I have written in the past about my fears of getting old and what I have been doing to stay young (apart from regular exercise and very tight control over what I eat).  Even at this moment I am applying a very expensive anti-wrinkle cream.  The question arises Is it working?  Well, I don't think I am getting young (only plastic surgery can do that) but I like to believe that if I were not applying these creams I might definitely be getting older.  These creams might simply delay the aging process.

How wrong my beliefs have been all along? According to a new study conducted at the University of Washington Medical Center’s Cosmetic Surgery Center and published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, devices sold over the counter to consumers as facial stimulators, claiming to produce results similar to those of a traditional face-lift, provide little, if any improvement to aging skin,

“We were unable to detect any improvement in signs of facial aging from the use of these devices,” says Dr. Sam Most, assistant professor of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery in the UW School of Medicine. “There are more than 50 of these types of devices being sold over the counter and on the Internet.”

In the study, Dr. Most cexamined two of these facial stimulator devices. These devices work on the medically unproven principle that electrical stimulation of the facial muscles results in improved facial tone, and thus reduces the signs of facial aging. Study participants were instructed to use the device for four months.  Two facial plastic surgeons who checked the study participants were unable to detect any improvement in signs of facial aging. Participants rated the devices as minimally effective at best, and reported mild discomfort with both devices.

This is the second study in the past year in which Most has tested an over-the-counter facial enhancement product. In a study published previously, Most showed that particular lip-enhancement products also do not meet their claims to consumers.

So I should simply eat right, workout regularly, sleep well, and have fun.