A recent study showed that facial plastic surgery may make some look younger (not by much – the average was a mere three years younger), but it does not make them look any more attractive. While this is of course surprising since most people get plastic surgery to be more attractive, brace yourself for the next fact this study uncovered. Plastic surgery on your face can actually make you look less attractive than you were before the surgery.

This is the polar opposite effect of what most people are trying to achieve by going under the knife. Most reported getting facial plastic surgery to look more youthful and beautiful. It is worth noting that while both men and women get this type of surgery, women were in the majority. Men are increasingly “getting work done” though as it becomes more socially acceptable.

Procedures like eye lifts, face lifts, facial muscle paralyzing injections and other lifting and tightening procedures, sometimes have the undesired effect of looking “off”. Even some very high-profile celebrities have shunned these types of procedures saying that they looked scary, frozen or simply unnatural when they tried them.

So, why risk undergoing something that can really alter your face? Why not just improve on what you have? With many of these newer non-invasive technologies, you can still look naturally beautiful, emote as you normally do, and preserve the integrity of the underlying foundation that makes you look like YOU?

Home Infrared Red Light Therapy

There are multiple inexpensive options for administering skin rejuvenating infrared red light therapy now. These devices range in price from $50 on the low end to over $500 on the higher end. Some report pretty great results in the softening of wrinkles and plumping of the skin or fading of age and sun spots.

The catch? Well, not really a catch since even invasive procedures require some sort of upkeep if you really think about it. It takes patience, dedication and repetition to get and retain results. You must use these devices regularly to get the results you desire, and upkeep is necessary to maintain the results. But it is a totally natural and reliable way to help stimulate collagen production, even out the skin tone and keep the skin glowing and radiant over time.

Red infrared light is also very healing to the skin and can help repair damaged skin with repeated use – it is something that is used in spas and dermatologist offices to speed skin and deep tissue recovery. It can also be used for joint pain and discomfort to help calm inflammation.

Microneedle therapy

As the name implies, this treatment has the potential to be unpleasant. Also called dermarolling, microneedle therapy is a process where one rolls a wheel with tiny surgical needles over their skin. The needles range in length from 1 mm to 2 or more mm.

The goal is to stimulate collagen production by subtly wounding the skin, and helping the skin to regenerate new skin which is younger and smoother. It can be painful, so some people choose to use a numbing cream or ice their skin before a session. Use this in combination with a good hyaluronic acid serum for awesome results.

The device itself is extremely cost effective, ranging in price from just under $20 to the higher end of $50 to $100. It can also be used to help smooth acne and other types of scarring. Since it punctures tiny holes in the skin, it helps with product absorption if you use a cream or serum of some sort after you treat your skin.

Facial exercises

Exercising your facial muscles is pretty much crucial to maintain the structure underlying your face as you age. The defining muscles beneath the surface begin to slacken and lose their tone and “lift” as we age. Just like we work out the muscles in our arms, legs and abs, so should we work on our facial muscles.

Most facial exercises can be found on YouTube or other helpful sites like SelfGrowth.com that give exact visual instructions. They don’t take a whole lot of your time, and most can be done while you’re sitting at your desk reading emails, driving to work, or watching television.

These exercises address another crucial component of aging. That is, to keep the foundation of the facial skin in shape. When the underlying structure of the face is toned and lifted, it provides a great foundation upon which the canvas of your skin lays.