Sugar and Skin

Is there a link between sweets and wrinkles?

It’s no secret that your 3 o’clock Peanut M&M’s habit can affect your waistline. And now some experts are suggesting it could also make your skin age faster—which, in turn, is spawning a new crop of antiaging beauty products. Are they worth it? Some dermatologists believe eating more sugar than you need will speed up your body’s natural process of glycation—that’s when sugar and protein molecules gang up and get hostile toward collagen. And collagen damage can make your skin less elastic, more easily wrinkled, and more vulnerable to sun damage, according to Paul J. Beisswenger, MD, a diabetes researcher and Dartmouth Medical School professor of medicine.

Not all experts are convinced, though. “There’s probably some connection between too much sugar and your skin; we just don’t have enough data to show us what that is,” says Ranella Hirsch, MD, vice president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery. “Most research has been small, commercially sponsored, or done on cells in a lab.” So it’s hard to know if results translate to your skin.

That said, a few cosmetics companies are confident enough about the sugar-wrinkle connection to create products designed to combat it. These are among the first on the market:

• Estée Lauder Resilience Lift Extreme ($70; esteelauder.com). The line includes firming creams and a lotion, all with SPF 15, as well as a night cream and an eye cream.

• Dr. Brandt Lineless Cream ($100; sephora.com) works for normal to dry skin and can be used in the morning or at night after cleansing.

• Prescriptives Anti-AGE Advanced Protection Lotion ($60; prescriptives.com) is a lightweight daily moisturizer with SPF 25 that helps guard against the effects of sun, pollution, and stress.

How beneficial these topical sugar-busters are may still be in question, but one thing’s for certain: They’re all good moisturizers, and two fight skin aging with sunscreen.

Give Your Eyes a Boost

Makeup application tips to brighten your eyes.

Play up top lashes.
Droopy top lashes can make your whole eye look like it's sagging. Give the lid a lift by first blending a dark eyeliner along the top lashes (start at the inner corner of your eye and follow the lash line to the outer corner, concentrating the color on the outer third of the lid) and then curling and coating lashes with mascara. Leave your lower lashes bare: Lining them only draws attention to dark circles and makes the eye look smaller.

Use concealer strategically.
If puffy eyes or dark circles make you look like you pulled an all-nighter—even when you've had eight hours' sleep—cover them up with a swipe of concealer in just the right place. Some people are naturally more prone to puffiness (which is caused by fluid retention in the tissue around the eyes) than others, and as the skin ages and loses elasticity the problem can seem more pronounced. The best tactic: Blend a liquid concealer only on the line created by the bag—the swollen area itself doesn't need coverage, says Alison Raffaele, a makeup artist who specializes in cover-up (Skin Alison Raffaele). If dark circles are your nemesis, erase them by blending concealer over the entire eye area—including circles and from lashes to brows—to even out your skin tone and give you a well-rested look. Always use your fingers to apply concealer around the eye; this allows you to achieve a flawless finish.

Brighten up with an eye pencil.
Line the inner rim of your lower lashes with an eye pencil (in white or flesh tones for light skin; in golden tones for dark skin) to erase any redness around your eyes and make whites look brighter and larger. We like Chanel's Line Perfector Face Pencil and Three Custom Color Specialists' Clarifier Pencil. Be sure to blend well so that people will notice your eyes, not the liner.

Pick the right eye cream–and put it on ice.
Creams containing anti-inflammatory ingredients can help reduce puffiness, says Dennis Gross, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. Cucumber extract, caffeine, and vitamin K have been shown to constrict blood vessels and cut down on fluid retention. Refrigerating your eye cream can also help, since the chilled cream works like a cold compress, reducing swelling.

Not Tonight Dear, I'm Shopping

Which would you rather give up—sex or smoking?

Hard to believe, but a recent British poll found that most European smokers would rather go without sex for a month than cigarettes. That got us wondering what Health's non-nicotine-addicted, mostly female readers prize more than sex. The answers, according to a Health.com survey: a full night's sleep, shopping, and exercise. We can understand how sleep got the top vote—we know American women are tired. But shopping and workouts? Come on.

However, at least one expert believes these responses make perfect sense. Sandra Leiblum, PhD, director of the Center for Sexual and Marital Health at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and co-author of Getting the Sex You Want, says many women feel they can count on having more fun at the mall than in bed. "Every time you go shopping, there's a different adventure," Leiblum says. "For a lot of women, sex has become boring and predictable." Point taken—but jogging? "Exercise produces a rush of endorphins, and afterward women feel good about their bodies," Leiblum explains. "With sex, they may feel more self-conscious."

Overall, Leiblum says your answers reflect many women's attitudes toward sex. "There's a notion that people are having a ton of sex, and they feel deprived if they don't have it." In reality, she says, "giving sex up might be a relief for some women." (A recent survey by the Kinsey Institute found that 24 percent of the women surveyed felt "worried" or "distressed" about sex.) Luckily, you don't have to go that far. If medical concerns aren't causing your bedroom boredom, the old advice still holds true: Take stock of your needs, and start talking. Hopefully, you'll end up like Health reader Maureen, who wrote, "There's nothing I'd give up sex for."

Fit Advice: Workout Warning Signals

The old adage "No pain, no gain" isn't necessarily true. Take note of these symptoms that signal it's time to stop your workout and seek medical attention.

It's one thing to breathe (and sweat) a little more heavily than usual during an intense workout, but it's another thing entirely to find yourself gasping for air during a leisurely after-dinner walk. While occasional exercise aches and pains are rarely cause for alarm, certain symptoms that pop up out of the blue when you exercise could sometimes signal something serious, says Martha Gulati, MD, assistant professor of preventive medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. If you're otherwise healthy and in good shape but experience any of the warning signs listed below during a workout, stop what you're doing and see your doctor right away.

What You Feel: Chest pain, pressure, or tightness
What It Could Mean: Heartburn, muscle strain, or something more serious, like heart disease

What You Feel: Unusually rapid heartbeat
What It Could Mean: Heart disease, arrhythmia, anemia, thyroid disease, or even just too much caffeine

What You Feel: Difficulty breathing
What It Could Mean: Heart disease or asthma

What You Feel: Fainting
What It Could Mean: Heart disease, arrhythmia, a glitch in your nervous system, dehydration, or low blood sugar

What You Feel: Severe headache
What It Could Mean: Dehydration, stroke, cerebral aneurysm, or high blood pressure

The New Skinny on Cellulite

Cutting-edge treatments are taking on this perplexing problem—with beautiful results.

For years, you’ve heard that the only way to improve cellulite is with diet and exercise. That’s pretty frustrating advice, considering that about 90 percent of women—including those who exercise like Olympians—are walking around with unwanted dimples.

All that’s about to change, though. Research is spurring new treatments that are producing visible improvements in a majority of women. We wish we could tell you that these procedures will magically make all of your cellulite disappear, but that would be stretching the truth. We can say that these are your best bets for making a dent—or fewer of them—in those dimpled thighs.

Lasers that relocate fat
They’re the latest high-tech take on cellulite removal: painless lasers that smooth the fatty layer for a less-puckered appearance. One, called the TriActive (a laser surrounded by suctioning rollers), recently won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an effective cellulite treatment. A similar, newer laser is the VelaSmooth—which combines radio waves, infrared light, rolling massage heads, and suction—is awaiting FDA review and generating early buzz. Both of these lasers theoretically firm your skin by boosting collagen while melting and rearranging the fatty tissue.
The process: As you lie on a table, a technician passes the device over your target areas. Far from being painful, the sensation is pleasurable—like getting a slightly vigorous massage for half an hour or so. You’ll see your best results after 2 months of weekly treatments. (Dermatologists recommend that you get maintenance treatments at 2-month intervals.)
The proof: In FDA clinical trials done by Mitchel Goldman, MD, a cosmetic dermatologic surgeon and medical director of La Jolla Spa MD in California, the TriActive achieved visible results in 100 percent of patients; 75 percent of them saw their dimples reduced by 50 percent or more. VelaSmooth also seems somewhat successful in studies. “We measured an average thigh circumference reduction of 3.3 millimeters (about 1/8 inch) after eight treatments,” Sadick says.
The payout: $150 to $200 for each of the eight to 14 sessions. Go to syneron.com for locations.

Dream creams for firmer skin
Plenty of creams promise to cure cellulite. But the only ones with years of clinical data behind them are those containing retinoids, vitamin-A derivatives proven to boost collagen production. You can find retinoids in over-the-counter body lotions (listed on the label as “retinol”), but the most potent are the prescription versions sold under brand names like Renova and Retin-A. “Retinoids create a firmer, thicker skin cover that can help camouflage cellulite,” says Paul T. Rose, MD, who served until recently as professor of clinical dermatology at the University of South Florida.

Newsier, but not-so-proven, are fat-busting creams with ingredients like caffeine, black tea, and theophylline (a form of caffeine). The theory is that these stimulants work to reduce thigh circumference by breaking down fat-cell stores more rapidly.
The process: No matter which formula you use, you’ll need a good dose of patience. “Cellulite creams should be applied daily for about 8 weeks in order to see results,” Goldman says.
The proof: A study in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology reported that testers who used retinol creams for 6 months saw an improvement in skin firmness—from 11 to 15 percent on average. Early research on fat-burners looks encouraging, too. In a recent Goldman study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, some 76 percent of those using a fat-burning cream (containing caffeine and green tea) lost an average of ½ inch in their thigh circumference.
The payout: From $12 for drugstore brands to more than $60 for department-store or spa versions (you tend to get a higher percentage of active ingredients in pricier lines). Among your best over-the-counter options: Neutrogena’s Anti-Cellulite Treatment, L’Oréal’s Sublime Slim Anti-Cellulite + Skin Sculpting Body Firming Gel, Shiseido’s Body Creator Aromatic Firming Cream, and Avon’s Cellu-Sculpt Anti-Cellulite Slimming Treatment.

Devices that roll away ripples
It was big news in the mid-1990s when Endermologie became the first FDA-approved method for the reduction of cellulite. It’s now one of the top cellulite procedures at doctors’ offices and spas.
The process: During any Endermologie session, you squeeze yourself into a skintight nylon/spandex bodysuit. Then a technician runs a device (basically, a vacuuming head surrounded by rollers) over your trouble spots—suctioning, pulling, and squeezing them for 20 to 30 minutes. The newer machines use less suction power and smaller, independently moving rollers, making for a session that’s less like torture and more like a massage. You’ll get some swelling and redness with either method, but the newer one tends to work much faster—in 10 rather than 14 to 20 visits (doctors usually recommend two treatments per week).
The proof: Endermologie originally received FDA clearance after a clinical study found it to be both safe and effective. “We checked the subjects at 10 and 20 weeks,” says study co-author Lillian Nanney, PhD, director of plastic surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “And we found that while their fat did not disappear, the connective tissue in the treated area became thicker, giving the appearance of firmer skin. These results improved with each new treatment.”
The payout: Endermologie can get pricey, running between $80 and $150 per session. Go to aad.org to find a doctor near you.

Introducing the Airport Spa

Delayed flights and missed connections can leave you stressed and bored, with hours to kill. To make the wait less painful, many airports are bringing in full-service spas.

Here are a few airport spas we like:

Long-layover reviver. At the Oasis Day Spa in New York’s JFK Inter-national Airport, you’ll find a full menu of manicure, pedicure, and facial treatments, including The Classic Facial ($80 for 45 minutes) that uses papaya and pineapple enzymes and a cream mask to hydrate tired skin.

The screaming-kids de-stresser. Doze in a plush massage lounger at XpresSpa in the Pittsburgh International Airport while up to three attendants work on your face, feet, and hands to restore full-body circulation ($35 for 30 minutes).

The missed-flight calmer. A 15-minute oxygen mask at OraOxygen Spa in the Detroit International Airport helps reduce fatigue and intensify mental alertness ($18).

Live Your Dreams

Life lists help you set and achieve important goals. Are you ready to start living your dreams?

The act of writing down a year’s worth of goals helped me move from “What if I did this?” to “When will I do this?” That’s also the idea behind life lists, which have become the power tools for helping people like me reshape their lives. They can’t be viewed as simple to-do lists, though. “A life list helps you focus on finally doing things you’ve imagined will make your life better,” says Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run International, a North Carolina–based running and character-building program for preteen girls.

That’s why “good lists start with a lot of soul-searching,” says Phil Keoghan, host of CBS TV’s popular reality show The Amazing Race who’s kept a list for 19 years. He believes so fervently in the transforming power of life lists that he’s written a book on the topic—No Opportunity Wasted: 8 Ways to Create a List for Life (due out in paperback in May). He’s also launched a TV show of the same name on the Discovery Channel.

Major events like a serious illness, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job may cause you to reevaluate your life. For Keoghan, it was a near-death experience while filming an underwater shipwreck. Soon after his rescue, Keoghan grabbed a crumpled brown bag and shakily scribbled a list of all the things he wanted to do before he died. Topping the list of mostly daredevil stunts: Do another dive on that dangerous shipwreck.

Over the years, the man and his list have matured. Recently, he drove across America with his father. “I asked him every question that I would have regretted not knowing the answer if he died,” Keoghan says.

As for me, my life lists are certainly still working. I’ve performed in The Vagina Monologues (before an audience that included my shocked in-laws), for instance, and driven 100 mph on the German autobahn.

Life lists can work for you, too. And these tips from the experts can help you get started.

Tap into your passions.
Before starting a list, consider this: If I were to take my last breath at 3 p.m. tomorrow, what will I regret not having done? “Many of us never take the time to identify our dreams and passions to make the shoulda, woulda, couldas happen,” Keoghan says.

Set a special day to make your list.
Each year, create your life list on a day that’s meaningful for you. Start by reviewing your previous year’s successes, accomplishments, and challenges. Then consider what you still want to have, to be, and to do, advises Jatrine Bentsi-Enchill, CEO of North Carolina–based InSite Corporate Coaching and Training.

Test your limits.
Don’t stick to ordinary tasks that you have never made time for or have avoided doing. Include challenges that take you into unfamiliar, even scary, territory. “Facing your fears will transform your life,” Keoghan says.

Revisit and revise—often.
Your life changes over time, so should your list. “Put it in a place where you see it every day. But don’t get stuck on the details,” advises clinical therapist Judith DiPerna, who says lists help her depressed and anxious patients feel more in control of their lives. Being flexible allows you to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way