Everyone - men and women alike - start worrying early on about the appearance of that first wrinkle. For some, the fear of getting wrinkles can take over their lives. For others, they tend to do everything they can to prevent them from happening.

Prevention, of course, is indeed the key. It's so much easier to take care of your skin before problems arise, whether you are talking about wrinkles or blemishes or sun spots. Some families, unfortunately, tend to get wrinkles at a young age and because it's in their genes, there's not much that can be done ahead of time, but that doesn't mean you have to give up and accept your fate.

Since most wrinkles are caused by sun damage, the use of a good quality sun screen early on in life is mandatory ' no matter where you live. Don't think that only people in tropical climates with warm weather year round need to worry about sun screen. Scandinavian beauties still need to slather on the SPF lotions as well. Heat has little to do with what how the sun's rays can affect your skin.

Sun damage early in life tends to cause problems later in life. Small patches of skin cancers, brown spots, wrinkles and sagging might not show up till your late forties, but it's probably a result of extended exposure or a few serious sun burns in your teens.

Smokers also run the risk of wrinkles because oxygen is being depleted at dangerous rates. It's easy to spot a smoker ' their skin is dry, the wrinkles are deep and their lips are usually cracked. All the lotions and surgery in the world won't help skin that has been damaged to this degree by nicotine.

Smokers who sit in the sun can expect even more wrinkles and more problems.