Reverse bad diet effects with good diet and supplements. Possible?

I don't know if I am paranoid, but my laugh lines seems to be slightly different than before.

I always feel bad, if bad dieting and junk food may have accelerated aging. But what I want to know is, if we stop eating such things and eat really healthy, and also take the nutritional supplements, can the damages caused by bad dieting be reversed? So for example, if bad food accelerates aging does that mean game over, or we can eat healthily and take supplements and regenerate and reverse it as well?

Also, I've been working out, don't know if that losing weight effects the laugh lines (also called Nasolabial folds). I'm in my late 20s btw.

Also, started using the powerbreathe just two days ago. Could this make our laugh lines worse?

I'm one of those types who doesn't really take the diet all the way.

I tend to eat a lot of "civilized" food because I eat out *a lot*

My best estimate is, that 1000 mg of Carnosine not to be confused with carnitine, is your best bet to reverse the lines,
at least keep them at bay.

I stack it with lipoic acid and ALC.

Short answer is yes, diet and supplements can counteract years of crappy lifestyle.  I'm fighting that battle right now, and it's working, and I'm a lot older than you.  

Good news is, the sooner you start fighting and the more disciplined you are (that is, don't lapse back into your crappy lifestyle), the better chance you have of completely overcoming whatever damage you've done.

Certain supplments also are more beneficial than others.  I've recently become a really, really big fan of pure MSM powder for anti-aging.  I started only a month ago and it seems to be doing really good things for my skin.  It was a hella detox for a couple of weeks but now I seem to be seeing some really great results.  Skin just looks better, feels more hydrated, seems tighter, and best of all a little area of inflammation that's been right across the bridge of my nose for years that nothing else has ever touched seems to be fading.  But there are other supplements for skin, including CoQ10, vitamin C (esp. liposomal), silica (I take biosil but am open to other suggestions), biotin, and lycopene.  Those are my faves.

Edited to add: MSM also seems to have decreased my shedding and positively affected my hair, although it hasn't been long enough to tell if this is a blip or a real trend.

I also take RALA, l-carnitine fumarate, L-lysine, and carnosine, like CS suggested.  I've not really noticed any changes in skin with these like with the ones I mentioned above, but take them on faith because they're universally recommended for overall health.

That said, late 20's is about the age where your face does start to change, and you'll never look 18 again no matter what supplements you take.  Personally, I think many if not most people look *better* in their late '20's and '30's than in their teens and early 20's.   When some lines start to develop it gives definition and character to a face that before that may have been smooth and "baby fat".   Just MHO.  I definitely started liking my own face better when I hit about 28.

Also, men have an advantage over women in that regard.  Lines tend to make men look distinguished.  Women just start to look old.    Double standard but there ya go.

Losing weight can definitely cause sag and new facial characteristics to become noticeable, like nasolabial folds.  Everyone develops them eventually, it's just about degree.  Losing weight can make them noticeable more quickly.

If you're concerned about lines and keeping your face in shape, try facial exercises.  Except for Tom Hagerty most of the systems out there are for women, but there are some very good ones.  They all have merit since they're just taking the little muscles of the face, isolating them, and working them.  It's the same principle as exercising the rest of your muscles...fills them out and so everything looks better.  Also gets blood and nutrients circulating to the face, etc.  You skin fills out, everything's tauter, more toned, healthier looking, etc.

You also feel better when you do facial exercise.  Your face is more "mobile", like when you're a kid.  It's easier to smile and laugh. Your eyes and eyebrows feel more lifted.  As we age our faces can get kind of "frozen" into the same expression, especially if we're desk jockeys or in professions that don't require a whole lot of interaction with other people.  We don't realize it because it happens gradually, but it happens.  Usually this freezing is at best a neutral, non-smiling position, but at worst is a frown, because smiling involves too many muscles for it to be the standard neutral expression, and frowning is actually easier than even a neutral expression.  Doing facial exercises regularly is an effective way to counteract this freezing.

My favorite facial exercise systems are Eva Frasier, Tom Hagerty, Carolyn's Facial Fitness, and FlexEffect by Deb Crowley.  Flex Effect might have the most appeal to men who lift because she has been a competition body builder for most of her life, and that defines her approach to facial exercise.  It's actually a whole system of facial building.

Tom Hagerty's exercises are also purported to help with hair regrowth, although I  can't vouch for that.

Best thing to do with facial exercise systems is rotate them.  They're all a little different, and like with exercise for the body, periodically changing things up will net you the most gains.

good advices here. Would add a vitamin K2 as suggestion...

Yes, great post whodathunkit.  That said...

Also, men have an advantage over women in that regard.  Lines tend to make men look distinguished.  Women just start to look old.  Laughing  Double standard but there ya go.

In my observation, older women tend to look better than most older men.  But I think that's because women are more attuned to their appearance.  Plus we have the
makeup/hair color advantage.   

The work of Dr. Benjamin Frank is worth checking out.  He wrote "Dr. Frank's No Aging Diet" back in the 70's.  The diet is based on foods high in nucleic acid.   I can vouch for its effectiveness
although I don't follow it religiously.  http://www.amazon.com/Franks-No-Aging-Diet-Benjamin-Frank/dp/0440119081

He was more about sardines, and Dr. Perricone is more about salmon, but I have a hunch Perricone was inspired by Dr. Frank's work.  

Oh, and you are so right about face exercises.  They work - if you do!

Edit: found this recommendation from CS in another thread:

http://www.iherb.com/Life-Extension-RNA-500-mg-100-Capsules/4375?at=hil335

The short reason is that a study shows a 40% reduction in wrinkles.

Just ordered it myself.   

I found a book on Amazon that is called BODY ELECTRONICS. This is a quote from the book description: " Body electronics is a self-healing system that utilizes nutrient saturation through diet and supplementation." I haven't read it yet, but I ordered it immediately. If you go to Amazon, you can read a lot of the book by clicking on "Look Inside." There are also a lot of used ones--I think it's been around a while.

DEFINITELY start doing some kind of face care program into your regimen. i learned a lot over at www.skincaretalk.com

they basically state that you need to be wearing sunscreen daily (only certain kinds are good, not the walmart type brands, specific ingredients, check their forum) and vitamin C serum is pretty huge there. i was doing this daily, but i've kinda slacked off, but i still apply good creme to my face everyday.

outside of that, when i started doing ray peat, i noticed the skin oil in my face started producing like crazy. the sebum stuff. i'm pretty sure the lack of this is what causes a lot of aging because you will notice over time, people produce less of this. many young people have very moisturized skin. i still haven't figured out how to optimize it because it will come and go, but i think what everyone else is saying about diet and different supps, it will start to produce naturally once your body is in good alignment.

but for sure, check out skincaretalk and do a regimen there. that is a given and will help greatly.

Yah, Delphine, you have a point. Maybe I should have said "men between the ages of 40 - 60" tend to look better than women of those ages. For whatever reason (maybe estrogen dominance/estrogen imbalances?) the majority of women don't seem to age as well as the majority of men during those decades. Of course there are exceptions, but generally speaking that's what I see. But after that it equalizes for a while, and then men do seem start losing ground as we all get older. And yet, despite this, it's said that the rate of STD's in these geriatric demographics is rising faster than any other. How gross is that?

I've thought about ordering that RNA, myself. You may have just pushed me into it. More pills. Yay!

misty, let us know how you like the book. Always looking at stuff like this.

Speaking of the female aging process, I think it has to do with two primary causes that are different than men.

There is that decline of the safe and weak estrogen (estriol) that helps keep skin taught, this is found in the topical RejuvePlex for a more youthful appearance.

The other factor is when women stop menstruating, that iron rapidly accumulates, creating a slurry of inflammation.
Donating blood regularly at this point not only extends appearance, but also extends life.

So...it looks like you guys took the CP's out of Rejuveplex. When did you do that? That was stopping me from buying it. I may give it a try now. I actually like CP's (they appear to be an effective anti-wrinkle strategy over the long term) but became concerned about absorbed copper and so stopped using them.

Nice to see the thread got a lot of responses. Thanks guys.

Will definitely get carnosine, MSM and RNA, and also look into the facial exercises.

A few things I'd like to note is this.

I also seem to have noticed this change after I started going to the gym. Things that have changed since going to the gym are:

I'm taking creatine, CLA, whey protein shakes, and obviously the work out. Can any of the supplements have an effect on the face? Its not just the nasolabial fold I'm concerned about, but the side of my cheeks, below the sideburns close to the ear area. It seems like I am noticing a hollowness for some reason. Could supplements like creatine have a temporary effect on facial muscles as well?

Another thing I was wondering were my teeth. Could the foods we chew while eating exert pressure on the muscles while eating? Together with the creatine, eating hard tough foods like steak would be a big work out for the face muscles, altering its look.

Some people on skin forums also not that drinking from straws is a bad idea because the shape the mouth is in when drinking. Well I haven't been using straws, but I have been using those whey shakes cup where you would similarly effect jaw and cheeks when drinking.

I really wish there was some center to scan the face to rule out paranoia with regards to these things. I can never tell if its in my head or not? Or perhaps taking younger people as a baseline would give us an idea what is due to aging and what is not.

MikeGore - Those are interesting questions.

I drink from straws a lot....it hasn't presented any problems for me.

I suspect that smokers are significantly more susceptible to that "straw effect" only because the nicotine reduces the repair of collagen by two thirds, not to mention the vitamin C reduction, which is a collagen supporter.

I eat a lot of steak too, probably not a bad work out for the muscles... I've seen these facial like muscle devices that claim to improve facial tone. They appear to work, although it seems might be a bit of a chore.

Doing certain things to the face will definitely affect the shape of it.  There are some facial exercises, for example, that are known for causing certain facial characteristics like hollow cheeks, or the dreaded "monkey mouth" (where the lips develop a pursed look like a chimp's).  I developed monkey mouth once.  Yikes!  Good new is if you figure out what's causing your undesired characteristic you can correct it by stopping that exercise (or repetitive motion or whatever) or balancing it properly with another exercise/motion.  Balancing the muscles in your face is key to a good look, just like with the muscles on your body.  

IMHO you probably just need to stop sucking so hard on that sippy cup, Mike.  

Seriously, just start taking the top off to drink out of it, see what happens to your cheek hollows after a couple of weeks.

Another thing that can affect how your face looks is what position you sleep in.  If you sleep with your face smushed into the pillow (on your stomach with head turned to side is the worst, but even sleeping on your side isn't very good) it can help you to develop some different lines on your face, including nasolabial lines.  

I know the way I sleep (stomach when I was younger, now on my side) has helped to age my face, but I just haven't had the discipline to train myself to sleep on my back (supposedly the most anti-aging sleep position).  So I live with the consequences.   

I also know there's a theory out there that says the refining of our food supply is responsible for the changing shape of the human face and the increasing malformations of the human palate (not enough room for wisdom teeth, general crowding of non-wisdom teeth resulting in the need for orthodontia, etc.).  It's not just about refined food and poor nutrition, the theory goes that because we don't have to work as hard at chewing our facial muscles don't pull on our bones as hard so our jawbones and palates don't form properly.   Then we pass these characteristics down to our children and everything gets compounded.  That's kind of a rude explanation of it since I haven't really thought about it in a while, but it makes sense to me.

Point being, yeah, I think eating steak and food you have to grind with your back molars before you can swallow without choking on it can change the shape of your face if you do it often enough.  It can maybe even make you look weird if your jaw muscles are being overworked relative to the muscles in the upper part of your face.

Then there's the Jawcerciser, I use it.
http://www.jawcerciser.com

I was interested in the iron overload idea so I did a search. According to a UCLA study,
mature women are less at risk for this than mature men.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2012/mar2012_Excess-Iron-Brain-Degeneration_01.htm

The UCLA study demonstrated that lifelong menstruation grants most mature women beneficially lower brain iron levels and affords significant protection against early onset of neurodegenerative brain disorders.

Very informative article.

A bit more on the comparative aging of men and women -- let's not forget women are the ones who go through childbirth. Takes a huge toll on our bodies.
Anyway, I'm 60+ and I flatter myself that I'm still cute. Got to work on it, of course.

I've heard that about sleeping position/lines but I'm afraid that like you whodathunkit, I just can't make myself sleep only on my back. I think Lauren Hutton does that and
she's a good example of the benefits. This is her at 69 (also, she hasn't had children):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2324632/If-I-hadnt-poor-I-model-Lauren-Hutton-travel-taking-risks-eternal-tomboy.html

So, not impressed with Lauren Hutton at 69? How bout me at 64?

 

You both look fabulous, dahlink!  Hope I'm doing that good "...when I'm 64!"  < /Beatles in my head >  

BTW, always been a big fan of Lauren Hutton. Fabulous, enviable bone structure.

whodathunkit wrote:You both look fabulous, dahlink!  Hope I'm doing that good "...when I'm 64!"  < /Beatles in my head >  

Thanks! Yeah, I sang that song on my b'day  

BTW, always been a big fan of Lauren Hutton.  Fabulous, enviable bone structure.  

I agree.  She has a beautiful spirit, also.

I really believe we all have the potential to stay healthy and looking good with the passing years.  In fact, I don't think
the years in themselves have any "aging power."  We age because we expect to, and we see it in those around us, who are also
expecting it.

For some reason I seem to have noticed a slight hallowing on the side of my face, near the ear. I think the closest muscle is the Maseter muscle. Another thing is I have moved house recently, so I'm also thinking what if I am seeing my face slighty differently since windows (lighting conditions) and mirror positions are different, add to that my paranoia and maybe I think its something new.

The odd thing is I have observed people older than me and not everyone seems to have it. So is this about aging, or something else? Its hard to describe and I've come across very little info online, but I've also noticed that people after a certain age, seem to have their upper cheekbones, and side of their face almost look slightly swollen, and oddly has a shined look to it as well, dunno if you guys know what I mean. Isn't it too early to have slightly hallowing next to the ear on the side of the face?

Its so annoying that people have issue with weight gain as they age, yet the facial fat is difficult to gain. How do we increase the roundness of the face?

Mike, have you tried any facial exercises?

Sadly, once facial fat and collagen is lost it doesn't really come back. What plumps our faces when we're young is a combo of collagen, strategically placed young adipose, and firm youthful muscle. We lose all of that as we age.

But you *can* plump up all your facial muscles with exercise, kind of like getting when you get pumped at teh gym. There are some good facial systems out there. The small muscles of the face are easily affected by exercise (much more easily than, say, biceps or quadriceps), so a minimal amount of consistent effort with facial exercises usually produces good results. Building your upper cheek muscles so that they are plump can lift your skin so it doesn't sag around your jaw line as much, for example. The muscle fills out the skin, which gives the lift.

You can also take supplements to help minimize losing any more collagen. Vitamin C is key, as is coQ10, silicon, zinc, copper, biotin. MSM has given my skin a nice glow.

Ever since I've turned 30 I've been noticing wrinkles on people's faces and getting paranoid of my own face. Like for instance I have noticed a lot of people in their mid 30s have cross feet and wrinkles on their eyelids. When they smile their cheeks push the skin on the side of their face causing a strange wrinkle near the eye.

But I don't know if its normal to have these at any age like when we were teenagers. And strangely I don't remember looking at my face with so much detail before that now I don't know what is normal and what is not. I should have taken notes of these when I was fifteen :-)

I used to think that we don't need to be concerned about wrinkles until we are way into our 40s, or did I learn this wrong all this time.

Skin and collagen is gradually worsening, rehydration and boosting structure via supplementation is possible. There are plenty useful energetic things one can do to improve skin simptoms. Fat people usually have better looking facial skin. It's not good comparison as there is plenty of ''disease'' in this fat...

Yes

carnosine would be best - but may do nothing for hair regrowth.




see my thread for a list of anti-glycation supplements

maybe astaxanthin too ? but it does nothing for hair loss

Listen children,listen to the truth and hard cold facts.
When you eat a food,before even making its way to the stomach its being excreted through the lymph glands and every pore of
your face first and then the body...

When you eat crappy foodS non suitable for human consumption aka meat,,pasta,heavy cooked food,rice,junk,fish,cheese,eggs milk you create acids! GET FUCKING THIS.
TAKE A FUCKING SALIVA PH PAPER AND TEST THE PH OF YOUR MOUTH ...

Now lets go to simple mathematics.What does acid means...It means a LOT OF CELL WASTE.
THIS CELL WASTE HAS TO GET OUT OF THE BODY....

So when you eat the above foods or when you are under stress  or do prolonged heavy exercises
your body temperature increases due to the acids and the cell waste trying to get out of your body.

WHAT IS DIFFUSE THINING? Definition by panoslydios.

Diffuse thinning is the loss of hair  all over the scalp area,due to the pores being suffocated from fat,cell waste(dead skin cells)
and oils.Its that simple.The cell waste can come from bad food,stress,sweat trapped and solidify suffocating the follicle.
ITS THAT SIMPLE.THERE IS NO FUCKING LOGIC THAT A HEALTHY CLEAN NON CLOGGED PORE CANT PRODUCE HEALTHY HAIR.

Though every now and then avocados and healthy oils help lubricate the whole area.
The secret is the BALANCE between sugars,oils,and proteins...

Proteins and fat mess up the tissues in the long term.We all been There .We still want to believe .
But truth tell us otherwise,And we try to reverse that with bad supplements.

I totally disagree

Guys on finasteride regrow hair and still eat junk