Most millennials aren’t yet worrying about drooping eyelids and sagging skin. Being young has its benefits, but, it is never too early to plan for the future and start preserving that youthful appearance.

Spring is the time of year when we start to emerge from our homes and businesses to enjoy the warmer weather and attend more social events. It is a popular time for reunions and weddings, and is a great time to just be outside. If you are like most millennials, you enjoy a care free approach to skin maintenance and manage to look good with even minimal attention to skin care.

However, beware! Studies show that there is a fifteen to twenty year lag from the time sun damage occurs to when the damage will show up on the surface of the skin in the form of browns spots, plaque-like lesions, wrinkles, and skin cancer.

How to maintain a youthful appearance

For those millennials who want to look good twenty years from now, here are three tips you might want to follow:

SUNSCREEN

The most important thing you can do in your youth to protect your skin is to use sunscreen on a regular basis, even in the winter! Making sunscreen a part of your morning ritual will go a long way in preventing fine lines, brown spots, sagging skin and skin cancer. The easiest way is to purchase a moisturizer that contains sun screen, but you can also find make up and powders with sunscreen in them. Make sure it is protecting you from both the UVA and UVB rays that both have harmful effects and contribute to premature aging skin. Look for options that include a transparent zinc oxide.

BOTOX

It might seem crazy to recommend Botox to a millennial who does not yet have wrinkles, but by starting Botox before the lines of expression become permanent, you can preserve a nice, youthful appearance to your face. Well placed Botox can also slightly elevate the brows and open up the eyes so that you appear more rested and relaxed. Even 30 units of Botox twice a year for the younger person can help prevent deep frown lines, smile lines or forehead furrows from setting in. Find a board certified plastic surgeon who is trained in the proper technique and is using FDA approved product to do the procedure.

ACID PEELS

It sounds terrible, but even a once a year medical facial with a medical grade acid peel will help exfoliate the dead cells, clean out the pores and stimulate collagen production (and it really does not hurt!). The at home peels or peels that can be done in non-medical spas are less concentrated and therefore not going to have the same helpful effect on your skin. There are a variety of acids that can be used, each for a different skin type and purpose, so make sure you have this done at a reputable medical spa with a plastic surgeon on-site to supervise.

So, while you are enjoying the relatively care-free days of your 20’s and early 30’s, consider following these three tips to protect and maintain your youthful appearance for a long time!