The Youth Equation: Take 10 Years Off Your Face [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Dover (Author), Cara Birnbaum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 2008

From one of the world's leading dermatologists, a major new guide to skin health and beauty that helps readers look ten years younger without surgery

Renowned dermatologist Jeffrey Dover and his expert skincare advice have been featured everywhere from the Today show, Good Morning America, and CNN to the New York Times, Vogue, Self, and many other publications. Known for providing high-end yet affordable skincare advice and products, Dr. Dover is the creator of the highly successful Skin Effects line. Now Dr. Dover shares his secrets with the rest of us. The Youth Equation first proves that it's not people's real age that matters, it's their skin's virtual age, or SVA, that reflects the way their complexion is behaving. The book then reveals Dr. Dover's unique program for looking ten years younger--at any age.

The Youth Equation includes a revealing quiz to calculate readers' SVA scores. Dr. Dover then walks readers through the world of skincare ingredients to create a customized do-at-home plan anyone at any age can follow simply by picking up a few products at the local drugstore. Dover's comprehensive product guide includes many popular brands and shows which cleansers, treatment creams, and sunscreens really live up to their promises, offering options to suit a range of skin types and budgets. For those who want to jumpstart their progress with a more aggressive approach, Dr. Dover demystifies injectable fillers, Botox, lasers and light sources, anti-cellulite treatments, chemical peels, cosmetic surgical procedures, and more with a combination of intelligence, warmth, and refreshing candor. The Youth Equation is a fresh and indispensable guide to better skin health and beauty.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ever wonder if Botox, Restylane, or Olay Regenerist serum works? Boston dermatologist Dover tries to answer all of the questions surrounding the latest and greatest in youth-enhancing dermatological treatments. He includes a quiz to determine your skin's "virtual age" and presents his home-treatment plans for cleaning skin and treating skin damage. He discusses commonsense items like the effects on the skin's appearance of smoking, sun damage, and a healthy diet. Be aware that Dover does include his own skin-care line (CVS Pharmacy's Skin Effects) in his list of recommended products; however, the conflict of interest this might normally cause seems to be negated by the breadth of his list of recommended products, including low-priced items like Dove soap and high-priced La Prairie, and his insistence throughout the book that you don't have to use expensive products or office procedures to have good-looking skin. For those interested, this is a nice take on all of the anti-aging treatments and products available and a good overview of how skin ages and how to care for it. Recommended for public libraries.—Elizabeth Williams, Washoe Cty. Lib. Syst., Reno, NV (Publishers Weekly, December 15, 2008)

From the Inside Flap

What do you see when you look in the mirror—a face with a healthy, youthful glow or a complexion marred by fine lines, blotchiness, or a dull and tired look? No matter how old you are, you can have healthier, better-looking skin that can help you look ten years younger—and you don't need surgery or costly treatments to get it.

In The Youth Equation, renowned dermatologist Jeffrey Dover gives you the knowledge and tools you need to make big changes with just a handful of products. The first step is to understand that it's not your chronological age that matters—it's your skin's virtual age (SVA), which reflects your skin's current health and status, that counts. To determine your SVA, you'll take a simple quiz that factors in everything from your sun-tanning habits to your personal lifestyle to your genes. Once you know your SVA, you're ready to start lowering it with a customized six-week plan that will make your skin look smoother, firmer, and more lustrous. Dr. Dover guides you through your three-part cleanse—treat—prevent program with a range of easy-to-find products at all price ranges that can be picked up at any drugstore or department store. He also offers some options available by prescription if you prefer to work with a dermatologist.

You'll find everything you need to know about the treatments that live up to their promises—from cleansers that brighten the skin to serums that reduce sun damage and fight acne. You'll navigate the skin-care aisle with confidence once you learn to read product labels and understand more about ingredients such as:

• Retinoids and retinol

• Matrixyl, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), and other peptides

• Growth factors, one of the most potent—and little known—anti-aging tools around

• Alpha hydroxy acids, including glycolic, lactic, and fruit acids

• Antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10, botanicals, soy, and green tea

If you're interested in supplementing topical formulas with more aggressive treatments, you'll also find information on procedures such as Botox, cosmetic fillers, light-source devices, and plastic surgery.

Today's advanced skin-care products are more potent and effective than ever. Start using them to encourage your skin to act and look younger. All you need to know is your SVA and Dr. Dover's simple cleanse—treat—prevent equation to add up to a fresh, healthy-looking, and radiant new you.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470191805
• ISBN-13: 978-0470191804
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #799,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Much longer than it needed to be for the content, April 2, 2009

By 

E. Klune (Beachside, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Youth Equation: Take 10 Years Off Your Face (Hardcover)

I learned some things from this book that were useful, specifically that all these different topicals which seem to have similar names have solid reasons for use and for layering. In this, I did find value and will recommit myself to my skin care program. You can really improve your skin using drug store formulations, according to this book.

Unfortunately, much of the other information was not new to me, and the writing style while attempting to be light-hearted and kindly, was irritating at times. I felt a bit like I was being talked down to, and redundancy thoughout the chapters bothered me.

The beginning of each chapter has a "Quiz". I felt the quiz format was a lazy way to avoid crafting an intelligent essay on the subjects of the questions, and so I just skipped to the answer section after the first two quizzes proved irritating to me. And no, this is not my PMS week.

The products the doctor recommends always includes, at the top of the list, his own line of product.

Certainly the author sounds capable, and most dermatologists don't provide this type of information in detail. I've been to half a dozen derms up and down the west coast over the last 20 years, and not received this amount of detail except from one dermatologist, so it's probably not common practice. Due to that dearth of derm focus on daily skin care beyond sunscreen and moisturizer, many people may find this book educational. However, I felt an extensive article could cover most of the content of this book.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for honest skincare advice and product recos, December 19, 2008

By 

NYCreader - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Youth Equation: Take 10 Years Off Your Face (Hardcover)

I found this book to be extremely informative. I think that it gives women hope and empowers them to take control of their skin health and appearance, even if they can't afford Botox. So many people find their doctors intimidating, and are afraid to push for more information because the appointment time is so hurried. This book is like the ultimate dermatologist appointment where every question is answered. And the best part is great product recommendations for things I can buy at the drugstore.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beside Reference Guide for Never Looking like an Old Lady, July 11, 2010

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Main Line Mama (Wayne PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Youth Equation: Take 10 Years Off Your Face (Hardcover)

Years ago a young dermatologist told me that if I took care of my skin and took advantage of the developments in skin care preparations that I would never have to subject myself to the cold hard steel of surgery. This author takes you through the maze of information that exists. I especially appreciate his explanatioon of injectables that is a smart women's way of being truly proactive. The author also has a line of skin care products at CVS. However, with the range of items from Oil of Olay and the discount structure of Amazon....my cost/benefit analysis continues. I think groups of friends would do well to get this book and then get together at least quarterly to discuss results. Putting your best face forward is a great economic tool as well as a very self affirming process. Great tool for organizing your mind to be on the alert for the aging process. I am a true Amazon warrior in fighting what some people consider the inevitable fate of being an old lady.