The face is the front line of the aging-skin war as we do close combat with droopy eyelids, age spots, lines, and wrinkles. Signs of aging also make themselves known in other areas, most notably the neck, chest, and hands. The neck can sag with age, creating bands of wrinkled skin or neck wattles. Skin on the chest is extremely thin and often exposed, and it's not uncommon to see older women who've spent a lot of time in the sun with crepey, blotchy, wrinkled skin in their décolletage. The hands are exposed not only to the sun but also to chemicals such as those in dish-washing soap and bleach, often resulting in wrinkles and visible blood vessels.
So, what's to be done? First of all, adopt what we call the "vampire strategy": stay out of the sun. Protect your skin from the sun's rays when you're outdoors. This requires just a little attention and planning, but it's hard to get some women, especially young women, to take sun protection seriously. It's never too early to start wearing a "broad-spectrum" SPF 15–30 sunscreen, one that protects against UVA and UVB rays; avoiding sun exposure between ten a.m. and two p.m. during the summer; and wearing protective clothing and hats. Be sure to reapply your sunscreen every two to three hours. If you live in a region where the sun is more intense, bump the SPF to 30–45.
The easiest way to ensure that you're always protected is to apply a daily moisturizer with a built-in sunscreen. To help remember your sunscreen daily, keep it at your sink. In the morning after brushing your teeth, immediately apply your sunscreen. And if you simply must have a tan, get one that comes from a bottle.
Other basic ways to prevent excessive aging of the skin are also no-brainers: cleanse your skin every morning with a product that's appropriate to your skin type, drink six to eight glasses of water daily, and eat a diet that's rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, or 1,000-milligram daily supplements) and antioxidants (brightly colored fruits and vegetables, berries, green tea, and nuts rich in selenium and zinc). Get lots of sleep, exercise regularly, and try calming disciplines such as yoga, tai chi, or nature hikes.
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