Anti aging doctors will tell you one simple fact: no one can avoid aging.
As long as we're alive and our genes continue to function, we will inevitably continue to age.
Aging is unavoidable because our skin is programmed to age by our genes.
In fact we age doubly - internal and external.
Internal aging occurs due to the aforementioned fact that genes program our skin to age.
External aging occurs due to external factors, and ages our skin more than internal aging.
External factors like the sun, smoking, gravity, and even facial expressions will affect how our skin ages.
So how do we delay the inevitable? By now it should be common knowledge that too much sun can cause skin cancers and Actinic keratoses (dry, callous-like lesions that form on the outermost layer of the skin).
Fact is Ultra Violet (UV) Radiation is bad for the skin, and because the sun is the main source of exposure when it comes to UV rays, even tanning could be potentially harmful to your skin's health.
This is because the UV rays produce free radicals that destroy the skin gradually.
While you can control this problem with anti-oxidants, you cannot reverse or stop aging completely.
The sun may be the main cause of skin aging, but smoking comes in a close second.
Smoking does in fact contribute to the aging of your skin.
Smokers eventually develop a "smoker's face" - which is basically pale, grey and wrinkled skin.
Just like how UV rays encourage the growth of free radicals in your body, the tobacco smoke from cigarettes form free radicals that cause the cell of your body to become erratic and make your skin age quicker.
Cigarette smoke also restricts blood flow through the tiny veins near the skin's surface, and prevents oxygen and nutrients getting to the skin.
So in essence, smokers are actually starving their skin of the essential nutrients needed, and compounded with how cigarette smoke also contributes to the breakdown of collagen supply to the skin's structure, it's not surprising that it accelerates the aging process by wearing down the skin's elasticity, forming wrinkles.
Now, while you have the choice to stop smoking (if you're a smoker that is), gravity is something you can't avoid, unless of course you reside in space.
But for us earthlings, the effects of gravity is unavoidable, and because gravity pulls everything downwards, our skin would eventually sag, especially after the production of essential proteins that keep our skin firm and elastic reduces with age.
The only plausible solution to combat the effects of gravity is cosmetic surgery.
Facial expression may be a force of habit, but frown too much and you'll find yourself aging quicker than someone who happens to be more jovial and smiling all the time.
It's been said that it takes more facial muscles to frown than to smile, and while there might be some truth to it, every facial expression you make would contribute to the signs of aging.
No one's asking you to remain expressionless however; simply try and be aware of unnecessary facial expressions you might be making, either while talking or even simple expressions in reaction to something (like grimacing while watching something on television or frowning to express incredulity), and try to break the habit to lessen the unnecessary expressions.
So there you have it, just some of the advice anti aging doctors would tell you should you ask them for anti aging tips.
While it's impossible to stop aging in its tracks, you can delay the inevitable by watching out for what might harm your skin, and avoiding them the best you can.