How to tell if your bra fits properly

Bocana Boutique, a fine women’s clothing store that also specializes in expert bra-fitting, has joined our 10 Years Younger … in Burlington! program to help Catherine look her best with the right bra.

Carol Boyko-Brodie, Bocana’s owner and manager, provides these tips for checking to see if your bra fits properly:

1. Does your bra fit snuggly below the shoulder blades on your back?
   
2. Do your shoulder straps dig in?
   
3. Do your wires at the side of the bra (under your arm) sit on bone or breast tissue?
   
4. Does the centre gore tack snuggly against your rib cage?

Carol emphasizes the importance of the correct bra size, stating that “you will look 10 pounds slimmer immediately!”

5 Hollywood secrets for staying young

I saw a program on Star! over the weekend called Staying Young in Hollywood. Dr. Stephen Mulholland of SpaMedica listed the top 5 secrets that Hollywood stars use to stay young.

1. Avoid sun exposure
   UV rays hasten the breakdown of collagen in the skin leading to wrinkles, rough skin texture and sagging skin (not to mention skin cancer).
2. Use medical-grade skincare products
   The skin is a good barrier and stops most products from penetrating. Medical-grade skincare products have been formulated to penetrate the skin tocreate the results you want and they have the research to prove it.
3. Use BOTOX® Cosmetic
   This really is the simplest and safest way to prevent and treat wrinkles caused by muscle contraction.
4. Use dermal fillers
   Dermal fillers can replace lost volume in the face, fill in a wrinkle and plump up your lips. Formulations like Teosyal are more purified and longer-lasting than earlier products.
5. Have IPL treatments
   Intense pulsed light treatments erase sun damage, broken capillaries and redness leaving the skin looking smoother and more even-toned.

And there is one more thing that Dr. Mulholland didn’t include in his top 5…

• Avoid cigarette smoke
  Smoking wreaks havoc on your skin, speeding up the destruction of collagen and giving you a grayish cast. Smoking can also stain your skin and hair yellow — not a pretty sight!

Are your hands giving your age away?

 I have met some wonderful vivacious women whose faces looked 10 or more years younger than their actual age but whose hands totally gave the game away.

The features that make us judge hands as being older include the brown discoloration of sun spots (some people call these age spots or liver spots), a dull rough skin texture, thinning of the skin and loss of tissue in the hands giving a skeletal experience.

A manicure helps to keep our hands looking younger but if you think your hands are giving away your age then you need the treatments below.

1. Chemical peels
   Medium-depth chemical peels help your hands by reducing sun spots, stimulating collagen formation and improving texture.
2. Uncross-linked hyaluronic acid injections
   Pure, uncross-linked hyaluronic acid adds 1000x its weight in moisture to your skin resulting in a plumper and more hydrated appearance.
3. Intense pulsed light (IPL)
   Shots of light target pigment in the skin, eradicating sun spots.
4. Pixel fractionated laser
   The Pixel laser stimulates new skin cell and collagen formation, resulting in thickening of the skin and improvement in texture and the appearance of sun damage.
5. Sculptra
   Sculptra injections stimulate the skin to make collagen, thickening and tightening the skin. Fat transplantations can do the same thing if you don’t mind a more surgical approach.

Dr. Rose Jeans
Advanced Rejuvenation Medical Spa

P.S. To read my analysis and recommendations for Faye Dunaway’s hands, please click here.

10 Things You Can Do Today to Look & Feel 10 Years Younger

This list is in no particular order. I suggest you pick the top 3 or 4 things that are most relevant to you so you’ll see the biggest impact in the shortest period of time.

1. Whiten your teeth.
   A whiter, brighter smile takes years off your look.
2. Have a professional makeup lesson.
   Most of us haven’t changed our makeup techniques in 20 years; new techniques will make you look prettier and more contemporary.
3. Have a hairstyle makeover.
   Let a good hairstylist tell you what would suit you and look up-to-date.
4. Get properly-fitting undergarments.
   Over 80% of us are in the wrong size bra. You will be amazed at how much better you will look and feel in the right size. You will look sleeker with the right shapewear as well.
5. Do a physical activity that you love.
   When is the last time you bopped around to your favorite music, went canoeing or played tennis? Doing an activity that you love will make you feel vibrant.
6. Eat more fiber.
   Being constipated makes you feel sluggish. Adding fiber to your diet will make you feel more energetic.
7. Drink more water.
   How many of us live on coffee? Switching to water will make your skin look better, make your head feel clearer and make everything work better in your body.
8. Use a Vitamin C serum.
   Vivier’s Vitamin C serum is one of the few products I know of that make an instant change to your appearance.
9. Get a new outfit (but let someone objective help you choose it).
   Go shopping with a frank and stylish friend or put yourself in the hands of a saleswoman you can trust. You need someone who will tell you what suits you and what looks fashionable to get you out of a fashion rut.
10. Learn to meditate.
    Meditation will erase the signs of strain and worry as you learn how to calm your mind.