While it's impossible to completely escape the effects of aging on your skin -- fine lines around the eyes start to crop up when women are in their 20s -- some TLC can help minimize the damage. Fear your skin has already suffered from your love of the sun? It's not to late for you. Try the Five-Step Damage Control Plan to start repairing your skin. If you're one of the more than 50 percent of women between ages 25 and 58 who are plagued by acne, learn how top dermatologists are Treating Adult Acne. By far, the most important thing you can do for your skin is to be diligent about sun protection -- it's your best defense against skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, but it's also the most preventable.

Wear Sunscreen

The most important thing you can do for your skin no matter what your age is to wear sunscreen everyday, but particularly when you’re young. It’s important to realize that you receive more than 80 percent of your lifetime sun damage before the age of 18. Wearing sunscreen throughout your life, not only prevents signs of aging, but also protects you from developing future skin cancers. Look for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Many products, such as moisturizers and foundations now include sunscreen.

When you are in your 20s

As you progress into your 20s, you may notice less acne than in your teens, but women particularly may still struggle with hormonal acne along the jaw line and on the chin. A mild cleanser with acne fighting ingredients, such as salicylic acid or sulfur, can prevent future outbreaks and clear up current ones. If you’re concerned about the appearance of acne scars, microdermabrasion or dermabrasion are two of the options dermatologists recommend. For mild scarring, microdermabrasion is known as a "lunchtime" procedure where crystals of aluminum oxide are blown onto the skin and then removed with a vacuum line thereby removing the outer layers of the skin. For more severe scarring, dermabrasion is a non-thermal resurfacing technique that removes the top layer of skin requiring one to two weeks of downtime. Both procedures create new smoother, younger skin.

When you are in your 30s

When individuals enter their 30s, most notice that their skin is less oily and their skin may even seem flaky and dry in places. However, acne breakouts can still occur, so it’s important to use non-comedogenic cosmetics and moisturizers, ones that do not have acne-producing ingredients. Skin in the 30s may appear to be confused – oily one minute, dry the next. The best advice is to find products that don’t irritate your skin and that have anti-oxidants, such as vitamins C & E, and beta-carotene, which repair and prevent further damage.

When you are in your 40's

Oil production in the skin diminishes around this age, meaning it’s important to keep moisturizing the skin. At this age, wrinkles around the mouth and eyes will become apparent. This is a good time to begin using an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) product to help remove the dead outer layers of skin, leaving your face with a fresh, younger appearance. Also, a dermatologist can prescribe tretinoin, a vitamin A cream that can help reduce the signs of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots.

When you are in your 50s - 60s and beyond

As you age, the skin begins to lose its plumpness and tone. Individuals may also notice more irregular pigmentation and "age spots." This is an excellent time to visit a dermatologist for a skin examination since a suspicious looking spot may be an actinic keratosis, a pre-cursor to skin cancer. You also may notice a persistent redness across your cheeks and nose that may be rosacea, a common and treatable condition that begins as a tendency to flush or blush easily, and progresses to persistent redness in the center of the face that may gradually involve the cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose. A dermatologist can diagnose and provide you with the best treatment options for rosacea.

If you’re concerned about wrinkles and looking for a way to turn back the hands of time, incorporating an anti-wrinkle product into your skin care regimen .

Prevention

What can I do to keep my skin smooth?

Use sunscreen (at least a SPF 15 ) daily. Bear in mind that preventing damage is always easier than repairing it. It has been shown that by using sunscreen every day already sun-damaged skin can improve significantly. When your skin doesn't have to work so hard to defend itself, it can instead concentrate on repairing itself, which is does naturally.

Boost Sunscreen's protective effect with a moisturizer that contains antioxidants, as they help fight off the damage brought on by the sun; some powerful ones are vitamin C, green tea, and olive leaf concentrate, among others.

Drink plenty of water. The exact amount of water and other fluids you should drink each day varies and depends on your age, sex, health, activity level and other factors. Keep your skin healthy from the inside!

The delicate skin around your eyes needs extra-special attention to look fresh and healthy. Unlike the heartier skin on your cheeks or forehead, for example, this skin is much thinner and lacks protective oil glands. The eye area is especially vulnerable to sun damage, and squinting and smiling strain it as well. Besides lines and wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness plague this sensitive spot, too. There's no better way to tackle all these concerns than with an eye cream.

Incorporate an anti-wrinkle product into your skin care regimen