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Everything from facials to laser treatments can help you look your best, but don’t forget to be proactive about taking care of yourself between procedures. One habit that may help fight the effects of aging over the long-term is flossing.

Dr. Eugene Antenucci explained to MSNBC for a recent article that you leave 40 percent of your teeth dirty with bacteria if you’re not flossing, which causes staining and yellowing between and around teeth.

Too much plaque can lead to gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease. Gum disease symptoms include red, swollen, or bleeding gums, receding gums, and the formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums, according to WebMD. If left untreated, gum disease can end with tooth loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your teeth.

“You register an older look because you see more spaces, less and uneven gum tissue,” according to Antenucci, a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry.

Eventually gum disease can cause the bones underneath to dissolve away, explains Dr. Donald Clem, a dentist in Fullerton, Calif. “In later stages of periodontal disease we would see disfigurement in terms of caving in of the lips and cheek and wrinkles around the lips and cheeks.”

A range of cosmetic services, from Botox to a chemical peel, can help your skin look its best—and so can habits that you do every day, such as flossing and wearing sunscreen.

Every day, our bodies naturally produce evidence of what we consume. However, the process is much more complicated than the old adage “you are what you eat.” Research shows that a cell-level battle is raging within each of us — a battle between the natural process of aging and the natural systems that help us resist that very process.

For instance, let’s look at oxygen. Oxygen is everywhere; it is in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and in the food we eat and unfortunately, oxygen has a natural tendency to combine with cellular processes in our skin to produce free radicals. Once produced, these agents become the enemy of our skin tissue. Much like the effects of oxygen on metal, which causes oxidation and eventually rust, our bodies experience inflammation, and this inflammation can take many forms. On the skin, inflammation can make your pores look bigger and complexion look duller. Discoloration, wrinkles, acne, and even eczema are also related to the damaging effects of oxidation-related inflammation.

What can we do? Well, consider the fact that Vitamins A, C, and E are “antioxidant rich” adversaries of the free radicals that hide in our cells and attack our skin. Consider that Selenium is a mineral that experts agree is critical to the production of glutathione, another enemy of free radicals. Consider that Thiamine is a B vitamin that helps skin cells function normally. Consider that Zinc assists epidermal cell growth, that protein is essential for skin repair, and finally, that Vitamin C helps the body naturally manufacture collagen, a protein that keeps the skin supple and tight. The truth is, research shows that vitamins and minerals are essential to skin health because they maintain a system of resistance to the processes commonly associated with aging, and those vitamins and minerals reside in the foods we eat.

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The anti-aging/skin care industry has always been competitive, but this battle for market share has been escalating recently and now the competition between makers of medical grade skin care products has taken an interesting turn. ZO Skin Health just filed suit against Obagi Medical Products (OMP), both companies being founded by the same leader in the industry, Dr. Zein Obagi.

According to the complaint filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, OMP allegedly interfered with the distribution of Dr. Obagi’s new line of anti-aging products that he developed for his current company, ZO Skin Health. Reports say the disagreement likely stems from a non-compete agreement between the two parties, and whether that agreement should stop ZO Skin Health from distributing its new line of anti-aging products directly to consumers over the internet. OMP denies any wrongful conduct in the matter, and says it will vigorously defend the suit.

As the demand for anti-aging skin care products has increased over the last decade, so has the competition within that market. Between 2006 and 2008, U.S. sales alone rose 13% to 1.6 billion dollars, and the trend shows no sign of weakening as baby-boomers take advantage of advances in skin care science to address the effects of aging on their appearance.

Do you have a friend or family member that takes great care of her appearance?  We have some gift ideas for you.  Make a gift basket, add a few of these items, and write a personal note so it’s unique!

1. The Clarisonic Skin Care Brush

They began with the Sonicare toothbrush and now they’re revolutionizing home skin care. The “micro-massage action” of the Clarisonic skincare brush makes 300 movements per second to gently loosen dirt and oil.  Apparently, your hands just aren’t going to cut it anymore when it comes to facial cleansing – technology to the rescue!

2. Lighted LED compact mirror with Swarovski crystals

An elegant compact with crystal accents on the top, which also features distortion-free magnification and a 360-degree ring of LED light.

3. Handheld LED light technology from Omnilux

The Omnilux new-U is designed to treat periorbital wrinkles and improve skin clarity, while the clear-U is designed to reduce inflammation and acne. Now if they could only make my iPhone do this, we’d really be in business!

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These articles are pretty common in Cosmo, but it’s a little surprising to see them in the men’s magazine, Details.  Nonetheless, the fellas definitely need some guidance in this area.

The 5 Tips You Need to Fight Aging offers a very practical spin on the topic; lift weights, tame that hair (or lack thereof) and take care of your skin by doing the following:

• In the morning, rub on both a moisturizer with SPF to protect against sun damage and a cream with vitamin C to help rebuild collagen and plump up your skin.
• At night, put on an anti-oxidant cream
• Get a gentle 20 percent glycolic-acid peel every couple of months
• Get “Botoxed” and restore volume to the face with fillers.

Changes in the skin often coincide with changes in the weather, not to mention the added stress of the school year and the holidays. You may need to modify your routine and possibly see an aesthetician for personalized skin care advice.

WebMD has a great article on this topic: “10 Winter Skin Care Tips” provides advice on how to “banish dry skin and give your winter skin care regimen a boost.”

For a similar article (with a little more personality) blogger Kelly Wickham of Blogher.com offers these three Winter Skin Tips to maintain healthy skin through the harsh winter months.

To get professional skin care advice in Bellevue and Maple Valley, just ask Dr. Stacy! She offers many of the treatments and products recommended in these articles, and more.

Why do we wrinkle and what can be done about it?  There are many reasons, but the general explanation is that physical changes occur in our bodies, which are accelerated by social and environmental factors.

The basics, courtesy of skin care expert Suzan Obagi:

• We gradually lose collagen, causing skin to become thinner and more fragile.
• We gradually lose elastin and glycosaminoglycans, causing a loss of moisture.
• Sun, smoke, and pollutants thicken parts of the skin, causing lesions, cancers freckles and age spots.

What can be done about wrinkles?

• Apply sunscreen (containing zinc or titanium) daily – at least SPF 35
• Use an anti-aging cream that contains tretinoin
• Try to stimulate collagen growth with regular peels or laser treatments.

In hectic, unpredictable times such as these, physicians are busy caring for patients who present stress-related skin problems. Pimples appear out of nowhere, dry skin in desperate need of hydration appears overnight, folds around the nose and deep lines in the brow and around the eyes appear more pronounced. If you had problems with your skin before, stress just makes it worse. Our patients say they notice differences in their skin when they’re stressed out, and they’re right.  These issues can persist for weeks and months, even years.

The big-time stressor this time of year is getting the kiddies ready to head back to school.  If you’re a parent you are probably scrambling to get them ready for their first day, spending money on school supplies, clothes and shoes. Of course, work doesn’t stop during this time.

Our bodies are reacting to external challenges too.  Stress creates an adrenaline surge that elevates the level of a hormone called cortisol in the blood. Cortisol tells fat cells to dump sugar into the bloodstream for energy – which is great if you need to outrun a raging elephant but not so great on your body or your skin. Over time stress can damage your body in ways that are not so attractive when we examine ourselves in the mirror.  In addition, we rarely do our bodies or our skin any favors during hard times. As a matter of fact, that is when we sleep less, drink more and eat all the wrong foods.

While all these issues can be resolved, first you have to de-stress. Until that time comes, here are 5 professional tips on how to get by:

1. Keep your hands away from your face, stop touching and stop popping those pimples! Keep your hands busy with a pencil or squeeze one of those strengthening balls. For goodness sake, get rid of that magnifying mirror!
2. Go visit your doctor or cosmetic physician and pick up a few acne fighters.
3. Get yourself a facial, even if you’re on a budget. Treat yourself to some downtime; even bring your teenage kid in for a facial with you. A twofer! It will be therapeutic and quite relaxing for you both.
4. If you or your kids are using benzoyl peroxide be sure not to use it at the same time as you’re using bleaching products (Hydroquinones) or copper peptides. You can use both products, but not at the same time.  Use one in the morning and the other in the evening.
5. If you’re using high quality skin care products, try a chemical peel. Because a peel removes the built up dead skin on the surface of your face, it allows therapeutic products to penetrate and get the job done more quickly and more effectively. Even a rejuvenating mask or anti-acne mask will give you a great head start on de-stressing your “epidermal anxiety!”