This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about making your face look its best. We’ve discussed plastic surgery options to reverse aging, but it’s relatively easy to prevent a lot of facial aging.

Damage from the sun is responsible for much of the appearance of age on the face. It makes skin look rougher and weakens collagen so that skin wrinkles more. The way to prevent skin damage that makes you look older is to wear sunblock. Dr. Erin Welch, a dermatologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says this should be a year-round habit. So, don’t stop using sunblock now that summer is ending. Whenever you’re going to be outdoors for more than 15 minutes, no matter what time of year it is, apply a sunblock of SPF 30 or higher that protects against both UVA and UVB rays, and put it on half an hour before you go outside. Re-apply if you perspire or get wet. That will go a long way toward keeping you looking younger.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/dermatology to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in dermatology.