By Dr. Samantha Ristimaki, BSc, ND of Balance Wellness Center

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Even though you may not be plagued with fine lines and wrinkles in your 20’s and 30’s, now’s the time to start thinking about prevention.

Get your zzz’s

Sleep both restores and heals the body.  On a cellular level, your resting hours are the time when the body heals damaged cells and replenishes itself.  Think back to when you pulled an all nighter or didn’t get any shut eye.  Your facial muscles became tight and your skin probably looked dark and saggy.  Chronic sleep deprivation will show on your skin.

Quit smoking

You probably already know that smoking is bad for your health, but it also leads to narrowing of the arteries that feed skin cells and causes damage to collagen and elastin, the fibres that prevent wrinkles and sagging skin. 

Protect your skin

UV light speeds the aging process by causing free radical damage to skin cells.  This appears as wrinkled, dry, blotchy skin.  Too much sun is one of the most common causes of premature aging.  Be sure to wear a hat or apply sunscreen to your face even in the winter time.

Eat your vegetables

Choose a variety of coloured foods in your diet.  Fruits and vegetables are especially rich in antioxidants.  They’ll help boost your body’s natural protection against cell damage that causes premature aging.

Keep your skin hydrated

It is essential to drink water throughout the day, but it’s also important to keep skin well moisturized.  Dry skin turns plump healthy cells into shrivelled ones, giving you visible fine lines far before your time.