dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. “If no one was ever exposed to the sun, we wouldn’t have wrinkles, brown spots, red blotches — even sagging is accelerated. It’s all from the sun. The most important thing anyone can do for skin — infant, child, woman, man — is sunscreen.”
1. To protect your skin, you should use a hat and other protective clothing as well as sunscreen. Seek out shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., use umbrellas on the beach, and avoid tanning parlors.
2. Stop smoking. Smoking can damage the skin’s connective tissue and impair its healing process by preventing oxygen from getting to your blood vessels and skin. What this translates into is the classic “smoker’s face” — one etched by countless fine wrinkles. Even if you’ve been smoking for years, though, stopping means that your skin will probably sustain less damage.
3. Get some sleep. Getting adequate rest means you don’t look like you have bags under your eyes. This is also one way to alleviate stress, which is thought to contribute to damage from free radicals.
4. Avoid dehydration. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily, and don’t drink excessive amounts of coffee, which can make your body lose water. Although there are no