Graceful aging is a beautiful thing, however, there are certain age-related changes that many wish they could slow down.
One of them is the changes that happen to the face.
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Age brings gifts like greater wisdom, experience, and accomplishments, but the changes that affect outward appearance are often the primary focus, mainly when it changes the reflection in the mirror.
Some of the changes that can happen to your face are obvious. Foreheads can get a little bigger as hairlines retreat. Ears can get longer because cartilage grows, and the tips of noses might droop because connective tissue supporting cartilage gets weaker.
Fat distribution in faces also changes with age. Areas that used to be plump and smooth can start to sag as fat is redistributed.
And, of course, there are wrinkles. Most are caused by continuous tugging on face muscles from natural facial movements and expressions. Others can be caused by sun damage, smoking, and natural degeneration of things that keep skin thick and supple.
So, what are your defenses against this? Some options range from applying moisturizing lotions, creams, and serums. Diet can even help. Botox injections and laser therapies also exist.
But sunscreen might be the best defense against face aging.
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Protecting your skin from the sun is probably the best and easiest way to keep skin youthful. A lot of skin damage comes from the UVA part of the light spectrum, so you need to protect your skin from it, as well as UVB, which leads to sunburn.
Using sunscreen with at least SPF 30 is recommended, and it should be applied either before leaving home, or just as you leave. It can take about 20-minutes to absorb into your skin, but that 20-minutes of sun exposure can help you get your daily hit of vitamin D.
Sunscreen needs to be re-applied about every two hours, however, if you are sweating or go swimming, it should be applied more frequently.