Whoever said TV rots the brain has obviously never indulged in the likes of 10 Years Younger or You Are What You Eat. I find those programs truly traumatizing and there's nothing more motivating than a photo of a mashed up liver, or frightening statistics about aging/skin damage/the end of the world as we know it to propel you guiltily toward better habits...
Last night as Bex and I settled down with a left over Easter Egg and a cup of Earl Grey little did we know we were about to get a harsh lesson on dental hygiene and skin care. As the 10 Years team started to work their magic on a 48 year old who looked at least 55 from a life of smoking, drinking and sunbathing they pulled a few horrific facts out of their hats that had us abandon the chocolate and clutch nervously at our faces.
This poor woman had lost all her teeth at 40 due to a genetic disposition to gum disease exacerbated by poor diet and smoking. Listening to the lovely young dentist talking about our slack generation and poor dental hygiene my hand crept towards my mouth.
My teeth aren't bad, a little crooked but strong and generally healthy, I think. I actually haven't been to the dentist in six years. There are no NHS spaces in Chi (believe me, I've tried) and I absolutely refuse to go private because I pay National Insurance and can't afford it! (grumble, grumble, don't get me started) The long and short of it is I have no idea how my teeth really are...
Their second scream worthy fact was that for every time you don't take your makeup off before you hit the sack, you add eight days premature aging to your face!!! I've never seen Bex jump so high. We were clutching our cheeks staring flabbergasted at the smug women ladling out their cosmetic wisdom.
15 minutes later Bex and I were frantically scrubbing and flossing our teeth, tipping our heads back with our mouths wedged open searching for signs of plaque. My skin has never been so thoroughly cleansed, toned and moisturised! Frightening, very frightening. xc