Recession Rejuvenation: 8 Steps to Looking Great Without Plastic Surgery, by Dr. Robert Freund

Editor’s Note: Dr. Robert Freund is a board-certified plastic surgeon who practices on New York’s Upper East Side. His pioneering work on the Teardrop Breast Lift and Lateral Brow Lift led New York magazine to name him “one of New York’s leading plastic surgeons" in 2003. He is the author of Cosmetic Breast Surgery: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Decision — from A to Double D, and his new book about skincare, plastic surgery and anti-aging therapies for the face will be out in autumn, 2009. You can learn more about him at Facial Plasty!

Times like these stress everyone. Uncertainty in the job market (and all of those young guns lining up outside your door waiting for you to be laid off) will spur some of you to freshen up your looks so you can appear younger and, maybe, more competitive. Cosmetic surgery is expensive and recovery takes time, so how can you look younger in no time without breaking the bank?

Here are eight safe and simple things you can do that don’t involve going under the knife — or emptying your bank account!

1. Get a normal amount of sleep. Stress probably keeps you up at night and that just makes the pressures at work even worse. Stress and lack of sleep are two contributors to high levels of cortisol, a hormone that can accelerate aging, decrease blood supply to the skin and decrease mental acuity when elevated in your body. So, while it may be difficult, try getting to bed early and no matter what, keep calm. Cost: Free.

2. Sensible skin care. You’ve heard this before, but it’s imperative that you wash daily with a nonfoaming cleanser. That, however, is not enough: You must moisturize your skin with an inexpensive moisturizer. (Pick a bunch of cheap moisturizers and try them all. I know this will upset dedicated Crème de la Mer fans who believe that the $150-per-tub miracle potion is worth every penny, but cost DOES NOT mean better when it comes to moisturizers.) Exfoliate once a week with a Buf Puf. Cost: Cleanser $8/month, Moisturizer $8/month, Buf Puf $2.

3. Retin-A. This is a form of vitamin A that, when applied to skin, exfoliates, which gives a healthy glow and thickens the skin, which relieves the fine lines, and slows the lost of elastin and, thus, the aging process. More than that, this miracle vitamin evens out blotchy skin color and actually reduces skin cancers. It’s incredible! Cost: $50/month, plus a consultation with a plastic surgeon or dermatologist. 

4. Botox. You’ve heard all about this Botox, a toxin that paralyzes muscle. In case you haven’t heard, it is used to eliminate crow’s feet, frown lines, forehead wrinkles. It can also hinder emotional expression. Each injection usually lasts for 3 - 6 months. Cost: $200-900.

5. Facial wrinkle fillers. Collagen, Juvederm, Restylane, fat, Radiesse and many others are quick, nonsurgical ways of erasing smile lines and wrinkles around your mouth and other areas. Cost: $600-1200.

6. Chemical Peels. Chemical peels, which can easily be administered during one’s lunch hour, work a lot like Retin-A, but are far less intense. But in the long run, they can cost a bit more and may leave you looking a bit blushed after your first session. Cost: $150. 

7. Drink plenty of water. This is by far one of the easiest and most essential tips on this list. Not only is it always good to stay hydrated, but drinking lots of tap also purifies your system of blemish-causing toxins. Cost: tap water, free; Pellegrino: $3/bottle

8. Get a new haircut. You may not have seen this one coming, but a youthful, stylish cut and coloring will distract the eye of any quizzical neighbor. Also, when you look good, you feel better. That’s a fact. Cost $100-$150.