Waging a War Against Aging

The Latest in Anti-Aging Techniques

By Teri Brown

Ask any number of women how they feel about aging, and chances are you will receive some very passionate replies. It seems to be a topic most abhor, yet many obsess over. Traci Draper, 33, of Springtown, Calif., is no exception.

"I am fighting it all the way," says Draper, laughing. "I don't believe I'd ever undergo surgical treatments, so I am fighting it now while I still have a chance. I exercise, drink lots of water and lather lotion on my face every morning and night ... no matter what!"

Although Peg Cochran of Grand Rapids, Mich., believes that aging is inevitable, she still combats aging the best ways she can: through exercising, reading and moisturizing. "I keep my weight down," says Cochran. "I exercise so I'm not limited physically in what I can do, and I try to feed my mind so I don't become narrow-minded and 'old' in my views. I'm not conscious of being my age."

America is obsessed with youth and enamored with looking young, acting young and feeling young. Cosmetic surgery has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry where even lower middle class women save for their own nip and tuck procedures. Skin care products and vitamins are as much a part of our culture's anti-aging obsession as our frenetic exercising – all in an effort to keep ourselves looking and feeling like we did in our early 20s.

Wendy Lewis, an international surgery and skin care consultant and author of The Beauty Battle (Laurel Glen, 2003), has counseled those considering cosmetic surgery for the last six years. Because she is not affiliated with any doctor, she is trusted among her clients for her integrity when it comes to skin care and anti-aging issues, both surgically and otherwise. In her opinion, sun exposure is the No.1 cause of aging in women.

"Sun damage is the major cause of wrinkles, pigment problems, blotchy complexions and dry, rough skin, which is very aging," says Lewis. "The biggest mistake we make is not using enough of the right sunscreen and not applying it often enough."

Smoking and drinking heavily damages skin as well, and Lewis believes the key to skin that ages agelessly is caring for our skin while we are still young, before

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