ERE tips to maintain a youthful appearance

[white belt]

Anyways, if you are considering making such an investment yourself, I would note that I do think it is a better deal to just throw down for a more expensive procedure than to spend $30/month every month on pots of youth goo which only provide very marginal benefit. You could afford $9000 worth of major procedure @4% if you forgo the montly expense of the goo.

Pretty much this. At least in the USA, there has been a huge boom in minor cosmetic procedures over the last decade or so. There are probably people we interact with daily who have had all sorts of procedures without us realizing it. If you do it at a younger age while skin still has some elasticity, it will usually heal without anyone being able to tell you had the procedure. I'm talking more about one-time surgical procedures, not about procedures that require upkeep like Botox. Although technically even the one-time procedures won't last forever, it is likely they might make you appear ~5-10 years younger forever even if you don't get them redone.

[chenda]

Only the hardcore can get up without any bracing. The question is how much bracing is needed. Hence how the score is calculated ...

I'll give myself at 8 I think, 8.5 without wine.

[lightfruit55]

Don't underestimate the role of charisma and just being playful. Being fun seems youthful.

A simple trick to look more youthful is to fully open your eyes, let the light/pupils dilate! This act also seems to push your facial muscles upwards.

[lightfruit55]

one you're missing is intermittent fasting/time-restricted feeding/CRON(calorie restriction optimal nutrition).
of the uv-damage factors you've listed, sunscreen matters most. staying indoors all the time and being swathed like a mummy while outside is going over the board imo as it limits one's enjoyment in other possible healthful activities such as hiking and being in nature.

I don't mean to suggest living like a mummy. I do enjoy a good hike but will obviously prefer a hike on a semi-cloudy day rather than with the sun out ablazin'. I think the idea is just to limit unnecessary UV exposure and if that is not avoidable, to minimise the effects of UV by carrying an umbrella, wearing a cap/scarf/long sleeves etc (@Axel good tip about cloth fabric - see also asian female golfers who tend to cover their whole body while in the sun) and applying sunscreen.

if you want to make youthful appearance your priority (why? maybe the top ERE thing to do here is to sit down and consider why it is that youthful appearance is so important to you and go down -that- rabbit hole instead of the rabbit hole of cosmetics and medical procedures)

I see youthfulness as more than vanity. It's aspirational to maintain your body and mind as much as possible and that will extend to physique, movement (strength, flexibility, balance, etc), aesthetic, energy, etc. Looking youthful, in general, will make one feel youthful and more lively/energetic, I would think.

I'm always amazed by celebrities who never seem to age and can move very well - Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez... They probably go under the knife but their movement, energy and overall appearance are very aspirational to me.

[lightfruit55]

Pretty much this. At least in the USA, there has been a huge boom in minor cosmetic procedures over the last decade or so. There are probably people we interact with daily who have had all sorts of procedures without us realizing it. If you do it at a younger age while skin still has some elasticity, it will usually heal without anyone being able to tell you had the procedure. I'm talking more about one-time surgical procedures, not about procedures that require upkeep like Botox. Although technically even the one-time procedures won't last forever, it is likely they might make you appear ~5-10 years younger forever even if you don't get them redone.

Same where I'm at - there has been a big boom in "minor" procedures which look natural. I have some friends in their early 30s who undergo such procedures as part of their preventive maintenance (?) and such procedures are basically part of their lifestyles now. I am very hesitant to go down that route though...

Updated list:
- Avoiding the sun as much as possible (staying indoors as much as possible during the day, using UV umbrella, hats, covering exposed skin with cloth, applying sunscreen)
- Drinking lots of water
- Exercising (good mix of high intensity, steady state cardio and stretching) (avoid excessive exercising)
- Good nutrition (eat more anti-aging foods, avoid processed food, incorporate collagen in diet e.g. bone broth)
- Skincare routine (I have a multi-step skincare routine but haven't gone down the rabbit hole of retinoids. For those who are experienced in this field, any tips?)
- Face massage (improve circulation and stimulate pressure points)
- Sleep (at least 8 hours of sleep)
- Avoid high levels of stress (choose work and design life in such a way so as to limit high stressors as much as possible)
- Wear brighter colours (I used to wear darker colours when I was younger. But I recently started changing my wardrobe to lighter and brighter colours and realised that it makes me look a lot more youthful!)
- Eyebrow shaping
- Dye hair (brighter shades seem to be more youthful)
- Protect neck and hands (moisturising neck and hands, wearing gloves while doing dishes and handling other harsh chemicals)
- Good posture
- Regular testing with the "sit and rise" test
- Honorary mention: Sex (as per @Axel lol)

[GandK]

I'll be 50 soon, and my face in repose has no wrinkles at all. Only when I smile can you see any, and those are mild. No procedures, no botox. I used to think I was either genetically blessed or doing everything right. But it turns out that this is probably due to the fact that I've lived my entire adult life in a state of moderate to severe anemia: doctors now say that iron plays a pretty big role in aging.

I'm not advocating entering into a state of iron deficiency anemia, but I am certainly advocating not overdoing the iron if one of your goals is a youthful appearance.

Other methods I'm aware of to look young(er): staying hydrated, plenty of sleep, retinol cream on the face and hands, abstaining from foundation makeup, abstaining from tight clothing, wearing pink or red around your face, and keeping your teeth as white as you can without stripping them.

[Jean]

Only the hardcore can get up without any bracing. The question is how much bracing is needed. Hence how the score is calculated ...

Isn't everyone bellow 50 without a condition supposed to be able to do it? My BMI is aroun 27 (mostly du to storing 1 month of food around my belly button), and i can do it easy.

[Frita]

On a personal note, my 80 year old mother can no longer go up and down stairs, nor get off the floor. This year she stopped skiing because of not liking to change clothes and wanting to fall and not be able to get up unassisted. About ten years ago she got this meter long shoe horn to put on her shoes. That solution had some unintended long-term consequences. She still insists she does not need help, can live on her own with her partner, and doesn’t need a plan other than paying her LTC insurance. I am 54 and can do the “sit and rise” test with a 10. My challenge is to continue to do so.

How do cross-cultural results to the “sit and rise” test compare? I am thinking about countries where people of all ages use stairs, sit on the floor, squat while gardening/cooking, and/or daily weight bearing work is embedded into daily life (functional exercise).

[chenda]

How do cross-cultural results to the “sit and rise” test compare? I am thinking about countries where people of all ages use stairs, sit on the floor, squat while gardening/cooking, and/or daily weight bearing work is embedded into daily life (functional exercise).

Interesting question. Those who do physical hard labour tend to age much quicker in some respects. Even elite athletes seem to often get some form of premature aging.

Having children young and/or having lots of them probably exacerbates ageing, both physically and socially. In less affluent socio-economic groups generational spans tend to much shorter (think teenage parents) and families larger. So by the time they hit 40 they're already grandparents, and have the mentality and appearance of an older person.

I see lots of working class men in their 40s act like old men, because it's how grandparents are socially perceived to be in their peer groups. Whereas yer middle class 40 years old man has probably only recently become a father and is perceived as younger by his peer group.

[jacob]

How do cross-cultural results to the “sit and rise” test compare? I am thinking about countries where people of all ages use stairs, sit on the floor, squat while gardening/cooking, and/or daily weight bearing work is embedded into daily life (functional exercise).

Presuming that regular sufficient physical activity regardless of form correlates well with the sit and rise test:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lang ... lltext#%20
Figs 4 and 5.

[Western Red Cedar]

How do cross-cultural results to the “sit and rise” test compare? I am thinking about countries where people of all ages use stairs, sit on the floor, squat while gardening/cooking, and/or daily weight bearing work is embedded into daily life (functional exercise).

I happened to listen to a Tim Ferris podcast with Dr. Kelly Starrett yesterday that talked specifically about the cultural implications on this test. They recorded it in Japan. Cultural features like walking without shoes inside, sitting on the ground and squat toilets in asian cultures lead to better balance and overall mobility as those societies age.

https://tim.blog/2023/03/30/kelly-starrett/

[ertyu]

I've always wondered how old people go to the bathroom in squat toilet societies. It makes sense that the squat toilet will keep you mobile older, but still there will come a time where you won't be able to squat. what then

[jacob]

I've always wondered how old people go to the bathroom in squat toilet societies. It makes sense that the squat toilet will keep you mobile older, but still there will come a time where you won't be able to squat. what then

Probably along the same lines as when people who used to sitting on chairs instead of being used to squatting can no longer stand up from a chair or a throne. Rails, pulleys, slings, support,... As long as your aim is true, the squatting toilet is somewhat more adaptable to various positions than the western throne.

[Jim]

I've seen bricks stacked on either side of squat toilet holes in homes of the elderly or infirm in rural China. it's a low cost Western toilet analogue

[llorona]

While vanity is generally not an ERE pursuit, there's something aspirational about trying to maintain a youthful appearance.

Why? Why does this matter? Why is it considered better to look youthful?

Please keep in mind that you're running into me during my cranky old lady meets Buddhist philosphy stage. I keep a printout of the Five Remembrances on the wall as a daily reminder, the first of which is "I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old."

Recently, I've come to the personal conclusion that there is nothing wrong with looking one's age or even older. That the hundreds of billions of dollars spent globally on beauty and anti-aging are a waste and an exercise in futility. That growing older is a privilege that is not afforded to everyone. That as one ages, maintaining physical health and body integrity are so much more important than looking good on the outside. That none of us are getting out of here alive.

This said, I still slap sunscreen on my face and wear a hat when I go out. Not smiling frequently and a lifelong habit of gnawing on cartilage and connective tissues have likely helped stave off wrinkles, as well.

[zbigi]

Why? Why does this matter? Why is it considered better to look youthful?

Not caring about looking old is a wealthy man's privilege. For everyone else, old age means decreased abilities and energy, which translates into:
- less employment opportunities, while still needing money. That's why people dye their gray hair when going to job interviews.
- possibility of needing external help. Most people generally hate having to help others so, once you show signs of weakness, people will start backing away from you, to not be there when you need help.

The same mechanism is present in animal kingdom too - an injured wolf tries to hide his weakness as well as possible, in fear that the pack will see him as burden and abandon him (that's why you can't just assume your dog is ok, even if he can still keep going on a long walk in the sun etc.).

[Jim]

Recently, I've come to the personal conclusion that there is nothing wrong with looking one's age or even older. That the hundreds of billions of dollars spent globally on beauty and anti-aging are a waste and an exercise in futility. That growing older is a privilege that is not afforded to everyone. That as one ages, maintaining physical health and body integrity are so much more important than looking good on the outside. That none of us are getting out of here alive.

Not caring about looking old is a wealthy man's privilege

Sounds to me like not caring is an old woman's hard earned insight. I'd rather live to see growing old of itself a privilege than feel cornered by expectations of how young I ought to try to appear to appease a potential employer.

Either way, there's a correlation. People who are more robust in health tend to look younger. It's a actually a pretty reliable metric for guaging someone's health.

[IlliniDave]

I don't worry too much about appearance. That said, there's a certain amount of correlation between external appearance and inner functionality. So I agree with Jim on that point. Maintaining mobility, balance, and at least functional strength, all are important for independent living as a "senior". Who wants to rely on an eldercare professional to hoist them off the toilet every day?

I recently started taking Hyaluronic Acid supplements. It's popular because it is a compound in our skin that decreases substantially with age and purportedly supplementing gives skin a more youthful appearance. But it's equally important in our joints and connective tissue, which is why I take it. It, along with some other supplements and an overhaul of my nutrition regimen has knocked 30 years off my shoulders, and to a lesser extent my back as well. I'm still just as wrinkly as ever so far (though not bad for a dude in his upper 50s who lived hard for chunks of his life) but that's not really the point. So I wouldn't recommend it to anyone because they want pretty skin, but I would recommend trying it for a midlifer-or-older person wit a lot of creaks and stiffness.

Having painless joints has in turn enabled all kinds of additional activity. I'd guess if I wore a hat and a mask and people just had to guess based on how I walk, I'd bet they'd guess 10-20 years below my calendar age.

[horsewoman]

Yes, I can attest to the wonders of hyaluronic acid. I recently purchased a face cream (a relatively inexpensive organic store brand of a German drugstore chain) with hyaluronic acid and I was amazed how my (as of yet very light) wrinkles simply vanished after first use.

I did not know that there are supplements for humans, so far I knew hyaluronic acid only as a therapy for damaged tendons in horse legs. Makes sense, though!

[IlliniDave]

Yes, I can attest to the wonders of hyaluronic acid. I recently purchased a face cream (a relatively inexpensive organic store brand of a German drugstore chain) with hyaluronic acid and I was amazed how my (as of yet very light) wrinkles simply vanished after first use.

I did not know that there are supplements for humans, so far I knew hyaluronic acid only as a therapy for damaged tendons in horse legs. Makes sense, though!

Yes, they are out there for human consumption, at least in the US. Supposedly the "high molecular weight" HA is the better absorbed and has more long-term efficacy. Lower molecular weight HA in supplement form is readily available at most places with a vitamin selection (e.g., my local supermarket). When it's ingested it's sort of an inside-out progression, meaning specific to skin it is absorbed into the deepest layers of the skin which iirc takes something like 13 months typically to make it to the surface. So maybe in a year I'll be a little less wrinkly. Seems to affect joints in short order though. Interesting that topically it works immediately on the skin. Lots of claims and counter claims out there on Youtube for the morbidly curious.