BEAUTY WITH NICOLE

Wrinkles. They’re the first signs of aging for most of us, creeping up on us far too early around our eyes and mouth. Laugh lines by any other name are still wrinkles.

Dermatologists have built an industry around reducing wrinkles. There’s botox, lasers, peels, microdermabrasion, and hundreds of creams, gels, oils, and ointments—all of which cost money. Sometimes quite a bit of money.

But what if you could prevent wrinkles before they start, rather than trying to reduce them after they appear? To some extent you can. Of course, we all know how important it is to avoid tanning and smoking. However, there are other preventative measures we can take, and some of them are incredibly easy and simple and also cost nothing.

First, r epetitive external pressure on your skin and repetitive facial muscle movements cause crinkling of the skin. Don’t drink from a straw. Don’t chew gum. Don’t stretch your skin while putting on or taking off makeup. And don’t sleep with your face in your pillow. Sleep on your back instead.

Get up and move. Exercise is good for your skin.

Wear sunglasses to avoid squinting when outdoors.

Stop looking down at your phone all the time. All that constant texting is giving you neck wrinkles.

And finally, watch what you eat. Consume foods rich in antioxidants and avoid refined sugar.