Did you know that thousands of women in the US will visit a cosmetic surgeon or another professional this year to explore using Botox, Restylane or other modalities hoping that this will help them recapture their youthful face?

Many more will visit a day spa that will offer a variety of services to pamper these stressed out women with facials, massage, chemical peels, skincare items and makeup. These treatments represent a fraction of the billion dollar beauty industry proving that women want to look their best. They don’t mind shelling out a portion of their income for these services and many will commit to more procedures. Sadly, all of these procedures require a serious financial commitment.

Fifty years ago only the very elite, the crème de la crème, could afford the luxury of a spa. Now, a quarter of the clients having cosmetic procedures are under the age of 35; that means of the 13.1 million procedures (statistics provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons) performed in 2010, 2.75 million of these were not even close to Baby Boomer status – that’s right, those Generation Xer’s were out in force cornering their share of the "look better market."

What’s going on? Why the upsurge in procedures? Is it all about appearance? Maybe not – maybe it’s the "me too" syndrome. Looking professional, looking capable comes at a premium, especially if you value your position after years of schooling and years of training. No one really wants to look old and that’s why many professional women regularly visit salons and spas, use personal trainers and shop in fashion-savvy boutiques.

Cosmetic procedures have reached an all-time high and yet no one discusses the ramifications of long-term Botox use, or how many ccs of Restylane is too many or how grotesque your face may look if and when you stop using foreign substances that plump and paralyze those droopy and sagging facial features.

Fooling around with Mother Nature can have its drawbacks; there are risks associated with every procedure and every injection. Infection can set in days and weeks after surgery and repeated Botox use can create more wrinkles in other areas of your face. Ever hear of the Bunny Lines?

The Fountain of Youth is not found in a syringe or an operating theatre; rather, if you want your face to look younger with tightened and sculpted facial features, consider facial muscle retraining – facial exercise.

Facial muscles give our faces contour and shape; when they begin to elongate and shift from atrophy and gravity, our skin is dragged downward causing wrinkles, sags and bags. This shift makes us look older and less attractive as we develop eyelids, cheeks, pouches and more that droop. When we see this same type of elongation in our hips, thighs, buttocks and arms, we begin a work-out regimen in earnest to put those muscles back under our control.

Being out of shape just doesn’t work in today’s society because youth, beauty, and health rule our thinking. Just as your body appreciates exercise so does your face. Jackie Silver, President of Aging Backwards.com has long stated that she believes exercise is the Fountain of Youth and that includes facial exercise. "My face looks the same today as it did when I was 25."

Facial exercise only requires that you make a commitment to be faithful to the exercise routine. The process is natural, there is no down-time, your routine is finished in just minutes a day, there is no risk and there are no complications. Best of all people recognize you.

Exercising your face gives you control over an aging face so that it becomes toned and tightened.

You won’t look 16 again or even twenty but if you want to look 10 to 15 years younger, then learn how to save your face using facial exercise. Isometric movements produce a more flawless, ageless face. Your confidence will soar as you realize people notice you.