I was recently reading an interview with the beautiful and famous actress Hema Malini in a popular magazine where she spoke about her life,career, marriage and children.When she was asked the million dollar question as to how she managed to keep herself looking so fit and glowing at the age of 60+ she gave all the credit to dance which was her passion in life. According to her she has remained fit and fine in mind and body not because she consciously tried to avoid illness by doing this and that, also looked glowing not because she was constantly in and out of beauty parlors but also because she has remained focused on what she loves the most - Dance.

But, later she did admit that one has to care for one's looks and the results are bound to show, more so if you have been taking care of yourself right froms the beginning.

To age gracefully is no longer a dream .It is however important to take steps early on to maintain a youthful present and future .The obvious manifestations of ageing are primarily on the skin. The key features that constitute skin ageing are wrinkling, sagging, dark patches and dryness of skin. Although it is difficult to eliminate these problems completely, a little care goes a long way in reducing their severity. It is important to adopt a life style and skin care routine for at least 3-6 months in most individuals with early skin ageing, this routine alone will stop further ageing and even reverse certain changes!

For thousands of years ever since the time of Cleopatra or even before that , women have been trying to turn back the clock with the hope  that they could somehow appear younger inspite of the advancing years and the inevitable signs of ageing that are visible. Nowadys with the advanced technology, new inventions and a changed life style and diet it is possible to look years younger, so much so that we get to see many celebrities looking many years younger than their true age!

What to Look For

1. Wrinkling normally appears as the layers of Collagen and Elastin under the epidermis which is the visible skin begin to thin.This happens most commonly on the face and neck first and later on your hands.Dryness and roughness of the skin results from the inability of the skin to retain moisture .This is more pronounced in hands and legs.Repeated exposure to detergents and other household chemicals increases the problem and in some cases even lead to eczema or skin inflammation ,rashes and itching.
2. Repeated Facial muscle activity like laughing and frowning tends to set certain lines on the face.These laugh lines , also known as crow's feet around the eyes and frown lines of the forehead are the most obvious age related changes seen after the 4th or 5th decade of life.
3. Sagging skin is another problem seen due to gravitational pull on the facial skin leading to drooping cheeks and formation of eye bags.Darkening of the skin or increased pigmentation is usually manifested more on the exposed areas of the body rather than the non exposed parts. Sun exposure to hormones stimulate Melanocytes the cells responsible for the color of the skin, to over produce the skin pigment leading to dark patches.
4. Due to the decreased elasticity of the skin, the pores on the skin start getting larger.These enlarged pores tend to retain dead skin cells and oil and this results in making the situation worse since the pores tend to get even larger.

Follow A Skin Care Timetable

Following a skin care routine takes care of most skin problems or at least delays their occurrence.

Diet is very important - Eat a diet that is rich in iron, Vitamin A B C E and K , minerals like zinc and Sulphur. This is easy because Greens ,Pulses ,Yogurt ,Garlic and Fruits take care most of these dietary needs .It is always better to get the essential food items in their natural form rather than taking them in the form of supplements. Make sure that you drink adequate quantity of water throughout the day.

Avoid smoking and over the limit liquor consumption -Studies have show more than once that smoking and alcoholism ( not social drinking ) are both bad for your looks. Smokers and Alcoholics manifest greater skin ageing than non smokers and non alcoholics.

Avoid using facial scrubs too often - The more scrubbing the more your skin tends to sag and become dry since natural oil gets eroded .So it is better to limit facial scrubs and instead concentrate on gentle wash and massage which is good for blood circulation and tightening of the skin .

Use Sun Screens and Lotions - UVA (Ultra violet A - long wave) and UVB (Ultra violet B - short wave) rays are both harmful for our skin and it is advisable to use a broad -spectrum sun screen lotion that protects you from both.This should be done every time you go out in the sun. Pampering the skin with a fragrance free and non Comedogenic ( which means a cream that does not aggravate or cause itching and rashes ) moisturiser and gentle cleansers helps in the long run in keeping your skin blemish free and looking soft and glowing.

It is also advisable to carry an umbrella or a scarf to protect your head and hair while you go out in the sun.Using skin care creams containing Tretinoin (Rich in Vitamin A) is also advisable.

Exercise is good - Many studies have shown that 6 months of moderate exercise 3 hours a week helps to restore Cardiovascular fitness to the baseline levels of 50+ individuals enjoyed 20 years ago when they were aged 30. Cardiovascular fitness is important from several aspects for individuals.It slows the process of hardening of the arteries (leading to heart attacks) thereby reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, keeps weight down (which means reduced blood pressure)and also reduces the risk of developing diabetes.

Be relaxed and stress free - The kind of lifestyle we lead these days can easily cause a great deal of stress and one should learn to manage stress effectively. Practicing relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga reduces what is called as Oxidative stress (which is nothing but an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and our system's ability to readily detoxify easily or repair the resulting damage) that plays a major role in the ageing process.Exercising the facial muscles regularly helps to maintain the tone and prevent wrinkling.

Finally, Aging as we all know is inevitable, but there's no reason why we can't make the process more enjoyable. Here, regular exercise can definitely help and in fact one can be sure that it promises better health, functional independence and a better quality of life as we age. It may also help slow the aging process by preventing or reducing the chances of disease and disability in seniors.Many older people feel that they are much happier being older and wiser comparerd to what they were when they were younger.