Wrinkle Prevention

Wrinkles are part of aging and no one is immune from them. Most individuals age gracefully with a few wrinkles but a few of us develop wrinkles much earlier than expected. Some of the factors that prematurely cause aging can not be altered but there are some preventive measures to minimize wrinkle formation.

The preventive steps one can take to prevent wrinkle formation include:

Sun: This is probably the greatest risk factor in premature aging and development of wrinkles. The best preventive measure is to avoid spending a lot of time in the sun. Sunscreens are helpful but the UV rays do get through. Avoiding sun's ray between 10 am to 3 pm may help. By limiting the time in the sun, you will have a much lesser chance of forming wrinkle until much later in life.

Sunscreens: If you can't avoid the sun, wear a sunscreen (SPF>20) regularly and apply it every 2-4 hours. There are numerous sun screen products out on the market and make sure that the one you use also has UVA blocking abilities.

Clothes: To avoid excessive exposure to sun, wear a hat and other protective clothing. Today we have materials made from certain fabrics that prevent UV rays from entering the body. These clothes are slightly more expensive but if you love the sun, you may want to get them.

Tanning: To avoid the ravages of UV light, avoid tanning. Tanning accelerates the aging process. Most individuals who tan look much older than their stated age by the 4th decade of life. Despite all the hype of "safe" tans, this is rubbish. There is no such thing; infact artificial tans are even more dangerous than the sun's rays.

Smoking: Smoking is also a major cause of aging and wrinkle formation. Most smokers have a typical "face" from the constant inhalation and blowing of smoke. In addition, the tobacco also contains chemicals which destroy the skin tissues, causing fragile skin and wrinkles. The skin changes induced by smoking are only partially reversible when you quit smoking

Always keep well hydrated, eat well, and exercise regularly

Moisturizer: Protect the skin from dryness especially during the winter months. Dry shriveled up skin is more prone to wrinkling than well hydrated skin.



There is no cure for wrinkling and despite all the preventive measures; most of us will develop wrinkles sometime during our life. However, the preventive measures will deter the wrinkling from appearing much earlier in your life.