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Not long ago, in the previous century/millennium, women and men aged gracefully. They proudly accepted the fate of their faces; no one was bothered by wrinkles, crevices or even gray hair.

The flower children are surely to blame. Those hippies of yesteryear firmly believed that they would always look like they did when they were swinging through the 60's, 70's and 80's.

It was when the drug companies formed an alliance with opportunistic physicians did they realize how desperately people clung to their youthful appearance. They began to formulate lotions and potions, injections that plump and paralyze and other modalities that would prop up aging faces and satisfy the longing caused by a nation preoccupied with looking young.

These temporary courses of treatment were soon accepted by the masses. In fact, the desired effect of just looking in the mirror became painful if the visage looking back was beginning to show signs of aging.

Spending after tax dollars to chase the youth factor has kept Big Pharma in the research and development business because they want to hook you into believing that you are not pretty or handsome if you are not using their products.

Celebrities were the first to use most every concoction distributed. It was and still is easy to spot those television and film stars who use fillers and paralyzing injections. Even though producers and directors might cringe because the scene lacks believability when emotions are thwarted if the face does not naturally respond, it does not stop the men and women on our screens from using these items.

The same goes for surgical procedures. These users of surgery and injections would like you to believe that that they look years younger because Mother Nature has been so very kind to them.

John Q. Public needs to know that fooling with your good looks can have dire consequences and that there is no need to go into debt or spend thousands of dollars needlessly on something that must be repeated and repeated year after year.

Consequences are increasing now that MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) has reared its ugly head. These super strains of bacteria and infection produce grave health concerns.

The administration of anesthesia can also create unwanted side effects; couple that with risky procedures and you have the recipe for disaster * The Perfect Storm!

Every procedure, every injection is risky.

Cutting perfectly healthy tissue, re-draping the skin and suturing it back together should be thoroughly considered as a life-threatening event.

Allowing anyone to inject your body, your face with serums that have not been fully tested or explored is ludicrous. Most injections used by the medical community have not had extensive testing to show results for long-term use. You are pretty much on your own insofar as long term use is concerned.

Perhaps you are thinking there is no hope for your aging face. Well, there is and it doesn't involve anything that would cause harm, disfigurement or risk.

Treating the cause of an aging face begins and ends with exercise.

If you are wearing a droopy, sagging face, it is because the muscles that support the skin are no longer taut. Instead they are headed south because they lack exercise. Exercise for the face will plump up the muscles, force oxygenate blood to the tissues and help you look years younger when you dedicate only a few minutes per day to a routine.

Do not believe for one minute that surgery or injections will work faster, better, longer than facial exercise. They will not. Just because sutures have been removed and the suture line looks less red than it did initially, does not mean you are healed from an invasive procedure. It takes months and months, maybe even a year or more for complete healing to occur.

If you erroneously believe that those paralyzing and plumping injections have stopped the aging process, think again. Aging continues to affect the downward slide of your facial muscles even if they are propped up and paralyzed.

As the old adage says, "You cannot fool Mother Nature." Be safe, exercise your face and look recognizable for many years to come.