Our skin health is at the mercy of many forces as we mature and age. Factors like harsh weather, sun, and bad habits all contribute to our skin’s natural aging process. Technology has allowed us to reverse some of the signs of aging.

How your skin ages will depend on a variety of factors: your lifestyle, diet, heredity, and other personal habits. For instance, smoking can produce damaging free radicals. These are what were once healthy oxygen molecules that have now become overactive and unstable. Free radicals damage cells, leading to many side effects including wrinkles and fine lines.

Just because you don’t smoke, doesn’t mean you are fully protected. Primary factors contributing to wrinkled, spotted skin include normal aging, sun exposure (photo aging), pollution, and loss of subcutaneous support (fatty tissue between your skin and muscle).

And then aside from environmental factors, there are the things in life that we cannot always control. Other factors that contribute to aging of the skin include stress, gravity, daily facial movement, weight loss and weight gain, and even sleep position!