True beauty comes from within, so the key to a healthy glow may not come from your cosmetics. Your skin is the largest organ of your body. If you nourish your body from the inside out, you will make a difference in the way your skin looks - and ages.

Types of wrinkles

Atrophic Crinkling Rhytids

These are the Fine lines on the face that are almost parallel to each other.

They show up in different areas of the face and body but they tend to disappear when skin is stretched transversally. (that means they shift when your body posture changes.) These wrinkles are associated with loss of elasticity.

Since these wrinkles are due to underlying loss of collagen, you need to protect your skin using sun protectants. You can also use moisturizers to temporarily plump the skin and diminish the appearance of these fine lines.

Permanent Elastic Creases

These are crease lines in the skin that become increasingly permanent over time, especially with sun exposure.

They show up most frequently on on the cheek, the upper lip, and the base of the neck.

Sun exposure makes this type of wrinkle worse. So unless you’re blessed with naturally dark skin, you should avoid sun exposure or use a sunscreen on these areas to prevent this kind of wrinkling.

Dynamic Expression Lines

Wrinkles that are caused by facial muscle movement.

Frown lines and crows feet.

These wrinkles respond to Botox or similar treatments.

Gravitational Folds

 As the name implies, these lines are from the effects of gravity and they become increasingly obvious as skin begins to fold and sag. As we noted in a recent post, skin research on the International Space Station might shed some light on the mechanisms of gravity-induced wrinkles.

The location of these wrinkles is related to the thickness of skin. While we would have thought this means that thicker skin shows more folds, surprisingly the researchers said that a fat face may show fewer gravity folds than a lean face.

Skin-lifting procedures are effective at removing these kinds of wrinkles.

How sunlight harms the skin

Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can cause significant damage to your skin.

Wrinkles

UVA rays from the sun can penetrate deep into your skin and damage collagen, which is the protein that holds your skin together in a firm and smooth way.

UVA breaks down the collagen structure which results in wrinkles.

Once collagen is damaged, it cannot re-build itself.

Up to 80% of skin aging is caused by the sun.

Freckles/Sun Spots

Freckles and sun spots are signs of skin damage and develop as a result of too much sun exposure.

Freckles and sun spots are frequently found on face, legs and back of hands. Individuals who sunbathe regularly may develop freckles and sun spots all over their skin.

Sun Tan

Contrary to popular belief, a tan is not “healthy.” A tan is a sign that damage has been done to your skin.

When exposed to the sun’s UV rays, your skin’s melanocytes produce melanin, the dark pigment that creates a tan. A tan is your skin’s attempt to prevent UV rays from doing any further damage to the sensitive skin cells in your epidermis.

A tan does not help protect your skin from getting a sunburn in the future. A tan is equivalent to merely an SPF 4!

Sunburn

Overexposure to the sun’s UV rays results in a painful sunburn. UV rays penetrate deep into the layers of your skin and kill living skin cells.

In response to this trauma, your body’s immune system increases blood flow into the damaged area so white blood cells can remove the dead skin cells. This blood flow is what causes your sunburned skin to become warm and red.

There is substantial evidence that sunburns can lead to DNA damage. Repeated sunburns dramatically increase your risk of developing skin cancer because of this damage to your DNA.

How smoking harms the skin

When we inhale the smoke from a cigarette the carbon monoxide from the smoke is absorbed by the hemoglobin in the blood. Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless highly toxic gas also found in the smoke from car exhausts. The blood can absorb carbon monoxide 200 times as fast as oxygen so a lot of the oxygen is displaced by carbon monoxide. The organs including the skin are starved of life giving oxygen and slowly poisoned by the carbon monoxide.

But that's not the end of it. Cigarette smoke also contains the following deadly cocktail of chemicals: Ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, butane, nicotine, carbolic acid, collidine, formic aldehyde, lutidine, parvoline, prussic acid, pyridine, arsenic and cadmium. This list is by no means complete.

The effect on the skin of all these is catastrophic. The liver goes into overdrive trying to expel these chemicals from the body and cannot perform its normal functions properly. The skin loses its healthy glow and takes on a yellowish-gray cast. The more cigarettes smoked, the worse your skin will look.

Smoking also causes premature aging

Ways to keep your skin young

• Try to avoid sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are the strongest.
• Apply a sunscreen with SPF 15 or more on all exposed skin 30 minutes before going outdoors.
• Re-apply sunscreen after swimming or sweating.
• Do not sunbathe.
• When at the beach, stay under a beach umbrella, but also use sunscreens since sunlight reflecting off the sand and water can harm unprotected skin.
• Outdoors, wear wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves and pants.
• Wear makeup (foundations and lipsticks) that has a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.
• Avoid tanning booths.
• Don't smoke.
• Wear sunglasses outdoors.
• Use moisturizers to combat skin dryness.
• Use moisturizing soaps.
• Use a humidifier at home in winter when indoor air can be particularly dry.
• Ask your dermatologist about topical tretinoin emollient cream. This FDA-approved product may slow or stop additional photoaging when used to treat existing photoaging.
• Ask your dermatologist about alpha-hydroxy acid, which also may help reduce some visible signs of photoaging
• Get enough sleep.
• Eat healthy.
• Limit your caffeine consumption.
• Use sunscreen every day.
• Clean and clear. Start by cleansing dry or sensitive skin with a gentle, non-stripping gel cleanser. If you have oily, acne-prone skin, find a gentle gel formula that's made specifically for your skin type, and follow with a non-alcoholic toner. Those containing alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) work especially well to help smooth the skin’s texture. On days when you really need to exfoliate, use a gentle, grainy scrub (skip this step if you've got sensitive skin). If you've got oily skin, you'll want to exfoliate twice weekly, concentrating on blackhead-prone areas like the nose and chin.
• Shave carefully.Shaving is a common and inexpensive way to remove unwanted hair. But shaving can cause skin irritations, especially if your skin is thin, dry or very sensitive