I have to admit something: I have not given much thought to my bones when it comes to anti-aging. I don’t take calcium supplements (or didn’t) — because I take so many other things already – whine, whine, whine. And osteoporosis? That’s something old women get. I don’t have to worry about that yet. Wrong. Our facial bones undergo a decrease in density too and we can begin to see changes as early as in our 40’s. This bone loss, in addition to the decrease in facial fat, causes the loss of volume typically associated with an aged face.You remember the “shrinkage” episode from Seinfeld? Well, men aren’t the only ones that have to worry about shrinkage. We have to worry about facial boner shrinkage.
Now, are you paying attention? I am.
Facial aging is a result of a multitude of changes — to the skin, muscle, fat, and the facial skeleton too. And the bony parts of our faces are as important or more important to the overall youthful contours of our faces. They provide the scaffolding or framework that determines the shape and position of the fat, muscle and skin that drapes above them.
I read this example: imagine the bones of your face as if it were a table and the soft tissues as a tablecloth. If the table starts to shrink there is less surface area for the tablecloth to properly drape. The tablecloth will fold and sag.
In other words, if (when) our framework experiences a loss of density from aging, we will experience sagging— especially of the soft tissues that drape around the mouth.
THE RESULT OF FACIAL BONE AGING
Now I hate to be the bearer of bad news as it applies to aging. My desire is to give you the good news. But remember, I’m just the messenger. I’m sharing this with you because I feel that if your goal is to look younger, then you need to understand what makes you look older.
The aging of the facial bones is important to understand, and most importantly not to be overlooked. This is what happens…
• the bones of the eye socket gradually widen causing droopy lids
• the brow bone recedes
• the jawbone becomes less defined. The aging of the upper and lower jawbone contributes greatly to the midfacial soft tissue descent. Early signs of aging are always more pronounced around the mouth. scientist have discovered with the use of CT scans that there are rotation and displacement of those bones the upper lip slides down and rolls inward making the upper lip thinner happening as we age
if that weren’t bad enough, the bone loss in this area causes an accordion-like draping of the soft tissue that scientists have termed the concertina effect. It’s the droopy tablecloth.
Now listen here all you teeth clenchers: this condition happens earlier for you or those suffering from TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) because of additional wear and tear. If you suffer from this, it is advised to use a mouth guard at night to prevent premature aging around the mouth. You can also get Botox injected into the masseter muscles which is located on the side of the chin to soften it and reduced clenching. Hint: this also helps lift the sides of your mouth.
(source)
SO WHAT DO WE DO?
There are ways to mitigate the damage caused by our aging bones — for a while at least.
Eat for strong bones: Take in adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Include low-fat, vitamin D-enriched dairy foods such as yogurt and cottage cheese in your diet regularly.
The best way to get a bone-healthy diet is to eat plenty of leafy greens. They give you calcium, vitamin K, potassium, and other nutrients needed for healthy bones.
Another way to get strong bones is by eating protein which is good for our muscles too.
Supplements: If you avoid dairy as a lot of people do, take supplements.
Calcium: 1,000 to 1,300 mg of per day.
Vitamin D3: At least 500 IU of vitamin D daily. This depends on where you live. If you live in sunny climates, you may need less. To make sure, ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels to know if you’re deficient. I’m going to write an entire post on this vitamin because its responsible for so many functions in our bodies.
Magnesium: low magnesium appears to be a risk factor for osteoporosis.
*When it comes to supplements its important that you first check with your healthcare provider. I’m providing guidelines only but it may vary according to individual needs.
AND OTHER THINGS
Quit smoking. You should know this already (and I won’t mention any names here, but I have a couple of friends who still smoke, and they know who they are). It’s bad for your health, it’s bad for your skin, and as a bonus, it promotes bone loss.
Sculptra: This is a synthetic poly-L-lactic acid-based sugar acid filler that acts as a collagen bio-stimulator. The difference between this and a hyaluronic acid filler like Restylane is that Sculptra only hangs around under the skin for two months. During that time, the body creates a foreign body-like reaction that comes in to surround the product. The result is new collagen and elastin that counteracts the loss of volume. It’s a bulking agent that is great for correcting the effects of shrinking bones and can last up to two years. The qualified injector can imitate bone volume, especially around the jaw bone and cheeks. make sure you get a provider who is practiced with this filler since it’s injected differently than the others (deeper).
I have used this filler, and I have to say, that for me, and the shape of my face, it works better than Restylane or Perlane — which I’ve also tried. I think I need a refill soon because it’s been over two years. If you’re curious about this product you can DM or email me. I’ll also be sure to write a post about it when I get my refill.
Okay, so this is one of those topics where one (I ) can get really discouraged because unless you undergo drastic measures, like facial implants, there is little we can do for long-term facial boner shrinkage (by the way, I made that term up, obviously).
Believe me, I tried to find the solution for you and for me. In fact, I became a little obsessed. I even thought about somehow, some way, lifting weights for my face. Is that even possible? Weight-bearing exercises are good for body bones so, ya know, I just thought it could work. Someone, invent something!
I don’t like taking no for an answer and this was basically the same thing as big no. No, there is no scientifically proven way to drastically improve bone loss in the face. So I repeat my aging mantra “do what your anti-aging best and release the rest.” We do what we have control over and not stress about what we have no control over. A metaphor for life.
xoxo,
V