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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Monday 27 April
By p-phu
you were so wise to heed the advice of your wife to use those creams! quite frankly, your having started any skin regimen would have put you ahead of your brothers and most men, who, for the most part, dont take ANY precautions against damage to the skin that sun, wind, pollution, and poor diet bring about. they scoff at, and ACTIVELY OPPOSE any attempt of their mates to convince them of its benefits, objecting that it's frilly and unmanly, or, that it will rob valuable time from their incredibly busy action-filled life, that the frivolous, appearance-oriented female cannot fathom.
my handsome, but prematurely crow-feet lined hubby's face told the same story, and that can translates to: "i am too lazy and distracted to take several seconds to distribute a product over the only flesh i shall ever have in order to decently maintain it; and, in addition, as with many topics large and small, i stubbornly resist my mate's advice or suggestions by default."
good for you (and your face) for using some sense, and, HA-HA on your wrinkly siblings. ;-D
Saturday 04 April
By Ann
It is only 10 pounds, personally I would like my face to look better at that age. You can always work on the other parts of your body. Actually, I am older, feel younger and have beautiful skin and a pretty decent body becuase I never liked to drink even in college, was not a big sunsworshipper, and do not smoke. I eat fine and I take vitamins from Andrew Lessman. It depends on "you" who you want to see in the mirror. I prefer a nice face. A scaggy face or a nice ass and who cares at my age, I am not showing my ass to the world...most men think I am in my late 40's and my 17 year old grandson is my son.
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Saturday 04 April
By Thin is great
Who wrote this article? I just lost 10 pounds, and the doctors are happy, I am happier, healthier, people say I look younger, instead of being normal/borderline overweight, I am just right for my height, right in the middle of the BMI. Maybe the writer needs a facelift or some OIL OF OLAY!!!!!
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Saturday 04 April
By Mark
Slightly over weight is better looking than too skinny. I think it's normal for people over 40 to be a little over weight . I would prefer a pretty face along with a nice personality over a skinny biotchy woman. I have seen some women with very pretty faces that were obese though.
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Saturday 04 April
By Cattattoos
This is so stupid and just sounds like another attempt to crap on any female who happens to be thin in a world where the women are just getting bigger every year. If women dont like seeing thin ladies then maybe they should blind themselves. I am sick and tired of people trying to accuse me of not eating because I dont weigh 200 lbs. Any woman that thinks this way is pathetic not to mention has a low self esteem...I see pretty women all the time but, beauty is in the eye of the beholder not the eye of the person who posted this crap on AOL. Their opinion is NOT the only one. I far from look old and I am thin and I have had children and yet I was able to maintain both my weight and my good skin. I have seen other women do the same but, it is rare. Genetics have a lot to do with how people look...sometimes its just in the genes. My mother is 50 and she looks 30....I am 33 and I look 16....according to my little brothers high school friends. Save for my tattoos which give away my over 18 status...so if my young, thin looks somehow bother you and my tattoos offend you do me a damn favor and stop looking at me.....take a look at yourselves for a change rather than trying to tell other women what YOU think they should look like....and by the way all those stupid diets they put on the web wont do a damn thing if you dont get off your asses and exercise just a little bit. The most damaging thing this society suffers from is severe LAZINESS......skinny bitch OUT!!!!!!!!!!
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Saturday 04 April
By Frieda
Interesting comments being made here. Due to illness and medication and not being allowed to do much in the line of exercise, I packed on some weight. Once I was given the go ahead I decided to exercise once again and shed the pounds. I had a lot of luck in shedding weight. The dr. told me to go slowly and not shed too much because he was aware that I could not afford any kind of cosmetic surgery. When my son came home from Iraq, he had a fit. Told me that I looked older then his grandmother (she was 85 at the time) and that instead of a double chin I now had jowls and my arms above the elbow were now bloing in the breeze. He also bought me a full length mirror and I got a good look at myself and he was right. It has been 5 years and I still have the problems he noticed. I am not able to put any of the weight back on. I have also since developed type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. I do wish that I had not managed to shed the weight as I am not happy with my selfimage at this time. I liked the old me better then the new one. Then again, I altho I am unattached I have no interest in being attractive to anyone...male or female as I had enough of that with 40 years of pure hell in a marriage that I thought was ok but learned differently when it looked as if I had breast cancer. I have come to know that if you are happy with your body and are healthy, leave well enough alone. Then just me.......only an expert on me and no one else.
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Saturday 04 April
By TERRI
WHAT A DEPRESSING ARTICLE .
THERES NO WINNING HERE.
COMPLETELY LOSE-LOSE.
VERY NEGATIVE. .
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Saturday 04 April
By Kathy
The above Article is such crap' more like a Can of Worms..lol
If you have devoted half your life time to caring for your own health, losing ten pounds will not age you. That's the biggest bunch of hoopla I've ever heard.
You have to allow for water weight and waste. That alone equals ten pounds.
Losing ten lbs. is just getting started for someone who needs to reduce.
Now' If you've never used a moisturizer and don't believe in H2O.. You are in trouble...FAST FOOD JOINTS ARE A REAL CULPRIT IN THE U.S.A. those and 7/11's ...I do not patronize them for food: nuff said~
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Sunday 05 April
By JOHN
Gee Emerald I think both still look great on you doll . What a little reporter hot girl you are.
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Thursday 16 April
By lexara
You know what? This is only true if you are apple shaped....it's not about having a fat ass vs a fat face, it's about having ANY ass at all! If I lose enough weight to have some cheekbones show in my face (not a skinny face, mind you) then I lose my ass...it gets bony and flat. Not attractive to me. But if I have enough weight to actually have a cushion to sit on, then my face looks completely round. I think this is what is meant by "your ass or your face".
For me, I've found it to be true.
I do work out, and because I'm deliberately trying to build muscle back there, I think I will have this beat...but we'll see. It's still in the works!
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Monday 27 April
By p-phu
@ neo "You must be a liberal".
LOL. whuuuu? jim and nikki's comments were at least RELATED to the topic of weight, health, attractiveness, age, the choices we make, ya know, things like that, and a woman reacting to a man's not particularly well-said comment.
how you extrapolate a gal's political leanings from where none is visible, i have no idea. but i often see that those with axes to grind, and ever searching for grooves to fit, imagine them everywhere.
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Wednesday 09 February
By DVH
I see I'm late to the game but anyway, sorry, it's true. Either you're just not seeing what others see or maybe you're in the lucky few. I got sick and lost 10 lbs in a week and rejoiced. People started telling me though, months later, that I was looking older and needed to put the weight back on. Well easier said than done once I'd lost it and bought new clothes, etc.............but I do see it, I lost a layer of fat in my face ---and I was slender before the weight loss---that now my face does look older and it's upsetting.
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