Unfortunately, we live in a society that is obsessed with appearances and age. This is especially true when it comes to the entertainment industry. There’s a reason why you don’t see that many older people in film and television, and in particular there is a lack of older women on the scene. According to the University of Southern California, a study of 500 popular films revealed that less than a quarter of all speaking parts were for women between the ages of 40 and 64. This is even less than the 36% of part given to men in the same age group. While nobody should feel lesser because of their age or appearance, many people do feel better when they look younger, and certainly an active lifestyle not only has people looking good for a longer period of time, but feeling good as well. Looking and feeling good isn’t about pursuing a fad-like “30 day challenge”. It’s about changing your lifestyle, and lifestyle medicine services can help people do this. It’s an anti aging approach that focuses less on a purely cosmetic effect, but an effect on the patient’s overall health. Lifestyle medicine services include everything from cosmetic procedures to assistance in quitting harmful habits like smoking. Let’s look into how these services make a real difference.

Lifestyle Medicine Services: Cosmetic Procedures

Let’s get cosmetic procedures out of the way before we move on to more long-term approaches to lifestyle medicine services. Not all cosmetic procedures involve major surgery. Some of them aren’t even permanent, allowing people to try a procedure without committing to it in the long term. (And in such cases, these procedures can often be repeated and maintained should the patient wish it.) One of the least invasive, most popular cosmetic procedures on the market is Botox, otherwise known as botulinum toxin injections. Botox injections essentially freeze the surrounding area they’re applied to, preventing the creation of fine lines and wrinkles. They’re temporary, with different amounts of Botox lasting for different amounts of time. And for that matter, they’re popular — in 2012, 489,000 Botox injections were administered to people between the ages of 19 and 34, up from 220,000 in 2002. However, these injections are not only administered for cosmetic reasons. They’ve also been known to help prevent headaches through their numbing qualities. There are many other minimally invasive cosmetic procedures that can be done at clinics specializing in concierge medicine, including smartlipo. But these clinics can also help people change the way they live life, and thus how they look and feel.

Lifestyle Changes: Getting Better Through Good Habits

There are many small ways in which we can damage our bodies — and many small ways in which can repair and prevent that damage. For example, every time you go outside you risk sun damage to your skin, which can cause the appearance of premature aging or even skin cancer. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy the sun; just protect yourself while doing so. It’s recommended that people should apply sunscreen every two hours each time after a person has gone swimming. Applying sunscreen daily during your morning routine can make a big difference as well. Then there’s physical activity. Many of us aren’t as active as we should be, a fact which can have major negative effects on people’s health. Just thirty minutes of modest exercise three to five days a week can have positive health effects; with that being said, exercise every day obviously would have even stronger benefits. It’s extremely important that you cut down on as many bad habits as possible. Tobacco, for example, is linked to many different cancers. However, it also ages people very quickly indeed. Cutting tobacco out of your life as much as possible can help you live longer, and look good while doing so. Alcohol should also be decreased or cut out entirely.

Remember: this is the only body you’ll ever get. Take care of it!