A famous quote often attributed to Catherine Deneuve says, "When you get older, you have to be ready to trade your ass for your face." New research has now validated that wisdom by showing that being thinner actually makes women over 40 look older. It's a reduction of volume in the face that creates jowls and wrinkles, and losing just 10 pounds can age a woman's appearance by four years. Other factors that can also prematurely age a woman's face include smoking, heavy drinking, too much sun, getting a divorce, taking antidepressants and yo-yo dieting.
If you had to pick, which would choose -- a smokin' hot bod, or a young-looking face?
Bizarre Spa Treatments
10. Arctic Ice Room
The Qua Spa at Caesar's Palace Las Vegas offers an "Arctic Ice" treatment room, where "snow" falls from a domed ceiling through mint-infused air chilled to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jae C. Hong, AP
9. Golf Ball Massage
After hitting the links at Scottsdale's Four Seasons Resort at Troon North, you can have a "therapist" warm up some golf balls, and roll them along the large muscles of your spine and neck.
Jupiter Images
8. Doctor Fish Pedicure
A type of carp called garra rufa, or "doctor fish," are used during pedicures at Yvonne Hair and Nails salon in Alexandria, Va. The fish eat dead areas of the skin, leaving just healthy new flesh behind.
Jacquelyn Martin, AP
7. Flaming Anti-Flu Treatment
A man in the Jiaxing Zhejiang province of China undergoes a medicated fire treatment. The procedure is supposed to help prevent colds and flu.
Getty Images
6. Gold Facial Treatment
Japan's Umo Inc. claims that covering the face with sheets of 24-carat gold is an effective (if not cost effective) method of fighting off wrinkles.
Junko Kimura, Getty Images
5. Snake Massage
In the Israeli village of Talmey El'Azar, where reptile farmer/aesthetician Ada Barak uses tangles of king, corn and milk snakes in her massage treatments. Barak claims that find the creatures to be soothing.
Yonathan Weitzman, Reuters
4. Nightingale Droppings
If snakes aren't cuttin' it, you can always rely on ol' fashioned bird poo. Spas such as Shizuku in NYC offer facials with nightingale droppings, which contain an enzyme that supposedly brightens the skin.
Jewel Samad, AFP / Getty Images
3. Leeches
Demi Moore may be using these bloodsuckers for detox treatments, but in the Himalayan region of Jammu And Kashmir, leeches are used to treat a variety of ailments including blood disorders and immunity problems.
Awar Nazir, Scoopt / Getty Images
2. Bull Semen Hair Conditioning
Bull semen conditioner is one of the new offerings of Hari's Salon in London. Hari's claims that the substance, when combined with a protein rich plant root, Katera, strengthens and adds shine to hair.
Morry Gash, AP
1. Knife Therapy
A man cringes as he receives a "knife therapy" massage during a free procedure in Taipei. Local practitioners in this ancient form of massage claim it can cure sinus infections and headaches.
Steven Wang, AP














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Saturday 04 April
By Nancy
A ridiculous false dilemma. If you exercise and eat right (not to much, not to little) you can have a nice face and good backside well into later adulthood. The choice is NOT between starving yourself to have a "nice ass" OR carrying unnecessary weight to have a "nice face". But a lot of those who sell stupid diet plans and overpriced cosmetics that "reduce aging" would like us to believe that!
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Saturday 04 April
By heather
Well said, Nancy. I agree.
Saturday 04 April
By Linda
I agree with you Nancy. I am 58 years old and I ride a bicycle to work and back everyday, six days a week ( seven miles one way ), and I have lost 32 pounds so far and my face does not look bad. If you just take care of your face you don't have wrinkles. I don't look 58 at all.
Thursday 16 April
By Jan
I agree. I'm 52 and have a great shape (I have worked out on weights and have ran since I was 15). I wear sunblock and go to a med spa for facials and and skin care and so my face doesn't look too bad either for my age. I think you can have both! I would never choose one over the other. You don't need to!
Saturday 04 April
By Jim
The answer to the survey question (if it were based upon a true assumption, which I don't believe it is) would be different if posed to a woman vs. a man. A woman will opt for the younger face in most cases (I am *assuming*, which has it's own pitfalls), and a man would vote for the smoking hot body (in most cases). A man will put up with an older looking woman with a very nice body vs. a younger looking woman with a large bumper (once again, I'm generalizing and a large minority of men might disagree).
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Saturday 04 April
By cchelleme
You can always get a facelift!
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Saturday 04 April
By Kali
You can get your butt sucked!
Saturday 04 April
By amazingeyes
I was heavy and I didn't have the energy I needed to lose weight. I tried many ways to get control of my weight but it took a fat burning detox/cleanse to finally help me start losing weight and because of the amazing ingredients I also got my energy back so that I could exercise. This isn't one of those bogus "miracle" weight loss product that we see so much of on the internet but it has helped lose a realistic and steady 5 pounds a month. http://theworldsgreatestsupplements.com
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Saturday 04 April
By Yvonne
Catherine Deneuve made her comment when she was in her fifties. Believe me, after that, there is no real choice. You lose attractiveness from every aspect when you diet to look young. Upper arms sag, even when you work out. Hanging on to an extra 10 pounds from your ideal weight in youth does wonders to protect against wrinkles in the face, ugly cords in the neck and flatness in the behind.
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Saturday 04 April
By nikki ty
Yikes Jim ..... "A man will "put up with" an older looking woman with a nice body .." What an arrogant hateful phrase! Think of what most women "put up with" .... a lot more beer bellies out there than big butts if you look around. And how about bald or 'comb over" beer bellies. And guys who don't even know the meaning of "affection" ... just slam and run. Wake up Jimmy boy .... we "put up with " a whole lot more than you realize. A man of thought might have written , "many, perhaps even most men,. would trade the younger face for the nice body ..." and said precisely th same thing without being a boor.
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Saturday 04 April
By Neo
Geez Nicky, get over yourself. Jim was telling his opinion and you come back and tell us he is "hatefull". I thought his comment was a bit off the mark but so is yours. Relax, get a life and stop slaming people because they do not word their comments the way you want then to. You must be a liberal.
Saturday 04 April
By Fitandtrimnow
There's no need to be heavy, like I was. All it took for me was an amazing fat burning detox/cleanse that has helped me get the energy that I needed so that I could exercise while my body became more efficient. I have been losing a steady 5 pounds a month. http://theworldsgreatestsupplements.com
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Monday 06 April
By Karen
Don't know if Catherine Deneuve said it also but some years back Lauren Hutton voiced that same line (butt vs. face) in an inteview. Key to this is not gaining the weight in the first place. Slow weight loss with exercise and good skin care will help keep the sagging to a minimum in both areas. Tanning, tobacco and alcohol aren't your friends either if trying to keep skin young and healthy looking.
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Saturday 04 April
By Cynthia
It's true, especially in older women but not with a loss of only 10 lbs. Post-menopause It's very hard to get one's body back in shape after a loss of 290lbs or more--arms sag, skin gets crapey and wrinkles become more prominent. The best solution is not let yourself get fat (overweight by 20 lbs or more) in the first place. I'd rather see wrinkles than a big fat ass. Lose the weight and then get a face lift.
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Saturday 04 April
By Hubert
Catherine is right. The doctor told me to lose weight. I'm a male. 240 and 6'-1". I lost 35 pounds.
Made me look 20 years older. People asked me was I sick? Did I have Aids?
And I do not like skinny boney women. Give me a women with some meat on her bones
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Saturday 04 April
By Gloria Mother Smith
Decision time:
ass
face
Hahahaha I guess I couldn;t make up my mind so I gained weight in both
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Tuesday 07 April
By anii
The best advantage of having a fat ass is that it helps cushion the blows I get if I fall flat on my bottoms. It happens when I miss the chair seat and then landing on the floor.
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Saturday 04 April
By Mike
Yes, this is a very silly article. Assuming that the article is true (which it isn't), the choice would be an absolute no-brainer anyway. A thin body is more attractive than a slightly younger face on a fat body any day of the week. Plus, many people find a thin face attractive, even if there are a few additional wrinkles. In fact, almost any man would choose a thin woman over an obese woman who looked 20 or even 30 years younger. Obesity is not only the greatest destroyer of beauty, it is also very hazardous to one's health, and any article that rationalizes the "benefits" of staying heavy does a disservice to people.
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Tuesday 14 April
By april
wow......destroyer, huh. Did you ask Rembrant? Very closed-minded if you ask me. Some of the most beautiful people I know are not what society (or apparently..you) would call svelte. Beauty is so much more than what is on the surface.
What will you do if someday something happens to "destroy" your surface?
??
Saturday 04 April
By James
Now, that's a dilemma, and one that I can relate to. I always had an ugly spare tire that I inherited from my dad, despite weighing 150 lbs. at a height of 5' 9". I excercised, I ran my guts out, I cut out all white flour pasta (and switched to 100% whole wheat breads and pastas) and still couldn't lose that tire, because it was hereditary. Having seen my dad, who was also thin, only get fatter in that area as he got older, I was determined to beat this. After my brother called me "lard ass" one day, I began to starve myself; I lost weight, alright--in my face, where I needed it most, which severely aged my appearance. So, I started eating again and opted for liposuction, and I'd do it again, too! For the first time in my life, I like what I see in the mirror. Oh, and by the way, when I was 31, my wife told me I should be using a daily moisturizer/anti-wrinkle cream, so I did. Now, at 43, I always get guessed at 34, so anti-wrinkle creams DO WORK. All of my brothers look like they're 15 years older than I do. Who's sorry now?!
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