Wrinkles occur when collagen and elastin lose their effectiveness. Collagen and elastin give your skin its characteristic firmness and elasticity; without them, your skin begins to sag and lose its plumpness.

Anti aging treatments exist, however, to combat wrinkles wherever they may occur - from the face to the neck, to the hands and the arms. To a great extent, your genetics, the long-term effects of gravity and the sun, and other habits such as smoking can play a great deal in the kind of anti aging techniques you will need to use.

wrinkles Things to avoid
First thing's first - how do you avoid new wrinkles and minimize existing ones? The main causes are prolonged sun exposure, smoking and heredity. Some important tips for anti aging include:

* wrinklesavoid being outside between 10 am and 4 pm, when sun exposure is at its strongest;
* avoid tanning salons, as the ultraviolet light is just as bad as that from sun (or worse);
* and avoid smoking at all costs, whether you are a smoker yourself or live with someone who regularly smokes.
* for more information on how you can quit smoking today, click here: quit smoking

wrinkles What you can do
Fortunately, there are many effective, scientifically proven techniques to deal with wrinkles. If you are a sun worshipper or spend any time in the sun at all (which is most people), you need to wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

Make sure that your sunscreen has protection against both forms of ultraviolet radiation - known as UVB and UVA. Sunscreen is an extremely effective but easy to apply anti aging solution, but it is surprising how few people use it regularly.
You've come to the right place to learn about wrinkles and anti aging.

Additionally, avoid dry skin, as this can make wrinkles worse. Anti aging can be maximized by moisturizing regularly with a wrinkle cream. Also drink 8-10 glasses of water to keep your skin supple.

When looking for a moisturizer or cream, keep an eye out for the following ingredients which assist in wrinkle reduction:

wrinkles Retinoic Acid (aka Retin-A, tretinoin, Retinova, and Vitamin A Acid) - Approved and recommended by the FDA for sun-damaged skin, it plumps and smooths the skin, reduces discoloration, and most importantly, fights wrinkles.

wrinkles Alpha-hydroxy acids - Excellent at exfoliating toughened skin and increasing collagen production, these acids are very effective when used in conjunction with retinoic acid and a moisturizer.

wrinkles Antioxidants - Oxidants or free-radicals are responsible for much of the damage to your skin; anti-oxidants such as alpha lipoic acid (ALA), DMAE, and Vitamin C esters reduce the effects of these harmful radicals and promote anti aging, minimizing the likelihood of developing wrinkles and fine lines.

Bell Samantha writes for http://www.cheapwrinklecreams.info where you can find out more about wrinkle creams and other topics.