I couldn’t help but think recently about the people I know whose lives revolve around social activities – out of their homes. Every day they share a new Facebook post – or five – from cocktail parties, gallery openings, gala dinners with friends, shows, concerts, charity and awards dinners.
And their trips! They crisscross the globe at a dizzying pace, as if staying home would make them disappear. Forgotten forever.
They must have intense withdrawal symptoms during quarantine.
I emailed one friend like this – a man in his late ‘70s – who had been on a non-stop social whirl since I met him about five decades ago.
“I hope you’re doing ok at home. I know how much you enjoy going out,” I wrote.
“BC (not her real name) and I are still in love (notice the word “still”), so I don’t mind the quarantine at all,” he responded.
BC, BTW, is also in her 70s. A long-time friend before becoming his partner four years ago – she was the woman this man’s dying wife hoped would fill the void in his life.
And, she has. What a lucky couple.
MORAL OF THE STORY: WHEN A VIRUS PREVENTS A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY FROM TAKING FLIGHT, HOME AND LOVE MAKE A PERFECT COCOON.
One of my best experiences during quarantine involved meeting on Zoom last week with seven fabulous women from the faboverfifty community – and an exceptional therapist – to discuss how to manage our emotions during this bleak time. We came from across the country, including Carol in Massachusetts, Barbara in Washington, DC, Hope in Arizona and Sheila in Dallas. One of us is grieving over the recent loss of her sister. Another is alone, with health issues. A third woman misses the constant stimulation she had at work interacting with others. We’re all worried what the future will bring. Calming and reassuring therapist Rinat Kass lives in Northern California. She’s a member of Advekit, an online network of highly credentialed therapists across the country.
Rinat seamlessly guided the free-flowing conversation so we never talked over one another. And, she interjected her expert advice throughout the hour-long session. This was created to be an online support group for women who wished to share their challenges and experiences during the pandemic with other women in similar situations. We felt comfortable with one another. We liked one another and we wanted to share our emails. Feedback was gratifyingly positive.
“Thanks for organizing today’s conversation with Rinat and the other women. Although brief, it was very meaningful and cathartic for me. Rinat did a great job facilitating the discussion,” Carol wrote.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the session this afternoon and appreciated the opportunity to engage with such thoughtful-minded women. It was especially supportive to hear of others who also find these times later in life to be challenging,” Barbara said.
Rinat thoughtfully followed up by sending each of us two documents filled with important advice that any woman would appreciate. I’ve made some minor edits and share her important tips here.
MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS DURING QUARANTINE
⭆ BE AWARE OF HOW STRESS IMPACTS YOUR BEHAVIOR
We have fewer emotional responses during a stressful time and tend to me more sensitive, have less patience and are less flexible. It’s important to recognize all this, remind yourself that everyone is under tremendous stress, and to be kind to yourself and those around you.
⭆ RESPECT EACH OTHER’S COPING STYLES, BUT ALSO COMMUNICATE YOUR NEEDS
Each of us reacts differently to stressful events and has a different way of managing our feelings. If you feel you aren’t getting the emotional support you need, share it with your loved ones in an emotional and vulnerable way rather than with anger and resentment.
⭆ MAKE SURE YOU PUT ALONE TIME ON YOUR AGENDA
This isn’t about getting away from each other, but rather taking time every day to invest in yourself. Have some quiet time, go for a walk, listen to music or any other activity that puts you in a positive mental space.
⭆PRACTICE SELF CARE EVERY DAY
Taking care of yourself isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity! Healthy diet, exercise, quieting your mind, and a good night’s sleep are crucial for mental health. When you give to yourself you have more to give others.
⭆ BE CREATIVE AND KEEP ROMANCE ALIVE
Invest in your relationship as well as in yourself. Dress up nicely every now and then and have a date night. A candlelight dinner, a game night, look through photo albums and being nostalgic can all help nourish your relationship.
⭆TRY TO SEE THE SILVER LINING
This will end at some point. It may not always be easy, but try to look at all the gifts you’re getting from this uninterrupted time with your loved ones.
10 WAYS TO HELP ACHIEVE BALANCE & MEANING DURING QUARANTINE
⭆ESTABLISH ROUTINES
Routines and rituals are vital in times of uncertainty because they create reassurance. Maybe start a journal where you can express your emotions. Or take an evening walk for some fresh air to clear your mind.
⭆FIND SOCIAL SUPPORT
The support of others is a major component of maintaining solid mental health, especially during a crisis.
⭆GO ON AN INFORMATION DIET
Create healthy boundaries and limitations around information and news intake. Consider the least stressful time of day to listen to the news and decide how long to spend.
⭆ HUMOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS
Laughing and comedy are vitally important during times of despair. Find it and give it!
⭆QUIET YOUR MIND THROUGH MEDITATION
Many online apps and YouTube videos offer a variety of meditation techniques. Try them out to find one that suits you.
⭆ EXERCISE AND EAT RIGHT
You don’t need a gym to stay active. Follow exercise videos, participate in live online classes, walk outside (wearing a mask). Experiment with new exercises and new recipes every day.
⭆ GET INSPIRED, SEEK FAITH AND EXPRESS GRATITUDE
COVID-19 has fostered countless inspiring acts. Notice what happens when you hear and see members of a symphony orchestra, for example, performing “together” over Zoom.
And faith, an instrumental part of many of our lives, cannot be overemphasized for helping us move through crisis.
Lastly, creating a list of the things for which you’re grateful inherently changes the moment.
⭆ DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE EVERY DAY
Thinking outside of oneself is a great pick-me-up tool.
⭆ CONSIDER CREATIVITY
Other than the rewarding task of cleaning your bedroom closet, think of something you’ve always wanted to try but didn’t have the time, whether it’s writing or painting, baking or gardening.
⭆ SEEK MEANING
Slowing down and reflecting can teach us something about this shocking experience. This may be a luxury for people struggling with more immediate concerns, but it’s a potential opportunity of immense value. Try to find meaning in our changing lives that are being challenged in new ways.
Besides dancing, pseudo kissing during Spin the Bottle games was the only physical contact I had experienced with boys when I was a 14-year old high school sophomore (I graduated at 17). But watching pretty Natalie Wood and handsome Warren Beatty heavily “petting” (aka “making out”) in the 1961 movie Splendor In The Grass gave me goosebumps. That was strong stuff back in the day.
Lots of teenage girls yearned to BE like Wilma Dean Loomis, the role 23-year-old Natalie played in that movie. Maybe we wanted to be adored as much as Bud Stamper (Warren Beatty’s part) adored Wilma Dean. Or perhaps the young woman’s sexual repression stirred newfound feelings in us.
At 14, I didn’t think about the quality of an actor’s performances. As the years moved forward, I recognized Natalie Wood’s talent in films including Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, Gypsy, Love With The Proper Stranger, The Searchers, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.
Natalie and Robert Wagner
When Natalie Wood died in a mysterious boating accident in 1981 – at 43 – she took on the role of a tragic figure. But when I recently watched Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind, a new HBO documentary about her, I also learned what a complex woman she was. More than a passionate actress who dug deeply into the roles she played, Natalie Wood was a devoted mother, wife (she was twice married to actor Robert Wagner), daughter, friend, and mentor (she gave Robert Redford his first breaks in the movies and the two became dear friends.) She was even an impassioned hostess, throwing frequent dinner parties attended by celebrities including Laurence Olivier, Fred Astaire, Mia Farrow, George Hamilton, and Frank Sinatra.
Natalie Wood grew up at a time when most women were hardly independent thinkers, but she defied convention – and succeeded on her own terms. Although she died prematurely, she managed to live a scintillating life.
OUR EMOTIONS ARE RUNNING HIGH DURING THIS TIME OF STRESS, SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF WE TRIED TO HELP ONE ANOTHER. READ ABOUT HARRIET’S DILEMMA BELOW AND GIVE HER YOUR ADVICE.
Harriet, a 57-year-old, long-divorced mother of two grown children, owns a freelance bookkeeping business. She’s bright, beautiful, funny, and highly opinionated.
Barbara, Harriet’s 30-something married daughter, has two young children and a demanding financial job. She’s controlling, high strung, and as opinionated as her mother. She isn’t an especially warm and cuddly person. She’s often questions Harriet’s viewpoints.
THEIR PRE-COVID-19 RELATIONSHIP
Harriet has spent at least one full day a week babysitting ever since the birth of her grandchildren. She adores the kids and would drop everything to help out Barbara, such as watching the children on many weekends when her daughter and son-in-law had engagements out of town. The kids adore her, too.
Tending to a toddler and a four-year-old is tough enough for a young mother; it’s no cakewalk, even for a fit woman in her 50s. Harriet likes to be appreciated, but Barbara doesn’t give physical or verbal thanks. No hugs for Harriet. No words acknowledging her mother’s help.
THEIR SITUATION DURING COVID-19
Barbara appears to have shut Harriet out of her and her childrens’ lives during the last few weeks. Harriet’s emails saying that she misses her grandchildren and would love to connect with them online have gone unanswered.
Barbara and her husband, both working at home during the quarantine, are clearly stressed having to take care of their young kids at the same time. ”I would have gone in a heartbeat to stay with them and help with the children,” Harriet said. But Barbara didn’t extend an invitation.
Now Harriet is sad, not just because she hasn’t seen her grandchildren in weeks, but because her daughter seems to continually resent her so much.
She’d like our advice on how she can communicate with her daughter now and be able to connect with her grandchildren – even if it’s only online. TELL HARRIET BELOW WHAT ADVICE YOU HAVE FOR HER.
ChromaDex compensated FOF with an advertising sponsorship to write this post. Regardless, we only recommend products or services that we believe will be helpful for our readers. All insights and expressed opinions are our own. —Geri Brin
I congratulated myself when I started moving my body more – especially away from the refrigerator – during our stressful time. It’s tough to discipline myself while I’m confined at home, but I don’t want to wind up unhealthy when this is all over. Besides, consistent exercise and healthy eating do make me feel emotionally and physically better than laying around and snacking all day!
Unfortunately, even if I’m working hard to keep my energy up when my nerves are constantly on edge, it’s not enough. Decreased cellular energy production is a natural byproduct of aging itself, with many of our lifestyle choices adding insult to injury.
Over time, alcohol consumption, overeating, and a sedentary lifestyle are among the “stressors” that can play havoc with our “cellular metabolism.” If you were as poor a biology student as I, you’ll want to know that “cellular metabolism” encompasses all the biochemical reactions inside living organisms that keep us alive—and healthy!
Now we’re confronted with an unexpected stress in our lives, which complicates matters even more.
Scientists have learned this critical fact about aging: It significantly reduces the level of the most important molecule in every single cell of our bodies, called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). We all absolutely need NAD, they discovered, because it allows our cells to convert the fats, proteins and carbohydrates we eat into the energy we need to stay in shape. It also helps activate longevity genes, which control cellular aging, as well as all those chemical and biological processes that help us stay fit and healthy.
Even if we do cardio and weight-bearing exercises all week, consume a diet of nutritious whole foods, get adequate sleep, and stay away from smoking and drinking, the unavoidable stresses of life will cause our NAD levels to decline. But a brilliant scientist has discovered that nicotinamide riboside (NR), a natural nutrient found in small amounts in milk, may actually help our cells replenish their NAD and support energy production in the cells.
So, it makes complete sense that taking a supplement with a nature-identical form of NR will help increase our bodies’ NAD levels, and help maintain our vitality. ESPECIALLY NOW!
Dr. Charles Brenner, the Stanford-educated PhD who discovered the connection between NR and NAD, is the Chief Scientific Advisor behind TRU NIAGEN®, the only NR supplement that we can buy directly from ChromaDex, the worldwide patent-holder and innovator behind it. When the scientific community first looked at Dr. Brenner’s research, I was excited to see that he had discovered something which research suggests has the potential to help us maintain our cellular health as we age.
I started taking TRU NIAGEN® every morning long before my life was severely interrupted. I feel as though it has given me overall feelings of wellbeing and consistent energy. A single serving every day produces clinically significant increases in NAD levels, supporting my desire to continue aging the best I can, even during my confinement.
I have also started an exercise program at home and am trying my best to avoid eating unhealthy snacks all day long.
Linda Wolfe went to bed in the wee hours of the morning and preferred not to make appointments before 1 pm. Although her books – fiction and non-fiction – and magazine articles had been published for over half a century, she was working tirelessly on a new novel of which she seemed most proud.
One of Linda’s best-known books was Wasted: The Preppie Murder, about 19-year old Robert E. Chambers, Jr., who confessed to strangling 18-year-old Jennifer Levin in Central Park after having sex. Both attended elite Manhattan private schools; hence, the term ‘Preppie.’ The book delved into their family backgrounds and uncovered a privileged urban youth subculture consumed with alcohol, drugs and sex. The New York Times named Wasted a notable book of the year in 1989.
Linda and daughter Jessica
Linda had extraordinary discipline (although she couldn’t quit smoking) and an exceptional work ethic. She was 87. She became my friend about a decade ago. Now she’s gone.
Linda Wolfe died on February 20th following complications after bowel surgery. She finished the first draft of her novel Unforeseen Circumstances before she left us. I hope her daughter sees it through to publication.
I admired Linda’s writing long before I met her. Fifteen years my senior, she was a star writer at New York Magazine from the 1970s to the 1990s. ‘If only I could write like her,’ I enviously and often thought as I read her articles. Linda specialized in researching and writing about crime, an affinity she discovered when she covered the case in 1975 of twin Manhattan gynecologists found dead in their trash-filled apartment.
Linda became fascinated by the psychological motivation behind startling crimes and the events leading up to them. “I’m more interested in what went before and what comes after than in the actual crime itself,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
Linda’s first marriage to an editor ended in divorce, and her second husband, psychologist Max Pollack, died in 2007. She had a daughter, two granddaughters and two stepdaughters. She remained close to her stepdaughters. Max was the love of her life.
I met Linda when she became my next door neighbor around 2010. I’ll always remember the doorman telling me a woman writer had just moved in (doormen in Manhattan tend to know everything about every tenant and their extended families!) ‘What’s her name?’ I asked. ‘Linda Wolfe,’ he said. I couldn’t wait to meet her!
We bonded immediately. Linda bought a few pieces of my aunt’s furniture that I was selling after she died. She loved decorating her new apartment. I gave her vintage Limoges trinket boxes that I’d collected but knew she’d enjoy more than I. When we had to vacate the building after it sold and was being converted into multi-million dollar condos, Linda and I would commiserate how much we’d miss living steps away from each other.
Linda, Carol and Geri
Linda volunteered to write book reviews for FabOverFifty. An avid reader, she received countless books from publicists and wanted to share her love of the written word.
We last saw each other in late July last year, when we had lunch with Carol, another former neighbor on our floor. Although Linda was finding it harder to get around – and relied on a walker – she never for a moment felt sorry for herself. She told me she was planning to sell the apartment she had bought after moving out of the building where we were neighbors. Linda hoped to move into an exclusive independent living residence on the west side, where my former husband happens to lecture a couple of times a month. Living alone was becoming less and less tenable as she increasingly limited her outside activities.
Linda and I had a date to visit Carol a few months ago, who moved from Manhattan to Connecticut. The weather forced us to cancel. I hadn’t reached out to Linda since then so I didn’t know she was ill. It wouldn’t have been like her to overshare her health problems with her friends.
Rest in peace, Linda. And try to take it easy on yourself, for heaven’s sake! It was a blessing to call you a friend.
Astellas compensated FOF with an advertising sponsorship to write this post. Regardless, we only recommend products or services that we believe will benefit the women in our community. Geri Brin, Founder, faboverfifty.com
The concert should have been a fun outing for Elaine and her young daughter, but it became a nightmare even before they left the car. “I had the urge to urinate and couldn’t hold it in another second,” Elaine recalls. Not wanting her “accident” to spoil the evening, she wore a sweater around her waist for hours while her clothes were drying. That’s when Elaine knew she had to see a doctor. In her late 40s at the time, she’d been living with overactive bladder (OAB) for about six years and it was affecting her quality of life more and more.
Characterized by frequency (needing to urinate eight or more times in 24 hours) and urgency, OAB can result in leakage if you don’t get to the bathroom in time.1 It occurs when your bladder contracts too often, even when it’s not full.2 “Instead of getting a first, second or final warning that you need to urinate, you get just the final warning, when the bladder is at maximum capacity. If it begins to contract before you make it to the bathroom, you may experience a leak,” according to Dr. Ekene Enemchukwu, a urologist at Stanford University Medical Center.
“The prevalence of OAB increases with age in both men and women.3 Almost 30 million people in the United States live with OAB symptoms,” Dr. Enemchukwu said.
Years before her accident at the concert, when Elaine started working at a call center, she had to ask her boss if her desk could be located closer to a bathroom. “Bathroom breaks were timed, and bonuses were based on the number of calls made each day and how long each one lasted,” Elaine remembered. But since she needed to use the bathroom two or three times an hour, she was afraid the job wasn’t going to work out. Elaine bit the bullet and told her supervisor about her issue. While it was embarrassing to discuss bathroom problems, Elaine luckily had an accommodating boss and kept her job.
ELAINE STOPS DOING WHAT SHE LOVES
Elaine (left) shares her experience coping with symptoms of overactive bladder
As time went on, however, Elaine began to limit the activities she loved. She wanted to sign up for classes, for example, but she was concerned her frequent bathroom trips would distract the class. So she didn’t sign up. Her accident at the concert was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. “I had been coping, but I wasn’t being proactive with my lifestyle,” she said.
Elaine may have thought she was coping effectively, but Stacy Kaiser, psychotherapist and relationship expert, calls it unhealthy coping. “Coping in general is how we go about dealing with any difficult change in our life, such as a family challenge, a financial issue, stress at work, or a medical condition,” Stacy said. “And coping with a medical condition such as OAB, which can be very embarrassing for some women, is especially challenging.”2
Stacy Kaiser
Elaine wasn’t coping successfully when she started avoiding activities she really wanted to do. Although she thought she was managing the situation by avoiding embarrassing moments, it wasn’t productive for her to withdraw from activities she enjoyed, Stacy said. People with OAB may isolate themselves from their support systems or social network,1 also a prime example of unhealthy coping. Healthy coping is finding ways to continue participating and engaging in your life, Stacy emphasized.
Once Elaine decided to reach out to a doctor, she was ready to shed her unhealthy coping habits and start taking charge of her life, rather than letting her condition take over. “Learning about a medical condition from a physician or medical expert helps give us the skills to get through challenging experiences in our lives,” Stacy stressed
A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT CAN BE MANAGED
Dr. Ekene Enemchukwu
“Many people don’t go to the physician’s office because they think OAB is a normal part of aging.2 Instead, they ignore the problem,” Dr. Enemchukwu said. They also find it difficult to discuss and don’t know how to bring up the subject up with their doctor. OAB patients can feel anxious, isolated and hopeless because they think there’s no way to address or fix a problem that has dramatically altered their lives.5
“Self-consciousness also stems from feeling like you’re the only person dealing with the situation and no one else will understand,” Stacy said. In fact, 39 percent of women with symptoms reported that OAB interfered with daily activities; 12 percent said their symptoms caused them to stay at home; 38 percent reported decreased physical activities and 34 percent attributed their weight gain to an inability to exercise.4 Sharing what you’re going through with others is key to helping you learn about OAB and can also provide emotional relief. Talking to friends and family and having a good support network are important, too.
It turns out that seeing a doctor was one of the best things Elaine could do for her emotional well-being, and for her OAB. She not only learned how common it is, but she also discovered it’s a medical condition that can be managed by behavioral, lifestyle and dietary changes and, in certain cases, prescription medications. Dr. Enemchukwu has a few recommendations:
Pre-empt the urge: If you experience urinary leakage or frequency, try to get ahead of your symptoms when possible by remembering to use the restroom before you feel the sudden urge to go, or before heading to an outing or road trip.
Be mindful of your fluid intake: Many patients believe that limiting fluids will help manage their OAB symptoms, but this can be problematic as it creates concentrated urine, which may be irritating to your bladder.5 It can also lead to dehydration.5 Your body needs water to function, so if you don’t drink enough, it will affect you in other ways.5
Avoid foods or drinks that can irritate your bladder: These include caffeine, spicy foods, carbonated fluids, citrus, tomato-based products, alcohol and tobacco.6 Keep in mind it’s important to talk to your doctor before making changes in your diet or exercise routine.
ELAINE’S HEALTHY COPING PLAN FOR A PROACTIVE LIFE
Now retired and living with her fiancé in Florida, 64-year-old Elaine said she lives a proactive lifestyle, refusing to let her OAB symptoms control her daily activities.
Planning ahead is important to her. Elaine keeps an extra outfit on hand when she’ll be out for hours and doesn’t drink too much if she’s going on a long trip. Often having a loved one at her side— namely her daughter— is a big support, she said. “We recently made the long drive north from Florida to New Jersey, and my daughter started looking for bathrooms on the road before I did since she knows I’ll have to make a lot of stops.” Elaine also relieves stress by listening to music and meditating and performs Kegel exercises to help strengthen her pelvic floor muscles.1 She advises anyone living with OAB symptoms to seek support from loved ones and health care professionals.
Passionate about helping other women with OAB to “enjoy their lives and have fun, not to let it overrule their lives,” Elaine has joined a new OAB awareness campaign called Coping Confessions, sponsored by Astellas. The campaign is brimming with online resources, including an online self-assessment tool that helps you become more aware of the way in which you cope, and “on-the-go” videos of women coping with OAB. To learn more about how you can assess your own coping behaviors and about overactive bladder, visit www.copingconfessions.com.
In a Coping Confessions video clip, Elaine joins experts on-the-go to share how she copes with overactive bladder
“We want to empower people to talk about their symptoms and to understand that healthy, productive coping is an important part of managing a medical problem, in addition to seeking expert guidance,” said Dr. Enemchukwu. “I’ve seen so many patients who have been dealing with OAB for decades, too embarrassed to talk to anyone about it, even their own family members or friends. Talking about OAB can reduce the stigma associated with this condition.”
WHAT CAUSES OAB AND HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT?
Although the precise causes of OAB are unknown, it impacts both men and women, but occurs more frequently in women.4,7
If you believe you may have OAB, visit your healthcare provider so he or she can conduct a thorough evaluation of your symptoms and perform a physical exam. If you do have it, your doctor can help you take the right steps to manage your symptoms. Go to the appointment with a short list of your symptoms, which can help make the discussion productive. Make sure to give specifics, including:
➧ How many times you went to the bathroom in a given day.
➧ How many times you get up during the night to use the bathroom.
➧How many times you had to change clothing because you leaked or had an accident.
➧How many times you had to drop everything you were doing and run to the bathroom.
➧Any activities you’ve avoided because you feared you may have an accident.
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always talk with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. This article is sponsored by Astellas.
2Gormley EA, Lightner DJ, Burgio KL, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of overactive bladder (non-neurogenic) in adults: AUA/SUFU guideline. American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. 2014.
3Coyne KS, Sexton CC, Vats V, Thompson C, Kopp ZS, Milsom I. National community prevalence of overactive bladder in the United States stratified by sex and age. Urology 2011;77(5):1081-7.
4Reynolds WS, Fowke J, Dmochowski R. The burden of overactive bladder on US public health. Curr Bladder Dysfunc Rep 2016; 11(1):8-13.
5MacDiarmid S. Maximizing the Treatment of Overactive Bladder in the Elderly. Rev Urol 2008;10(1):6-13.
6Interstitial Cystitis Network. 2012 ICN Food List for Interstitial Cystitis, Bladder Pain Syndrome, Overactive Bladder (2019).
7The North American Menopause Society. What You Should Know About Overactive Bladder in Midlife Women (2017).
Stop Googling “coronavirus” and listen asap to how Dr. Jacques Neelankavil answered questions from the FabOverFifty community on FACEBOOK LIVE this morning.
Dr. Neelankavil earned his medical degree in 2006 from the UCLA School of Medicine, where he also did his residency and was awarded a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology.
“Covid information is confusing and rapidly evolving. I’ll demystify the virus and its impact on society,” Dr. Neelankavil said before going live on Facebook.
And demystify it he did! He’s a brilliant doctor. Listen right now. You can go back to the fun stuff on Facebook later.
Crepe Erase® compensated FabOverFifty with an advertising sponsorship to write this post. Regardless, we only recommend products or services that we believe will help you. All insights and opinions are our own. —Geri Brin
I try to keep a reserve of the beauty products I love so I’m never caught empty handed. When I was about to reorder one of my favorite products, which makes the skin on my body the smoothest, firmest and most hydrated it’s felt in years, I noticed they’ve come out with an improved version. I love when a good thing gets even better, so I ordered right away.
Now, after using new Crepe Erase® Advanced for about six months, I’m more in love than ever!
Dry, delicate skin is common later in life, since our glands naturally produce less oil. And dry skin can crack, especially on our elbows and feet. What’s more, our skin loses its wonderful foundation of collagen and elastin as we age, making it loose and saggy on areas like our neck and chest, inner arms, even on our knees and hands. Looking almost like crepe paper, it’s called “crepey skin.”
I first discovered Crepe Erase when I was invited to try it as the editor of a popular website. It jumped out at me because I remembered seeing the actress, Jane Seymour, talk about it on TV. She looks sensational, at 68, and has been using Crepe Erase for years, a fine endorsement right there! It’s also a big big seller on QVC, where they call it “anti-aging for your body.”That definitely got my attention.
Crepe Erase isn’t a glorified body lotion. Trust me, it feels like I’ve tried them ALL. The secret ingredient that powers Crepe Erase Advanced is TruFirm Complex, a powerful botanical blend specially formulated for dry, crepey, aging skin. Its three naturally derived extracts–apple, dill and sage–help reinforce our skin’s netting, so the skin can appear tighter and firmer, and look like it did when we were younger. Crepe Erase Advanced also contains nine Super Hydrators, including coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, olive oil, beeswax,cassavaandVitamin E to deliver 48 hours of intense hydration. And, they absorb even faster and more effectively than the original formula to visibly smooth, firm and renew the skin.
A breakthrough in skin care science, TruFirm Complex is available exclusively in Crepe Erase!
Crepe Erase® is the #1 Selling Anti-Aging Body Treatment System for Dry, Crepey Skin*
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The five-piece Deluxe Kit, Jane’s favorite, also treats your skin above the chin!
Before stepping into the shower, I massage the luxurious and rejuvenating Refining Facial Scrub with TruFirmover my whole face, down to my neck. It gently removes rough, dead skin cells to give me softer, smoother, firmer and brighter skin. Paraben free, too!
In the shower, I grab my bottle of silky Body Smoothing Pre-Treatment with TruFirm and gentle exfoliators to lift away dead, rough surface cells and make my skin look smoother and more radiant. The lovely, fresh scent is a bonus! (By the way, don’t take long, hot showers because they’ll dry your skin even more!)
After the shower, I massage the Advanced Body Repair Treatmentwith TruFirm into the crepey skin around my neck, chest, arms and legs. Just like its name says, this lightly whipped formula restores firmer, healthier-looking skin all over my body. Absorbs quickly and isn’t one bit greasy.
Even after a late night, I can count on my Flaw-Fix Eye Cream to instantly reduce the appearance of puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles. It absorbs quickly and can be used at night and in the morning. Great as a hydrating mask, too.
I never leave home without applying Restorative Facial Treatment, a deluxe, ultra-hydrating formula with TruFirm and a blend of moisturizing oils. Along with its sister products, its plumps, smoothes and firms, and diminishes the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
As I mentioned earlier, the skin on my body hasn’t felt this smooth and hydrated in many years. I’ve learned that the more consistently you use skincare products, the better the results.
Crepe Erase is so confident that you’ll love its products, it invites you to use them for 60 days, and, if you’re not satisfied, you can return the tubes–EVEN EMPTY–for a full refund, less s&h! This offer even gives me more confidence that these are quality beauty products. Plus, the line is incredibly reasonable in the first place!
There’s more. Order the Deluxe Kit and receive our 4-in-1 Eye Renewal Capsules as a free thank you gift. Packed with intense, concentrated moisturizers for an eye-opening experience. A $38 value.
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The brilliant author and screenwriter Nora Ephron wrote publicly about IT. The exquisite and talented actress Katharine Hepburn covered IT up. My statuesque and Southern former boss had IT “fixed.”
IT is their necks.
Kate & Nora
Hepburn hid her aging neck beneath turtlenecks. Ephron publicly discussed hers in the book I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman, a blunt and entertaining look at aging women who are dealing with everything from menopause to maintenance. My ex-employer promptly hired a plastic surgeon to banish the telltale signs of aging from her neck—and face–soon after they appeared. She had her first facelift at 50!
I don’t feel bad about my neck. I hate it! And although I like turtlenecks, I’m not about to wear them in 90 degree heat. That leaves me with three choices: Stop peeking at my neck in the mirror, accept it, or have a neck lift. It’s unlikely I’m going to stop looking and start accepting. So I decided to find out what’s involved with a neck lift from Dr. David Sieber, a cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon in San Francisco. While I was at it, I asked him about my (droopy) jowls and the rest of my (decades-old) face.
First, I’d love to share what I learned about the changes in most of our necks and faces as we age, and what we can do about them. It’s strictly a personal choice, of course, but the more you know, the more you can decide what’s best for you.
GERI WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR FACES AND NECKS AS WE AGE?
Neck Lift. This 66 year old woman underwent a neck lift and limited brow lift for facial rejuvenation.
SIEBER “Most people will lose 30 percent of the fat in their faces, starting in their late 30s and early 40s. We also lose collagen, a large component of our skin, which diminishes the elastic properties it had when we were in our 20s. Our skin simply can’t recoil as it once did, and since it has nowhere to go—and less fat to fill it in—it re-drapes over other things on our faces.
“Loss of fat and collagen, plus gravity, can create drooping skin around the eyes, sunken cheeks, pooching jowls, sagging neck, pronounced folds between our nostrils and the sides of our mouth (nasolabial folds), not to mention wrinkles and creases.
“Jowling is caused when your facial skin starts to fall and gets stuck on the ligaments that attach jawbone to skin on each side of your face. Known as mandibular retaining ligaments, they prevent our faces from totally falling down. The drooping skin also creates the two vertical lines that extend from the outer corners of the mouth down to the jawline on either side of the chin. We call these marionette lines.”
CAN’T FILLER INJECTIONS REPLACE THE FACIAL FAT WE’VE LOST?
“Injectable fillers can make a face look really good. But when injectables are overdone on a face that has lost a great deal of fat and collagen, it will look worse and worse, like a balloon. No one needs that much volume. The only option in that case is to surgically remove and reposition the fat where it should be on the face.”
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