Let me share with you an indisputable fact- you are getting older.  And despite all the breakthrough products and procedures that you hear about daily from media outlets, you will continue to age no matter what.  There’s no way to change that.

As a certified skincare consultant, clients come into my office every single day expecting miracles because of what they heard in some type of sleazy sales pitch infomercial.  When I explain to them that what they saw was nothing more than a sham, they react like I just told them that Santa Claus wasn’t real.

And when clients tell me about wasting thousands of dollars on these magic cure-all serums, it literally breaks my heart every time.

I want for you to hear me loud and clear here- the term “anti-aging” is a myth.  It was probably created by some clever fellow in a marketing company.  Science simply cannot stop aging, no matter how hard we try.

Now, there are some amazing products on the horizon that could revolutionize this industry in years to come, and I’ll share each of them with you as they’re published in scientific journals.  These types of breakthroughs, however, go through a decade of testing and numerous double-blind studies before they are available on the open market.

We have these safeguards in place to ensure that anti-aging products can stand up to their claims.  That’s what dermatologists and skincare consultants use to recommend effective products.  Anyone who doesn’t “show the science” is not a part of this industry.

With that said, let’s take a look at some of the more alarming trends that con-artists are using to take advantage of you-

Products That Simply Do Not Work

Personally, I love shopping at Amazon.com for all sorts of things- it’s a great place to buy tech gadgets, books, household items and even gifts for friends out of state.  But I have to warn you about buying beauty and anti-aging products from these types of websites because people make outlandish claims that simply are not true.

To make matters worse, these companies will pay hundreds of people to leave them positive reviews in order to boost the visibility of their products, and by law they do not have to disclose which reviews are real and which were purchased.

Now, I’m not saying to never purchase anti-aging products from Amazon, but it is essential for you to do your homework beforehand.  I personally spend weeks researching and trying out every single product recommendation that I make to you gals, but other people definitely are not as diligent.  So be very careful in that regard.

Overpriced Luxury Treatments

Likewise, I wish that I had a dollar for every person who has asked me if a luxury spa treatment was a good investment.  Medically speaking, many of the exfoliating and cleansing treatments do have a short-term rejuvenating effect.  And just going somewhere to be pampered for the day is highly therapeutic by itself- remember that stress can age you almost as quickly as the sun.

So my answer is always yes- spa treatments are a solid investment.  But that’s not what people are really asking me.  They really want to know if luxury spa establishments have secret minerals and healing agents that will benefit them long-term.  And that answer is a resounding no- you can receive the same ingredients at your local Wal-Mart; they just won’t smell as pretty.

If you want advanced anti-aging treatments for long term health, then the only place to go is your local dermatologist’s office.  They will help you create an extended plan to keep you looking great based on sound medical advice.  This is also the only way you can receive advanced treatments not available to the general public.

Dangerous Medical Procedures

Finally, let’s talk about the latest craze sweeping the nation- regaining youth via surgery and other medical procedures.

I have mixed emotions here because many procedures are beneficial for restoring long-term health.  In the near future, science will be able to effectively combat things like obesity and dozens of other real-world problems.  For instance, I truly believe that we are within 5-8 years of curing cancer completely.

But when we start talking about cool sculpting, breast augmentation, facelifts and other many procedures that have countless possible side-effects, I start to get pretty nervous.  While I’m not strictly against these types of procedures, I am begging you to do your homework before even considering these types of life-altering treatments.

My Parting Thoughts

I will continue to do everything in my power to give you the best possible anti-aging advice, and I will definitely share the latest skincare discoveries that come across my desk.  I am pleading with you, however, to be vigilant in doing your homework before spending your hard-earned money on products and treatments that seem too good to be true.

What I’m trying to say here is that I think you’re beautiful just the way you are and you don’t need science or snake-oil salesmen to tell you any different.  Please remember that.