How do you avoid facial wrinkles?

Wrinkles occur via two mechanisms:

• intrinsic aging (aging changes that your skin would undergo without any external influences, like what you would see in sun-protected areas)

  These changes are seen in both sun-exposed and sun-protected areas of the skin and are due to internal physiologic changes alone. These are regulated by the person's genes and defects in the body's repair systems that come with aging. The skin becomes thinner and more lax, but there are no pigmentation changes or sun damage.

• Extrinsic or photoaging. These occur on sun-exposed skin and are caused by external factors, such as ultraviolet light damage, pollution and smoking. Sun damage due to ultraviolet light is responsible for almost 80% of the skin changes commonly attributed to the aging process.
• The most important thing you can do to avoid wrinkles is to avoid exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun and from indoor tanning equipment. Stay out of the sun between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm.
• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with Excellent UVB and UVA blocking agents. One of the best UVA blocking agents is avobenzone. Look for this ingredient on the label. Use the sunscreen every day all year long. This will not only prevent wrinkles but will also protect against skin cancer.
• It is important to remember that sun exposure happens when you are driving, as car Windows only block UVB rays but not UVA. UVA is just as damaging but does not burn you as quickly as UVB.
• The most significant sun damage happens before age 20, so protecting children from sun exposure is extremely important. It does not mean, however, that after age 20 it's OK to get sun exposure, as sun damage is cumulative.