How Should I Be Taking Care Of My Skin In My 20s And 30s, And What Kinds Of Issues Should I Be Thinking About?

February 20, 2009 -- Question: How should I be taking care of my skin in my 20s and 30s, and what kinds of issues should I be thinking about?

Answer: In your 20s, the most important thing is to really develop a good skin care regimen. The first thing you should start with is sunscreen every morning, either in a moisturizer or separate. An SPF 15 is best, and SPF only tells you UVB (ultraviolet B) so you want a broad-based UVA-UVB sunscreen in the morning.

In your 20s at night, you can use a moisturizer over the counter with a retinol product in it.

In your 30s, you want to continue this regimen, but you may consider adding a prescription retinoic acid like tretinoin -- and this is available from your dermatologist. And that just helps with the fine lines and wrinkles.

In your late 30s, to your skin care regimen, you can consider something like Botox, which treats the fine wrinkles of the forehead and around the eyes, to add to your regimen, as well as possibly laser treatments. And those can be discussed with your dermatologist.

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