editor

If they are going to hold us bloggers to truth you might as well go after the businesses using Photoshop to alter the images of women that cause the women, the majority to note, the due diligence of not creating more social harm.  This continued bombardment of advertisers displaying starving women, Photoshopped women and women that look better at 60 then they did at 20 needs to stop.  It's really a hard standard to live up to and then they wonder why women in their 40's and 50's are becoming the largest group of people with eating disorders.

I'm glad Yahoo's Shine called this out and kudos to England for stepping up to the plate and doing something that needed to be done a long time ago.

Twiggy's Photoshopped Olay ads banned in England editor by Jennifer Romolini, Shine staff

Perhaps we should start calling 2009 the year of the airbrush. The latest Photoshop scandal involves not an emaciated model nor a bizarrely-retouched actress on the cover of a fashion magazine, but instead a 60-year-old icon with not enough crows' feet for anyone's liking.


Let's catch you up: Last summer, beauty company Olay debuted its Definity eye cream campaign depicting model Twiggy looking far younger, smoother, and firmer than her then 59 years should suggest. The '60s fashion star appeared virtually wrinkle-free in the ads and, since her baby-faced visage was selling anti-aging cream to older women, quite a few people—including bloggers, news outlets, and the British Parliament—grew quite disturbed.

In August, British lawmakers called for a ban on the digitally altered ads, suggesting they mislead the public. And, in the ensuing months, the U.K's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received hundreds of complaints from the public, claiming the Olay images were "socially irresponsible" and could have a "negative impact on people's perceptions of their own body image, " The Guardian reports.

Finally, yesterday, the ASA banned the complete set of Olay Twiggy ads, ruling that the post-production retouching could give consumers a "misleading impression of the effect the product could achieve."

You think?

In the ads, Twiggy says, "Olay is my secret to brighter-looking eyes" and "Because younger-looking eyes never go out of fashion...[it] reduces the look of wrinkles and dark circles for brighter, younger-looking eyes."

However, since Olay admits to "minor retouching" around Twiggy's eyelid area (essentially wiping out any indication of undereye darkness, bags, and fine lines), we know the cream is not really her secret. Instead it's a skilled computer technician, which is something you just can't bottle and sell for $23.89. Nor is this this "secret" available to most women, no matter what the company claims. It's refreshing that, with the banning of these ads, finally someone is saying just that.

*Photo and story from Shine (see link above)


Youthful Tips

Freeze 24*7 Sale & Cosmedicine


(Cosmedicine at the bottom of post)
If you have ever tried Freeze 24*7 products, you will most likely agree that you like them.  Their products, specifically Freeze 24*7 Instant Wrinkle, provides instant effects on crows feet and other wrinkles. 

I've tried both the lip plumper and the Instant Wrinkle Treatment and loved them.  They go on light and what I found with the Instant Wrinkle Treatment is you have to close the lid tight and not leave it around or it will dry up.

The first time I ordered from a company that sold it, they didn't include the right product and they provided the correct one right away.

They are on the costly side but Rue La La has a great special running for the next 23 hours:

http://www.ruelala.com/invite/youthfultips

Here are some of the manufacturers features of their products:

•Experience a 50-90% reduction in the visible appearance of fine lines and wrinkles within minutes of application; results for 100% of respondents for an independent clinical study


•10-gram Freeze 24-7® Instant Targeted Wrinkle Treatment

•Freeze 24-7® Instant Targeted Wrinkle Treatment is not a moisturizer; it is a targeted wrinkle treatment that is used directly on fine lines, wrinkles, crow's feet, furrows, laugh lines, enlarged pores and lip lines

•Freeze 24-7® Age-Less Technology™ works to diminish the appearance of forehead creases, droopy brows, crow's feet, furrows, laugh lines, feathered lips, and more

•Reduces the appearance of acne scars, stretch marks, rosacea, and enlarged pores

•A safe alternative to Botox® and other synthetic products which produce results, not side effects

•Gives skin a plumper, more youthful appearance

•Usage details: Cleanse and dry your face thoroughly; apply a small amount (pea size) of Freeze 24-7® Instant Targeted Wrinkle Treatment on the target area to be treated (line or wrinkle) before applying a moisturizer or foundation

•Pat and smooth Freeze 24-7® Instant Targeted Wrinkle Treatment into the line, wrinkle or other target area; wait 1-2 minutes until Freeze 24-7® Instant Targeted Wrinkle Treatment is fully absorbed into the skin

•Repeat the application a second or third time for deep lines or as needed; once absorbed, follow with IceCream Double Scoop™ Intensive Anti-Aging Moisturizer and continue with your normal skincare routine

•Not tested on animals and contains no animal by-products, dermatologist tested, allergy tested, clinically tested, hypoallergenic, non-sensitizing, and non-irritating

•Free Plumplips™ Lip Plumper

•Revolutionary lip plumper and gloss that delivers full, pouty, buttery lips in minutes with new technology to increase circulation on the lip surface, and eliminate the drying, burning and irritation associated with most lip plumpers

•Mature lips appear more youthful with Age-Less Technology, and thin lips appear fuller and more sensual, even enhancing the natural color of your lips, appearing to look like you are wearing lip color, but it's clear

•Hydrates, smoothes and soothes

•Usage details: Apply PlumpLips™ to clean, dry lip surface and massage in with wand applicator until fully absorbed; may be reapplied as often as required or desired

•Not tested on animals and contains no animal by-products

•All products in this package are for external use only

•Please note: Purchaser will receive one Plumplips™ Lip Plumper per order.

Hautelook has Cosmedicine on sale at GREAT prices!

It ends in 38 hours and has a variety of great products from cleansers to exfoliates to oil control treatments and many more.  Prices are 50% off.

Anyone try Cosmedicine products?
Youthful Tips

Good Foods for the Skin

Different websites are touting the benefits of eating right on your skin to prevent wrinkles and retain that youthful glow. I have a friend who at 50, looked AMAZING and actually looked like she was 40. She credited this youthful, wrinkless, glowing complexion to eating right, drinking plenty of water and taking many supplements. Either her genes were very good and/or the lifestyle was working because she looked incredible.

Lycopene from processed tomatoes provides a great source of an anti-oxidant and also helps to ward off cancerous cell formations. Lycopene, in high doses, flush out free radicals. Since lycopene is not made in the body, we require products such as tomatoes to acquire it.

“Researchers introduced Lycopene into pre-existing cancer cell cultures and the Lycopene prevented the continued growth of these cultures. This is pretty powerful evidence that the health benefits of eating a tomato are really quite phenomenal. It takes as little as 540 milliliters of liquid tomato product to get the full benefits of Lycopene. This means that a daily glass of tomato juice has the potential to keep a person healthy for life.”

Oysters provides zinc which provides that nice little feature of repairing and renewing our skin called collagen. As we age, we lose that ability.

Blueberries prevent cell damage by also being a source of an anti-oxidant. In 2004, a team led by a USDA chemist found that this natural anti-oxidant may lower blood levels of LDL which is the “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides. The pterostilbene in blueberries is similar to the chemical Resveratrol found in grapes. Another claim for blueberries as an antioxidant is the benefit towards slowing down visual loss due to the extract from blueberries. It’s called anthocyanosides and has been found in clinical studies to slow down visual loss.

”A recent study was done in a Boston laboratory by putting one group of young rats on a blueberry-rich diet and another on regular chow. Then the scientist exposed both groups to 48 hours of concentrated oxygen, stirring up in two days the amount of free radical damage that normally takes 20 rat months, or 75 humans to accumulate. Brain cells in the chow group became less responsive to neurotransmitters associated with short-term memory. The brains of the blueberry stuffed rats did not change. He also found that the fruit prevented the kind of short-term memory loss that comes with aging. Blueberries actually stave off declines in brain cell’s ability to send messages to one another.”

Dark chocolate has many benefits to include providing yet another anti-oxidant source. It increases blood flow to the skin which rehydrates the skin and provides additional sun protection.

Walnuts provides omega-3 and vitamin E which is a natural way to ward off psoriasis and eczema. Omega-3 fatty acids also provide benefits ranging from better mental functioning to cardiovascular protection to an anti-inflammatory benefits in asthma.

GentleWaves® LED

Another facial wrinkle remover I just read about is the GentleWaves® LED. It was reported in April 2008, the FDA approved this LED system. Since our skin loses elasticity over time and other culprits such as stress, overexposure to sun, excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking and other pollutants do not help, there are ways to counter that damage. The variety of products are ranging from creams to serums to botox to laser to LEDs and not to forget, surgery.

The GentleWaves® LED provides an alleged option to counter these ill effects on our skin. The GentleWaves® Skin Fitness System claims to help restore and maintain “healthier, smoother and better-looking skin.”

The only FDA-approved LED device for wrinkle reduction around the eyes is delivered through “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to activate cells causing them to produce collagen and multiply. By building collagen, wrinkles are reduced and skin retains a more youthful, radiant appearance. LED Photomodulation also simultaneously suppresses collagen-degrading enzymes that assist in the aging process. ” Some of the claims of this product is it improves the skin’s texture, simulates collagen, shrinks pore size and inhibits those nasty collagenase that are the culprits in attacks against our collagen.

“GentleWaves®, the first LED device FDA-approved for wrinkle reduction, offers a totally natural, non-ablative method for skin rejuvenation. In a process similar to photosynthesis in plants, the LED light interacts with cells and stimulates them to produce more collagen and elastin, while decreasing enzymes that breakdown skin. GentleWaves delivers this light in a unique, pulsing sequence that is administered in just minutes.”

Since GentleWaves® does not utilize on thermal (heat) energy, the claim is there is no potential damage to the skin, the patient will experience no pain or discomfort and there are no documented side effects (yet). They state that the procedure not only reduces fine lines and wrinkles but can also reduce freckles, brown spots and skin redness.

They do recommend a series of eight to ten treatments which can be done twice per week.

The procedure lasts less than one minute, there is no downtime, painless, no anesthesia, can be used on all skin types and is inexpensive. Patients report a difference after five to seven treatments.

“LED technology costs about less than half and 35% the cost of comparable laser light therapy,” the inventor says. “It’s a slam dunk for practices who can’t afford these expensive lasers.”

Anyone try it and have any opinion on it?

Lifestyle Lift

I saw an advertisement in this month’s Martha Stewart’s magazine and then searched for other recent reviews on WordPress for this procedure. The claim to his is in “about one hour” a person “can look years younger.” According to their website, they have over 80 doctors working on this procedure across the US and have served over 100,000 people to date.
They also claim, “in order to offer the very best outcome, Lifestyle Lift® is committed to working only with the very best board-certified doctors, including those from renowned institutions such as Stanford, Harvard, Vanderbilt, Duke, Emory and Cornell.”
They do add this to add “credibility to their claims and procedure:”
The Lifestyle Lift Code of Internet Conduct and Assurance
Lifestyle Lift® pledges that all Internet communications accompanied by the trademarked Lifestyle Lift® logo are fair and accurately represent the latest in medical information about facial firming procedures. The comments and photographs are from actual patients and fairly represent the results and opinions of thousands of our patients. Lifestyle Lift® is proud to take a leadership role in establishing new standards of Internet conduct and communications. We promise that any Internet communication accompanied by our logo can be relied upon as true and accurate; and all communications originating from our practice will be clearly identified with the Lifestyle Lift® logo. If you have any questions or concerns about the authenticity of any internet content or postings, please contact Lifestyle Lift®.
I did find some reviews at http://www.realself.com/Lifestyle-lift/reviews. The final tally from this site was:
33% said it was worth it
67% said it wasn’t worth it (pretty bad actual reviews actually)
Average cost $5407
This positive review good but then when you keep reading near the bottom, it’s owned by Lifestyle Lift: http://www.mylifestylelift.com/lifestylelift.html
To top it off, this person blogged about how Lifestyle Lift was fined in NY for providing false reviews on realself.com <— note this is the same website I noted above!. http://www.localseoguide.com/fake-reviews-will-cost-you-real-just-ask-lifestyle-lift/
LifeStyle Lift – Fake Reviews Will Cost You Real $
July 15th, 2009
Just caught this article in the NYTimesabout how Attorney General Andrew Cuomo had fined Lifestyle Lift, a cosmetic surgery company, $300,000 for ordering its employees to write fake reviews of its face-lift procedure on sites like RealSelf.
Let’s put aside the ethics of faking reviews for a minute and reflect on how effective a strategy this was for Lifestyle Lift:
Pros:They probably didn’t factor this in, but because they got caught, their site is now generating a lot of links. Variations of “facelift” or “cosmetic surgery” are not hugely expensive to buy ($5-$10 CPC), but I guess if they could translate those links into some page one rankings it could easily be worth $300K.
Cons:Page one of Google for “lifestyle lift”is already littered with results about this story. My bet is unless they do some reputation management SEO these aren’t going away anytime soon. So even if they do rank on page one for some great terms, sooner or later a prospective patient is going to Google them, see this story and likely bail. Hmm, something like this could tank their whole business pretty quickly. Maybe it wasn’t worth the page one rankings?
It’s too bad Lifestyle Lift went down this route, but it’s understandable. There probably was a lot of negative word of mouth about them already in the cosmetic surgery communities. Here’s the first thing I saw after I clicked on the third SERP result for “lifestyle lift” – “Lifestyle lift for jowls, turkey neck – unsure if it was worth it”
While it’s hard to overcome a bad product or service, perhaps if they had consulted with a knowledgable SEO/Reputation Management pro at least they could have come up with an alternate strategy that would not have cost so much, or if it had, at least it would have had a better ROI. Some tips for Lifestyle Lift in the future:
1. SEO your site! At least update your title tags with some good keywords. Hell update your whole site. It’s a bit of a tired, hard-to-read thing as is. If you can’t control what people are saying about you online at least try to get some traffic for valuable keywords and bypass them.
2. Participate in social media without faking it. If Ms. Turkey Neck is not saying nice things address her concerns. Maybe you need to redo her turkey neck. I guarantee if you turn her turkey neck into a swan neck, she will be your loudest supporter in these communities. And what would that cost you? My guess is the margins on turkey necks, among other things, are pretty fat.
3. Work with a reputation management pro who can help you move a lot of those pesky little negative links off of page one.
4. Better yet, give your customers reasons to say nice things about you online.
Even if you don’t have a problem with the ethics of fake reviews, they do often violate the terms of service of the reviews website. And as Lifestyle Lift discovered, that little fact can cost you. So next time you are thinking it might be a good idea to post some fake reviews of your business on the Web, remember you might be blowing all the cash you saved up to fix your damn turkey neck.
I think I’ll pass on this procedure ….

CellCeuticals® Biomedical Skin Treatments

I woke up this morning after leaving the TV on to see another infomercial on another anti-aging product. I became one of those people who surfed the cable channel for any “paid programming” to see the latest and greatest product on anything. After trying a few anti-aging and a round of Billy Mays products (yes, I actually am admitting this), I quit spending money on these and am looking at more natural products or products with Vitamin C or retina in them. It’s a toss up with one product with the Vitamin C and olive oil. I thought olive oil would make my skin break out but I think I see an improvement and notice a more youthful look and it appears some wrinkles are smaller or it’s just nature diminishing my eyesight a little quicker.

With no surprise here, the anti-aging industy is the fastest growing industry. Plastic surgery is picking up speed and again, no surprise there. Some people can’t afford plastic surgery, some can’t tolerate the procedure or the pain and some just opt to utilize basic over the counter products for whatever reason. I must admit that I’d probably get some procedures done if I had the money to blow as I think after time, you spend just as much on some of these crazy lotions, creams and whatever else there is out there. I tried botox twice and it left a severe droop in my eyes as it was wearing off the second time. I looked at least 10 years older until it all wore out. I’m hesitant to use it again as I don’t think there are enough long term studies of the adverse events in spite of their claims this products has been used for years and years. Yes, the product has for other medicinal uses but not years and years on large population segments for the facial beauty.
I was curious if anyone has tried CellCeuticals® and actually liked the results. It was yet another infomercial of a panel of women who didn’t really need it or already looked like they had some plastic surgery discuss why they love this product.

I read a few articles all stating the same thing under “reviews of CellCeuticals®” and the claim to effectiveness was because some “celebrities” attended a launch party so that’s suppose to mean they actually use it AND they claim it works. I saw one person review their make up remover and admitted he/she has no bad wrinkles so can’t comment on that effect. On another site, ONE person provided reviews on their anti-aging products and gave them 9 out of 10. I think I’ll stick to olive oil for now.

From this website, http://www.dermproducts.com/news/cellceuticals-biomedical-skin-treatments-announces-a-new-approach-anti-aging, here is what the CEO stated:

With years of work in the beauty industry, I know first hand that savvy customers expect more than a ‘glorified miracle in a bottle’ and ‘empty promises,’” says Paul Scott Premo, CEO of CellCeuticals® Skin Care, Inc. “They’re frustrated with unrealistic claims. They want products that deliver their promised results. With this in mind, Dr. Fisher and I developed a new generation of bio-treatments that apply the latest advancements in cellular science, which help counteract the visible effects of skin aging.”

The Science: Proprietary & Patent Pending Technology: The CellCeuticals Growth Factor Peptide (GFP) Cellular Complex is a groundbreaking technology combining next generation lipopeptides, retinol and antioxidants in a proprietary nanoemulsion delivery system that targets cellular skin aging. The GFP Cellular Complex was designed to facilitate a “proliferation response” and eliminate the “inflammatory response” common with other anti-aging ingredients and procedures.

CellCeuticals’ patent-pending, bioengineered lipopeptides are developed and tested using state-of-the-art DNA Microarrays and represent the next generation of peptides. Many first-generation peptides not only increase expression of genes that code for elastin and collagen but also increase the expression of genes that code for Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs), enzymes that breakdown the extracellular matrix of the skin. In addition, some of these peptides increase expression of the interleukin genes involved in the inflammatory cascade.

The CellCeuticals patent pending lipopeptides are targeted to increase expression of certain genes (elastin, collagen) and to decrease others (MMPs and interleukins.) An additional, unexpected and surprising property of the lipopeptides is their broad-spectrum anti-microbial properties, making them ideal candidates for anti-acne products.
The GFP Cellular Complex triggers cellular stimulation to encourage the regeneration of vital proteins responsible for firmer, thicker and youthful looking skin.

Stephens & Associates conducted the extensive eight-week, independent clinical study under the direction of Chief Science Investigator Dr. Thomas Stephens. The results of the clinical study concluded the CellCeuticals® Skin Treatments System with GFP Cellular Complex was proven to:

• Diminish visible wrinkles by 36%
• Decrease the appearance of the deepest wrinkle depth by 45%
• Renew skin smoothness by 64%
• Refine skin texture by 31%
• Reveal skin radiance by 33%
• Revitalize skin tone by 24%
• Restore skin firmness by 20%
• Replenish skin moisture by 48%
• Reduce skin redness by 87%

In addition, the CellCeuticals® Skin Treatment System has been carefully formulated and undergone rigorous testing to substantiate both product performance and safety.

• Clinically & Efficacy Tested
• Dermatologist Tested
• Ophthalmologist Tested
• Irritancy Tested
• Fragrance-Free*
• Paraben-Free
• Phthalate-Free
• Non-Comedogenic
• No Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
• No Artificial Color
• No Animal Ingredients
• No Animal Testing
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...