Star Preservation

Sun Herald

Sunday September 7, 2008

Natasha Silva-Jelly

A new generation of beautiful twentysomethings are determined to beat ageing before it even begins, reports NATASHA SILVA-JELLY.

LOOKS really are everything. Well, it certainly seems that way in youth obsessed La-La Land, where a wrinkle-free face is a prerequisite to celluloid glory. Just ask Gwyneth Paltrow, winner of a little gold statue, not to mention a Hollywood royalty tag: "In this business, they don't look back and they're particularly harsh to women. I'm 35, not 25." And these words are from a gorgeous A-lister who wowed the world recently when she strapped on those sky-high stilettos and wriggled into a ridiculously short minidress to unveil her sexy new 'do and to-die-for pins on the red carpet.

Which is why it will probably come as no surprise to learn the new brat pack - that formidable posse of young, rich, talented starlets spearheaded by Lindsay, Paris, Mary-Kate, et al - have ignited an anti-ageing trend: ensure they never do.

Yes, while beautiful sirens such as Jennifer Aniston (who reportedly spends $20,000 on her monthly beauty maintenance), Gwyneth and her uber-famous gal-pal Madonna - who, it is claimed, celebrated her half-century last month by having a bit of work done (cheek implants and a facelift, apparently) - desperately try to erase the lines that naturally come with the passage of time (grow old with grace - anyone remember that?), their much-younger counterparts appear to have adopted the adage that prevention is better than cure.

Which sounds reasonable enough if all they were doing was investing in top-of-the-range SPF30.

But no, this lot have pushed age defying to a whole new (and, dare we say it, alarming) level. They're hard at work indulging in extreme measures such as laser sculpting, liquid facelifts and Botox (if you never frown you'll never get wrinkles, we guess) and forking out a small fortune on miracle products that promise to preserve their genetically blessed complexions long after their natural body clock has called time on optimum collagen production (that's 28-30, I'm afraid).

"We are certainly living in a fantasy world here in Hollywood," says Dr Rey, the flamboyant surgeon from the hit series Dr 90210, who admits the women visiting his surgery are getting younger and are definitely after preventative measures. Renowned for making vaginoplasty (vaginal beautifician) an in-demand procedure, it is, however, for facial rejuvenation that A-listers flock to his Beverly Hills surgery. Using the latest cosmetic surgery techniques, Rey claims to make "the eyes and face more youthful with minimal or no scarring" and says he's also started to use implants where necessary to create a more youthful appearance and elegant chin and jawline.

And he's not the only one cashing in on the craziness. The annual survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) reveals cosmetic procedures across the US have started to transcend boundaries of age, gender and race, and there was a significant increase in the amount of motivation for self-improvement shown by females under 35 and males generally.

This hardcore new approach (high maintenance, it appears, is no longer enough) has left the beauty world wondering what the future will look like - literally. "It is amazing how many women in their early 20s and 30s have or are considering cosmetic procedures, especially regular fillers and Botox injections, but there are risks associated with any procedure," says Emma Hobson of the International Dermal Institute. "If it's not broken, don't try and fix it."

Stating that results to anti-ageing procedures when your skin is not showing signs of ageing will be minimal, Hobson is quick to advocate good skin products, a healthy diet and exercise as "the key to a glowing complexion without any trauma to the skin".

Not that you won't benefit from preventative measures, in the same way it pays to fatten up our superannuation fund for the future. "The best therapy comes from offering skin protection from hazards like sun, smoking and air-conditioning so that ageing will be delayed and that means the less you'll have to resort to invasive measures later," advises Dr Daniel Maes, vice-president of global research and development for Estee Lauder. "What we are seeing, however, are two trends. There's a good trend for people starting to protect their skin and then there's a not-so-good trend for women as young as 25 trying to erase the damage they have already done with excessive therapies like chemical peels and microdermabrasion, which can wound the skin and cause inflammation which can actually age it."

But, says Sydney cosmetic surgeon Dr Michael Zacharia, patients today are a lot more savvy when it comes to the latest anti-ageing options available and are not afraid to push the boundaries.

"Younger women and men are aware of the benefits of preservation and will indulge in several different procedures such as Botox - a lesser dosage is administered if lines aren't actually present - fillers or microdermabrasion to achieve this end. We are also looking at treatments like Thermage, which uses radiofrequency energy to promote tightening and increased production of collagen."

As for where that leaves the search for eternal youth, Hobson muses that there are "thousands of scientists around the world who wake up every day with the sole mission of finding ingredients and the technology to prevent the body from premature ageing".

And while the secret has not yet been unlocked, some headway has been made. "Scientists made a major breakthrough when they discovered that free radicals - or unstable electrons - are the cause of many a wrinkle and prematurely aged skin."

Premature ageing is not to be confused with genetic ageing, the process of growing old as our DNA intended. The risk of ageing before your time is triggered by smoking, obesity, environmental pollution and excessive sun, alcohol, stress and a less-than-healthy lifestyle.

And there's more good news as buzz grows around DNA and stem-cell technology. "What is really interesting is the pioneering work that's being done, which is about having a procedure done today to ensure you look younger when you're older," Hobson says.

Known as Isolagen - and sounding almost too good to be true - it involves taking DNA tissue that's never seen the light of day from the back of your hairline, sending it for cultivation and then re-injecting it when your skin succumbs to the dreaded sag.

If only Madonna had access to such technology back when Papa Don't Preach was No.1.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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