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t;margin-left: 13px;">According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald recently, it seems the old adage face or figure is true after all, at least once you hit 40. According to the report, a US study has found that one of the keys to retaining youthful looks is having more fat on your face as you get older. Australian Society of Plastic Surgery spokesperson Dr Peter Callan was quoted as saying that as we age the face not only drops but also loses fat and bone."There's no doubt that facial volume has a big impact on how you look and how the skin drapes over your face," Dr Callan said. "In a young person they have plenty of facial volume and fat, they have lustrous skin which drapes over a nice foundation so they look young. As we get older we have a thinner skin, sun damaged, possbily smoke damaged, plus we have facial descent and less facial volume so the whole thing can hang more than it should."

A few years ago I wrote a story for New Idea magazine on the very same subject, and the plastic surgeon I interviewed for it came to the same conclusion. So what can you do to help keep your face looking youthful? For a start, don't allow yourself to get too thin as you age, and also be vigilant about staying out of the sun and using a sunscreen. And if you still smoke, there's never been a better time to quit.

For more information on looking after your skin and maintaining a healthy weight, refer to Chapters 1 and 5 of my book!