Unfortunately, we all have to face the effects of time, quite literally. Although you might feel young at heart, your skin can be a big giveaway. Skin, being our largest organ, is directly influenced by our well-being and although the ageing process happens to us all, some will age better than others. Noticeable signs of skin ageing include thinning and wrinkling as cell products slows, sagging as less elastin and collagen are produced, age spots and dryness. The manufacturers in the cosmetic industry are continually striving to come up with the ultimate product to combat these unwanted associations with ageing.



There are basic lifestyle factors that impact upon the speed of the ageing process which we should all be familiar with. We all know that the sun is the most common damaging factor to our skin but did you know that without sun damage, we would probably not develop wrinkles until our 80s? Smoking also has multiple skin destroying effects. A smoker's skin is characterised by more wrinkles and a sallow/slightly grey complexion, resulting from poor circulation. Lack of sleep also has a strong adverse effect on our skin as it doesn't have enough time to repair and rejuvenate.

So the first step in slowing the ageing process is to protect your skin in the sun. Many moisturisers now include UV protection. Look for a minimum of SPF15. The next piece of advice is to ditch the cigarettes or avoid smoky atmospheres, this can also include polluted environments. Try and eat a well balanced diet to ensure your skin is receiving all the essential nutrients and drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated. Exercise regularly to improve circulation and aim to get in your 8 hours kip.

Now, having said all of this, in order to live our lives our skin is going to be subjected to damaging conditions. Well we can't sit in a dark room for the rest of our lives can we? That's why there is an array of creams, serums, scrubs and formulae out there all designed to help combat the signs of ageing. Although we are now also seeking a more dramatic result and going much further in our quest for the elixir of youth. Recent years have seen the remarkable increase in demands for cosmetic surgery. In particular men have shown that they are willing to pay thousands in an attempt to stop that clock ticking. They have been resorting to what is been dubbed "the lunchtime facelift", Botox. In fact Botox is the UK's no 1 non-surgical cosmetic treatment.

Botox, which is derived from the botulinum toxin A, is a diluted form of a food poison, which blocks nerve signals and causes paralysis. Wrinkles develop where muscles contract frequently, so paralysing facial muscles and preventing those contractions makes the area look smoother and less wrinkled.

Although many have reported pleasing results it is not wallet friendly. A single treatment can cost £200 upward for one treatment area. It is also not a permanent solution. In order to maintain and improve upon the results, it is usually necessary to have treatment every 3-4 months. Although Botox is viewed as a relatively safe procedure it can have some side effects which include weakness in neighbouring muscles, a droopy eyebrow or eyelid and headaches.

If the idea of Botox doesn't appeal but you but you still want to have similar results, you might be interested to know of Medik8's Pretox Injection Free Alternative To Botulinum Toxin Treatment.

It comes in the form of a gel which is applied to the skin, so no needles and no surgeons. Like Botulinum Toxin A, Pretox releases the amount of nerve stimulation on the local muscle tissue being targeted but unlike Botulinum Toxin A, Pretox does not paralyse the muscle completely.

Instead it gently and temporarily reduces the strength of specific muscle contractions, thus the formulation of new lines and wrinkles is reduced and old lines appear much less prominent - leaving you with smoother younger looking skin.

If you want results but want a safe and relatively inexpensive alternative to the harsh muscle paralysis treatment, then this is the products for you. This treatment comes in different levels depending on the severity of your wrinkles. Use Pretox10 for the earlier signs of ageing and Pretox20 for deeply formed wrinkles. Both have been proven to reduce wrinkles by up to 50% in just 30 days!

To find out more about this treatment or to purchase either products visit http://www.barkster.co.uk/pretox-m-22.html.