Will Anti-Aging Clinics Actually Make You Age Faster?

The idea of going to anti-aging clinics is a fairly new concept. There were few to speak of 20 years ago. Today, anti-aging clinics are in every major city and formulas to prevent aging abound on TV, the Internet, Magazines and other media.

Marketing Anti-Aging Products to Baby Boomers

Physicians and practitioners are becoming rich hawking products that are anti-aging or extend longevity. However, evidence has shown that many these products are not as effective as they claim. The Baby Boomer generation has been strategically targeted because we embrace our youthfulness and are not in a hurry to look like our parents. We spend a fortune in an effort to stay young buying supplements, miracle skin care formulas, radical medical procedures, and therapies.

Although most over the counter supplements are harmless, they may actually cause aging rather than prevent it when consumed in excess. For instance, too much vitamin A can cause osteoporosis. An excess of vitamin B can cause nerve damage. An overdose of vitamin E can cause cancer.

Vitamin and mineral blends, and other “tonics” are touted to boost energy, beat cancer, prevent heart disease and even fend off the flu. They’re being sold by the bucket full at premium prices. Slimy snake oil salesmen and women with a “profit only mentality” are stealing cash from over eager “older” customers that could be better used to fund retirement. Their marketing strategies often include pages of testimonials from brainwashed “satisfied” customers with little to no medical proof to back up their claims. Every day there’s a new longevity super juice or exotic supplement that’s no more effective than a glass of orange juice, complete with a costly monthly auto ship.

Anti-Aging Clinics

Medical insurance doesn’t always cover anti-aging treatments performed in clinics, so patients are left to pick up the entire tab. Some products have been known to have safety issues and may contain toxic ingredients like lead or cadmium. Skin lightening creams produced in countries outside of the U.S., particularly in Asian countries, have been found to contain high levels of mercury.

Anti-aging creams with buzz words like “botanical” contain enticing natural ingredients like fruit and flower extracts, green tea, coconut oil, mushrooms. . . etc. However, some have more of a tendency to cause allergic reactions than man-made ingredients.

Other products are marketed as scientific, cutting edge, or revolutionary. They claim to have been developed using stem cell research, are derived from the oil of an Emu or are exclusively patented. Although they’re safe, they haven’t been proven effective enough in preventing wrinkles and other signs of aging to justify their inflated price tags. Just because a product is expensive doesn’t mean it will work better than your mother’s Pond’s Cold Cream or by slathering on a little olive oil.

Hormonal injections, surgeries, and treatments, that have been known to cost patients up to $10,000 or more are cash cows for anti-aging clinics. Practitioners seduce mature patients by convincing them they need to increase their dwindling hormone levels. Doctors are now finding that that can be more damaging to women over 50 than helpful.

What this all comes down to is that it’s important to demand solid proof that treatments, surgical procedures, and skin care programs are effective and worth the investment before going forward with them. Don’t allow money-hungry marketers or charismatic sales people talk you into anti-aging treatments that could be potentially damaging to your health or will drain your bank account.

The most practical solution to look and feel as young as possible is to eat well, be physically active, reduce stress, schedule regular checkups with your physician and strive to be happy.

What are your “must do” anti-aging solutions? Please leave a comment below.