Tip 1 - Minimize Sun Exposure (Especially Sunburn)

Do you know the cause of difference in skin "quality" between your face or hands to that of, say, your thigh or butt? Well, the answer is the amount of sun exposure. Yep, that's right. Theoretically, your face/hands/arms/neck could be as smooth as a babies bum if it hadn't been for the many years of damage from the sun!

In the Western countries, suntans are viewed by many as being fashionable and desirable. Unfortunately, this has led to an increase in ultraviolet radiation exposure, both from the sun and from sunbeds.

How does it damage our skin?

Besides the increased risk to skin cancer, over-exposure to UV rays damages the elastin fibers found in the dermis layer of our skin. This causes our skin to lose its flexibility and resilience. As a consequence, wrinkles begin to form.

Sunburn is caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. This radiation can come from natural sources (such as the sun) or artificial sources (such as welding or UV lamps used in solariums). The melanin in our skin converts the UV rays into heat. The redness from the heat is what we call sun burn.

When our skin senses high levels of UV radiation, our cells produce more melanin to minimize further damage. And, hence, our skin becomes tanned the more time we spend in the sun. But we still need to help the melanin by protecting ourselves from the sun. That's why we should wear sunblock and sunsmart clothes, such as a long sleeve shirt and hat, to stop us from getting excessive sun burn. Numerous episodes of bad sunburn can elevate our likelihood of getting skin cancer, especially when we get older.

The bottom line is that to maintain younger looking skin, you need to minimize your exposure to the sun.