We all know to use our eye cream nightly, but there’s a lot more aging going on besides just our crow’s feet. To keep you looking youthful and wrinkle-free (and remember, it’s not too early to start using anti-aging products), we spoke to dermatologists to get their best advice. Read on to find out where you should really be applying that anti-wrinkle cream!
Hands: Our hands are out in the sun as much as our faces are. Protect them with sunscreen as much as possible. Also, use a rich, thick hand cream regularly, especially after any water or soap contact. “Dried out skin is duller, rougher, and wrinklier. Itchy, cracked skin is inflamed. Chronic inflammation leads to faster aging,” says Dr. Jessica Krant, MD, MPH, a board-certified dermatologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at SUNY Downstate, and Founder of Art of Dermatology on 5th Avenue in New York City.
Sides of neck: Though our chins protect the front of our necks from sun damage pretty well, check out any sun-worshipper’s neck sides. They look mottled, wrinkly and blotchy. Never forget sunscreen there too, when you’re loyally protecting your face and chest.
MORE: Why You Should Start Using Anti-Aging Products in Your Twenties
Nails: Yes, nails age, and they show it. Old nails start to show vertical ridges and roughness. “This is mostly caused by dryness and loss of the seal at the cuticle margin. To prevent and slow down nail aging, keep your cuticles and nails well moisturized. Put thick cuticle or hand cream on your cuticles and nails nightly at a minimum, but ideally at least a few times per day,” says Dr. Krant.
You are what you eat: Anti-aging starts on a cellular level, so nourished and healthy cells mean an abundance of energy and your younger appearance. That’s why diet and lifestyle are the major causes of premature aging or looking younger. “The more you eliminate processed foods and sugar and add more fruits and vegetables, the younger your cells will become and therefore you will reverse aging,” says Katrina, an author, founder of Health Mastery Retreat, Holistic Nutritionist, Acupuncturist and Detox Specialist. Smoking, alcohol, stress, processed foods, sugar, and animal products make us age! Acquire a plant-based diet, decrease stress with yoga and meditation, add some passionate sex and you will reverse aging process and look younger!
Back: Most people forget to use anti-aging skin care on the skin of their back. “A type of age spot called seborrheic keratosis slowly starts forming on your skin over time, including your back. They are rough, usually brown, scaly and not very attractive as they thicken and grow. Most people think they are “moles” and inevitable, but they are most definitely NOT,” says Cynthia Bailey, M.D., Board Certified Dermatologist, and President and CEO, Advanced Skin Care and Dermatology Physicians.
MORE: New Study Proves Sunscreen is a True Anti-Aging Product
Décolletage : The décolletage area (lower neck and upper chest) is an often neglected but as we mature, age spots, wrinkles, white and red blotches appear on the neck and upper chest. Nasty! Chronic sun exposure is a big culprit, so sunscreen and SPF makeup will help future damage. Meanwhile, treat with fading creams, retinoid creams and chemical peels.
Your ears: Between years of heavy earrings and gravity taking its toll, saggy ears are often a tell-tale sign of aging. “Earlobes are injected with hyaluronic acid filler to plump them,” says Debra Jaliman MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
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