Guys -- How You Can Look Younger Without Surgery

Listen up, gentlemen: It's time to stop dipping into the wife's night cream and just take the plunge in your efforts to look younger.

The scary thoughts come thick and fast: Plastic surgery ... wind-tunnel face ... long recovery time ... pain. Lots of money, and more pain!

But you might not need anything nearly that drastic to look much younger.

The truth is that your first stop should be at the dermatologist -- specifically, a cosmetic dermatologist -- because, with ever-newer modes of treatment, holding back the years can be a subtle, even non-invasive process. First, familiarize yourself with the confusing terms (Fraxel? Restylane?) by checking out New Beauty, which covers various medical means to an end.

"With so many non-invasive ways to turn back the clock these days, plastic surgery isn't always the answer, nor does it have to be," Paige Herman-Axel, the magazine's executive editor and beauty director, says.

"Whether you choose to erase sun damage with laser treatments, fill wrinkles with fillers or stop furrows from forming with Botox, no one will wonder what you had 'done,' but they may ask if you just got back from a relaxing vacation. ... Best of all, some treatments take as little as 15 minutes, and you can go right back to work without anyone being the wiser."

You might be surprised at how many manly men are having a "little work" done. When we spoke to Dr. David Colbert, he dropped the name of an active sports superstar he was "seeing" that evening, backstage at a concert.

Was it a purely social affair, or was the good doctor arriving equipped for a touch-up? His lips suddenly became sealed.

Colbert will, however, gladly discuss the Titan procedure, which involves scanning a laser beam over the jawline to firm it up, solemnly adding that a man's flabby jowls are seen as "an anthromorphic sign of weakness."

For those new to this game, Colbert recommends his "Triad" medical facial, which consists of microdermabrasion (a gentle exfoliation of the skin's surface, encouraging fresh cell turnover), laser toning and chemical peeling. He says continued use can reverse wrinkling and sun damage, and even prevent the development of certain skin cancers.

The Fraxel SR laser is FDA-approved for various uses, including wrinkle reduction and acne-scar healing, and also tightens and tones the skin, resulting in improved color consistency and elasticity. There's a slight redness for a day or so, et voila! A more youthful countenance, and no one the wiser.

Hollow or drooping eyes? A filler, not an eye lift, is what's called for. It could be your own harvested fat, or an accepted fixer-upper like Restylane or Juvoderm (which are also injected into what's called the "naso-labial folds" to correct lines around the mouth). Colbert also does lots of what he calls the "mini-Tox" to release between-brow furrows, so "you don't look so strained when you do those million-dollar deals."

A little-known but helpful usage for Botox is to paralyze the sweat glands in armpits and hands; as Colbert says, "That sweaty, anxious look is so passé!"

How to find the right doctor is a trickier proposition, since men don't tend to gossip, as women might, about the "great guys" employed for this type of work.

Colbert suggests consulting the American Academy of Dermatology, adding that finding someone who has worked on a good number of men is key: "Board-certified is just not enough. ... you want to look younger without looking feminine."

When in doubt, ask for less rather than more.

Another tip for looking younger -- don't neglect your teeth, which could be a dead giveaway: There's a reason the phrase "long in the tooth" came to mean a person past their prime.

It used to be that capping was the only possible response -- a long, painful process that involved totally destroying one's original teeth. Now, veneers can make a dramatic (or subtle) change in less time that it takes to create a bespoke suit.

	Teeth, Before Work

Dr. Brian Kantor adds that for some, bleaching alone could do the trick.

Bonding is a slightly less complicated (and less realistic) procedure than veneers, which are made of exactly matched porcelain that perfectly mimics that natural-tooth translucence. These correct everything from poor spacing and bad original color, to receding or too-prominent gum lines.

Kantor estimates that in a week, he or his colleagues could remove "easily 10 to 15 years" from a patient's appearance.

	Teeth, After Work

Kantor adds that he and his colleagues are constantly asked if they have a counterpart in the Los Angeles area, but they aren't recommending anybody in Hollywood -- so there's at least one former "Friend" who makes regular cross-country journeys to have her teeth attended to by Lowenberg.

Consult with the American Association of Cosmetic Dentistry to find someone in your area.

Then, smile -- if for nothing else, just to show off those pearly whites and that wrinkle-free brow.

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