5 Preventative Anti-Aging Tips for Your Face

While genetics plays a role in how your face will age to a certain degree, lifestyle choices (i.e. daily nutrition, sleeping habits, smoking, sun exposure, etc.) and the way you take care of your skin and body can actually delay, and in some cases even avoid, the need for plastic surgery and other procedures later in life. Many of the undesirable effects are more within your control than you realize. Even if your skin looks great while in your teens and twenties, start taking care of it now. So many teens and 20-somethings treat their skin as if it was invincible, when the truth is far from it. Preventing wrinkles and aging skin is easier, less painful, and a lot cheaper than correction. The sooner you start, the better off your skin will be. Here are 5 tips that you need to be doing on a consistent basis to keep your skin looking naturally healthy and youthful.

Always Protect Your Skin from the Sun

While the sun causes skin cancer, it also accelerates the aging process. Did you know that the sun is responsible for 90% of skin damage and wrinkles? Tanning (either from the sun or tanning beds) = burnt skin. Sun exposure, either due to sun tanning or excessive exposure from outdoor activities, greatly ages skin prematurely. In my opinion, the sun is the opposite of the fountain of youth. The good news is that around 80% of how your skin ages is through environmental and outside factors while only 20% is hereditary. Sun exposure has a major impact on that 80%. But you can choose to stay out of the sun as much as possible. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), years of research supports that the sun’s UV rays are the number one cause of aging.

Daily use of broad spectrum sun protection is a must. In rain or shine, winter or summer, whether you have light or dark skin, your skin is always susceptible to sun damage. Choose a broad spectrum sunscreen or sunblock of at least an SPF 15 (SPF 30 is ideal) and make application a part of your daily morning routine. Apply liberally 15 minutes before any exposure to the sun, which includes driving in your car to go to work and/or running errands. If you’re at the beach, reapply every 1-2 hours and after 30-40 minutes of swimming or sweating. Be sure to seek shade between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Whenever possible, wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat as well.

Dermatologists and other skin specialists agree that broad spectrum sunscreen/sunblock is one of the most effective anti-aging products you can buy. Using it every day (365 days a year) can make a noticeable difference. The earlier you start proactively protecting your skin from the sun, the better off you’ll be. The less damage that your skin incurs from the sun, the better it will look.

Maintain Your Weight

Believe it or not, this is a very important part of healthy skin. Skincare doesn't just start and end at washing your face, sun protection, and moisturizer. What you drink and eat has a lot to do with how your skin looks too. Skin and diet go hand in hand. The better you eat, the better your skin will look. Eat lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and lean protein daily. Your skin will look great and you will have more energy. According to San Antonio plastic surgeon Jorge L. Menendez, MD, "Preventing large shifts in your weight and not getting too skinny as you get older will help to maintain volume and fat in the face. Facial volume is a key feature of a youthful, vibrant face."

Consistently Use Skincare Products that Strengthen Skin

Coco Chanel said it best…"Nature gives you the face you have at 20. Life shapes the face you have at 30. But at 50, you get the face you deserve." Skincare product trial and error is to be expected. You may go through trying out several different face cleansers, toners, lotions, creams, serums, exfoliants, and masks before you find the ones that best enhance your skin. After that, consistency is key when it comes to skincare effectiveness.

I hear some people who complain about their skin’s results yet are very inconsistent or lazy when it comes to using their products. It’s either inconsistency or they have unrealistic expectations and are very impatient when it comes to real results. Unfortunately, because of technology (lighting, cameras, photo shop, filters, etc.), some people have unrealistic expectations of what skincare and even makeup can do for skin. You can absolutely get fantastic results from a consistent skincare regimen using safe and effective products. You can lighten age spots, diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles, get rid of redness, and acne. You can have glowing, pretty, healthy skin BUT what you can’t do is look photo shopped in person. Not even the models on the covers of magazines and in magazine ads look that way in person. Having a good, consistent skincare regimen will also help your makeup look better. You will require less foundation, if any, or your foundation will look like it is your skin and not sitting on top of your skin and chalky-looking. Skincare, proper nutrition, water, and exercise can all help your skin feel and look your best, but have realistic expectations.

Taking care of your skin is a lot like starting a diet. If you only follow your diet 'sometimes" and expect to lose weight, it’s probably not going to happen. The same goes with taking care of your skin. If you’re 40 years old, it took you 40 years for your skin to show it’s signs of aging, sun damage, etc. and nothing will repair that damage overnight. It’s important to invest in a clinically-proven and effective skincare regimen that works for your specific skin type and issues. Look for products with ingredients such as peptides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol, alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids. The younger you start consistently taking care of your skin, the better off you will be.

Don’t Smoke

Smoking is a bad skin habit to break, so you should avoid it at all costs. It causes blood vessels to constrict. It impairs circulation and the delivery of oxygen to skin tissue. It also reduces skin’s ability to form collagen and causes elastin to thicken and break apart, which leads to dry, wrinkled, and sagging skin. Studies even show that smoking hampers the body's ability to make collagen and also leads to premature wrinkling. So, just don't start smoking, period! And if you do smoke, try to kick this habit to the curb ASAP!

Collagen-Stimulating Treatments

Did you know that around the age of 30 the amount of collagen you produce diminishes? This is why you may start to notice your neck a tad more loose, the area around your mouth start to jowl, and your cheekbones lose that definition you've always taken for granted. Collagen-stimulating treatments such as microneedling and using the AMP MD roller system at home are great options to consider. For example, the AMP MD roller system utilizes micro-exfoliation roller technology for visibly advanced skin firming benefits. It helps skin appear firmer, and makes lines and wrinkles less noticeable for a more luminous and refined appearance. However, if you do have active acne breakouts or sensitive skin, I wouldn’t recommend using this roller system as it may cause more irritation to your already irritated skin.

Getting regular facial treatments from licensed estheticians and skin specialists is another great way to take care of your skin and avoid plastic surgery. But if you must, you may want to consider getting injectables, fillers, fat grafts, or laser treatments, which can help delay the need for plastic surgery as well. Downtime is a lot less than plastic surgery and the results last months to a few years. While it still necessitates surgery, fat grafting can make a world of difference without the expense or downtime associated with a face lift. Scottsdale plastic surgeon Brian Gawley, MD, says that performing facial fat grafting along with CO2 laser resurfacing gives a natural, refreshed look without the need for a formal face lift.

Preventing wrinkles and aging skin is easier, less painful, and a lot cheaper than correction. The sooner you start, the better off your skin will be. A few simple changes in your day to day routine can go a long way towards age-proofing your skin. Decide today how you are going to look tomorrow and in the future. Your skin will thank you for it.

Learn more about how you can have healthy and youthful-looking skin at any age.