Massaging your skin won't prevent wrinkles. It won't do anything except, possibly, make you feel good. "Skin foods" won't do any good; your skin doesn't need these products because it, like any other organ, is fed by your body. Wearing "wrinkle eradicators" or "masks" to bed every night won't do any good either. In fact, once wrinkles or lines have made their appearance, the only way to get rid of them is by plastic surgery. This is expensive, lasts only a few years, and should be done only by a surgeon experienced in this field (a plastic surgeon). I consider it worthwhile in only rare instances, as in the case of an actress whose youthful appearance may be important in her profession. As far as the average woman is concerned-why not just avoid frowning and smile instead, so that when wrinkles or lines do appear they will add to, rather than detract from, your appearance?

If an obese person loses weight too quickly (more than three or four pounds a week), the skin can become loose. Weight loss should be undertaken at a moderate pace. If this careful loss is combined with exercise and possibly with massage, the skin will not become loose and wrinkled.

"Wrinkle removers" and "rejuvenating creams" can be dangerous if they contain hormones; most of them are useless. Exaggerated claims are made for many lotions, tissue creams, muscle oils, astringents, skin conditioners, and so on.

Wrinkles must be the greatest skin problem of all. Dermatologists place some blame for wrinkles on sunshine. This certainly doesn't mean that you should hide in the house. It does mean that you should exercise some care in the amount of direct or reflected sunlight you expose yourself to. Collagen deterioration is accelerated by the sun's rays. The Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays and the longer Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays of the sun both penetrate into the dermis, causing the breakdown of collagen and the formation of wrinkles, as well as other signs of sun damage: dilated superficial blood vessels; pigment changes; and scaly patches. If you travel to areas of the world such as California and Australia where the sun is intense and many people have fair skin, you may notice that many of them look older than their age. This is due to sun damage.

A close second in causing wrinkles is another of life's necessities, soap and water. The average housewife unthinkingly rinses her hands before she touches anything, and perhaps afterward. Without realizing it, she may rinse her hands dozens of times a day. It is a good idea to do some of your housework wearing rubber gloves, or to rub on a good hand lotion from time to time. Bath oils have become popular because women have seen how nice their skin looks after anointing it with oil. Besides, a soaking bath is a good way to relax.