“So how can we prevent wrinkles? Wrinkles happen for multiple reasons: Number one, genetics. Number two, I would say it would be sun exposure. So the one thing that we can do – the most important thing we can do – is not expensive wrinkle creams, it’s sun protection. So wearing a sunscreen 30 or above, applying it regularly at least 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure, reapplying it every two to three hours or every time you get out of the water – that’s basically the most important thing that we can do to prevent wrinkles because we can’t control our genetics. In addition to that, keeping the skin nice and hydrated by using a moisturizer, moisturizing in the morning and at night (the morning one should have sunscreen, the night one does not need to) is the other thing that we can do. The third thing that we can control is the use of certain creams that may help prevent or treat fine lines (they don’t help with deep lines, perhaps with fine lines). Those are retinols. Prescription strength retinol works better than over-the-counter. Those are creams that are prescribed typically by a dermatologist that stimulate collagen production within the skin. So, the number one factor is genetics, that we can’t control, and number two is sun protection, skin hydration, and then using, preferably, a prescription-strength retinol.”
Tamara Lazic Strugar, MD, is a board certified dermatologist at Mount Sinai Doctors, seeing patients Tuesday-Thursday. She has a particular interest in eczema, psoriasis, acne, warts, skin cancers, medical and surgical treatment of skin disorders, and a wide variety of cosmetic procedures, including Botox, fillers, microneedling, chemical peels. Dr. Lazic Strugar is fluent in Serbian and Spanish. She knows basic Italian. Mount Sinai Doctors is an organization of clinical relationships and multi-specialty services that expand the Mount Sinai Health System’s footprint beyond the seven main hospital campuses into the greater New York City area.