Part I- Prevention (Maybe it's not too late)

Remember the day you glanced in a passing mirror and thought "who is that older woman"? And then. …shock…realized it’s you! The Three Tomatoes do not mind growing older as long as we’re healthy and feel good (and it sure beats the alternative); it’s the looking older part that sucks. Our bathroom cabinets are overflowing with skin care and anti-wrinkle products; we spend more money on facials then we’re willing to admit; we have or would consider procedures like Botox and liposuction; and we have not ruled out plastic surgery (although we do think Cher, Farrah Fawcett and Joan Rivers look downright scary).

Now for those of you have decided to grow old gracefully, we have this to say: liar, liar, pants on fire. If the fountain of youth came in a little pill and was delivered to your doorstep, you’d forget that graceful aging thing in a New York minute.

While there is no magic little pill, the good news is that there are a lot of options , short of surgery, that can keep women looking more youthful. But it’s a confusing jungle. So tomatoes, this is Part I of a continuing series of emails (not necessarily sequential) where we will share what we’re learning from “experts”, our own experiences, and products that we’ve personally used and will recommend. Now to make this really successful, we want to hear from you too. Just email us today at tomato@thethreetomatoes.com and let us know about products you’ve used that work; experiences with cosmetic procedures/surgery; and or topics you’d like us to cover. We promise complete anonymity…you can always say a “friend of yours….”.

One of our resources on this topic is Dr. Gerald Imber, a well known New York City plastic surgeon who has written several books, the most recent of which is Absolute Beauty.

So let’s start with his prevention guidelines. For many of us this is like closing the barn door after the horses have escaped, but here goes anyway.

1. Don’t smoke: Aside from all the other health related reasons which you already know about, it will cause your skin to loose elasticity, sagging, and wrinkles. Factoid: Most plastic surgeons won’t perform face lifts on smokers because of the compromised blood supply to the skin.

2. Don't gain and lose weight: As you get older, your skin loses it's elasticity (in case you haven't noticed) and you'll be left with sagging skin. This doesn't mean it's okay to stay fat. Lose slowly and then maintain.

3. Don’t get too thin: We’re liking this guy's advice already. Yes, normal fat on the face does help to plump out the wrinkles.

4. Don’t run: Now isn’t that good news for those of you who have never run?

5. Forget facial exercises: They don’t do anything to improve your skin, and actually cause wrinkles.

6. Avoid the sun: Yes, we know that now!

7. Nutrition: You are what you eat.

So younger tomatoes out there, take heed. And for older tomatoes…well, it’s never too late to start good habits. Stay tuned for Part II - Skin care products, what really works.

The Three Tomatoes is a FREE weekly email guide to living, playing, and having fun in and out of New York City for fabulous, smart women.