Take Two . . . and Call Me When Your Wrinkles Disappear!

"Take two and call me when your wrinkles disappear."

Who wouldn’t love to hear that from their doctor?  Could it be that easy?

If you’re like many baby boomers, chances are you’re on a quest for a magic elixir to
hold back Father Time.  There is a cornucopia of options to choose from, too.  From human growth hormone (HGH) to hormone therapy creams, from “facelifts in a jar” to FDA- approved Botox, there’s something for every taste and pocketbook.  Getting older is an $80 billion business and it’s quickly growing.

But there is a simpler, less expensive, and much safer way to hold on to your youthful appearance.

Beauty from the inside out is the best way to go. In addition to making sure you have enough daily vitamins in your diet, and supplements such as calcium and DHA Omega–3 to support your anti-aging regimen, adding two little orange pills (forget about the blue ones for just a moment!) can add even more resistance to the consequences of aging.

Baby Aspirin – Not Just For Babies Anymore

It’s because of this resistance that baby aspirin is now recommended for people over 40. It’s a well-known fact that aspirin is extremely effective when it comes to reducing cardiac disease and even some cancers. Now experts are finding it might even diminish wrinkles. Sound farfetched?  Consider this.

The reason aspirins are so powerfully beneficial is because not only do they thin your blood, a crucial consideration in cardiac risks, but they’re also anti-inflammatories.

So What Does Inflammation Have To Do With Wrinkling?

Here are the facts.

It’s well documented that small and repeated trauma to the skin causes inflammation.  Inflammation is one of those funny quirks of nature–it’s a necessary defense but at the same time it contributes to growing older.

Our immune system initiates inflammation as the first response to trauma or infection. If we didn’t have inflammation, we’d be at the mercy of harmful microorganisms. Fortunately, the process of inflammation actually destroys or at least inhibits invading bacteria and other pathogens. This is accomplished by increasing blood flow, which gets the immune cells to the affected area, releasing free radicals, destroying normal tissue, and creating scar tissue. All this happens to get rid of infection or to treat trauma.

However, you’re left with the effects of the inflammatory response. When this excess doesn’t heal properly, skin ages and wrinkling occurs.

What’s pretty incredible is that so many of the products on the market that are supposed to take care of your skin actually do much more harm than good. Many of the ingredients found in your favorite skin care products, the ones you probably put on your face this morning, contain ingredients that are known to damage the skin.

And though you may not be able to see the impact right away, micro inflammation may develop slowly and over time. This happens to the degree that the appearance of aging is actually increased–and that includes wrinkling.

Exercise Caution

Dr. Oz, an acclaimed health expert, recommends two baby aspirins a day as an integral tool in your anti-aging arsenal.  However, don’t substitute regular aspirin for the baby variety.  Baby aspirin is half the dosage of regular aspirin.  Too high a dosage can lead to stomach problems.

Also, taking aspirin, even low doses, may not be appropriate for everyone.  If you’re a moderate drinker consuming 3 or more alcoholic beverages a day, check with your doctor before beginning an aspirin regimen.  Blood thinners and medications for gout and diabetes may not be a good mix with aspirin so check with your doctor or pharmacist first.

Obviously, baby aspirin isn’t going to make your wrinkles disappear overnight. Short of invasive techniques, nothing will.  But when you take into account all the positive benefits of aspirin therapy, adding baby aspirin to your anti-aging routine could be just what the doctor ordered.