"Smile lines" is a phrase that makes it sound as if smiling is the problem.
Is that it? Should we all stop smiling? Of course not.
Like all lines on the skin, smile lines are caused by aging skin.
Discover how to regain youthful skin, and keep smiling.
Here are some tips.
-- Healthy living makes for healthy skin.
If you don't take care of your health, any skin care treatment has two strikes against it.
To get specific: 1.
Starches, sugar and especially high-fructose corn syrup are going to catch up with you eventually.
A soda, burger and fries, or pizza and a beer, are OK once in a while, but if they're your regular diet, watch out.
Lined and sagging skin, poor health and too much body fat will follow.
2.
Smoking ages your skin (especially your facial skin) and everything else.
'Nuff said.
3.
Constant tanning, and especially getting sunburned, oxidizes and damages the skin longterm.
It's worse if you don't get plenty of anxtioxidants from your diet and from a really good topical skin cream.
That doesn't mean you should avoid the sun completely.
I get 15 or 20 minutes of sunshine several times a week.
It's our natural source of vitamin D, and many millions of us are deficient in vitamin D.
-- You don't have to be an angel about food or anything else.
But anybody can begin by adding the nutritious food our ancestors did, like green salads, low-fat meats and more non-starchy vegetables and fruits.
-- You know about exercise.
If you don't do it regularly, why not start with just a little, but regularly? -- You know about enough sleep, too.
But did you know that a very dark room is necessary for healthy sleep? Shades you can see light through, and all the little electronic lights on our bedside phones and clock radios stop our bodies from creating melatonin.
Melatonin is an essential hormone and a powerful antioxidant.
-- Any skin care cream will be more effective if you take care of your overall health.
But most skin creams are ineffective -- including the most expensive of them.
In fact, two recent studies by expert, independent test labs commissioned by Consumer Reports found no relationship at all between high cost and high quality.
I wasn't surprised.
That's been my experience, too.
For more on how to keep smiling and still remove smile lines see my website.