CATEGORY

"Plastic surgery isn't the only way to keep the aging process at bay. With the proper care you can have fabulous skin in your forties, fifties, sixties and beyond," promises author Nicholas Perricone, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine. In his opening chapters, Perricone explains why skin wrinkles and sags--a combination of factors including the passage of time, stress, poor nutrition, excess alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, and exposure to cigarette smoke, sunlight, and pollution. Ultimately, however, it all boils down to damage caused by those renegade free radicals.

The bulk of his book is then devoted to a clearly presented skin care regimen that involves oral and topical antioxidant therapy. On the oral front, he emphasizes eating antioxidant foods, such as cantaloupe and dark green leafy vegetables, and avoiding "bad carbohydrates" (high in the glycemic index) such as pasta, sugar, and pancakes. And if you want to look good for a big event within a few days he suggests eating "fish, fish and more fish."

On the topical level, he recommends nutritional skin products such as his DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) cream ("an instant anti-aging face-lift"), a product that can only be purchased at specific places, such as selected Nordstrom stores or www.Sephora.com. Perricone's tie-in with his personal line of "cosmeceuticals" makes the book feel a tad self-serving. (He even includes an index of where to buy his products.) However, most of his advice is based on solid research and common sense, which gives this celebrity doctor credibility as well as a huge following. --Gail Hudson