The cliché “Prevention is better than cure” is true even when it comes to working against extrinsic skin aging effects. The best strategy to prevent the harmful effects of free radicals is a well-balanced lifestyle which includes a balanced nutritional diet. Likewise, regular consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals can significantly contribute in achieving young-looking skin.

A study conducted by researchers at McMaster University showed that exercise could keep mice’s outer layer from changing with age. The researchers made a separate study to test if exercise can also prevent skin aging on humans. They discovered that, after age 40, participants in the study who exercised frequently had thinner and healthier stratum corneums, as well as thicker dermis layers.

External aging is influenced by various external factors, but sun exposure is considered to be the most harmful to the skin. In fact, 80% percent of facial aging is said to be due to chronic sun exposure. That’s why it is important to incorporate sun protection in your daily skincare routine, alongside cleansing and moisturization.

To protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun, it is recommended to apply sunscreen daily. Choose broad-spectrum sunscreen products with chemicals such as avobenzone or benzophenone, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

Studies suggest that smoking cigarettes is one of the causes of facial aging and wrinkling. The literature shows that people who smoke have higher risk of developing premature facial wrinkling compared to non-smokers. So if you want to delay the appearance of wrinkles on your face, quit smoking or don’t attempt to make it a habit.

There is a theory that free radicals are partly responsible for age-related skin damage. When there are more free radicals generated than can be kept in balance by antioxidants, the free radicals can cause damage to your DNA, fatty tissue, and proteins. The accumulated damages caused by free radicals can result in age-associated functional losses.

Neutralizing these free radicals is the role of antioxidants such as carotenoids, tocophenols, flavonoids, and vitamins (A, C, D and E). These antioxidants, which can be obtained from food, are known for promoting skin health and beauty. There are also several topical skin care products that contain antioxidants including vitamins C and E, co-enzyme Q10, ferulic acid, green tea, idebenone, pycnogenol and silymarin.

Chemically resembling vitamin A, retinoids are used for the treatment of aging. Among retinoids, tretinoin is the most potent and best-studied. Topical application of tretinoin is said to prevent the degradation of collagen and improve epidermal thickness. Thus, even intrinsically aged skin can also benefit from the topical application of retinoids.

Aside from a healthy lifestyle, there are modern treatments that can help maintain your skin’s youthful appearance. Among these are non-invasive laser treatments. Instead of breaking the skin’s surface, a non-invasive laser procedure heats up the skin below the surface to promote new collagen growth and help restore the natural firmness and tone of the skin. While non-invasive lasers work more gradually than ablative lasers, these treatments have lasting results for skin tightening and generally require no downtime. Moreover, there is a low risk of adverse effects when the procedure is performed by a qualified provider.