Prevention

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Aging, sunlight, smoking and dryness all contribute to the wrinkles, brown spots, large pores, redness and other imperfections women try to correct with nonsurgical cosmetic treatments. For instance, as you age, the top layer of skin doesn't turn over as often, leaving dead skin cells on the surface longer and giving your features a dull appearance and texture. This is also when the sun damage of your youth comes back to haunt you. That sun created free radicals that broke down the collagen in your skin, as well as the elastin fibers that keep skin flexible. If you've spent a lot of time in the sun, your skin may even have a leathery appearance.

Preventing skin damage, then, boils down to:

• Protecting yourself against the damaging effects of the sun by wearing sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Put it on just like you put on moisturizer every morning (many moisturizers contain sunscreen), even if it's cloudy outside. Just sitting near a window or driving in a car exposes your skin to the sun's rays.
• Quitting smoking and staying away from second-hand smoke.
• Taking care of your skin. That means washing it with gentle cleaners and using moisturizer in the morning and at night.