Part 2 of 3: Eyes & The Three Bads - Preventing Fine Lines

Dark circles, fine lines and puffiness. Today we are talking about fine lines -- if you can help delay or prevent their early appearance.

Those fine lines, sometimes called crow's-feet (let's stop using that phrase right now, okay?), are often the first wrinkles that develop on the face. Dermatologists agree that the top major causes of early fine lines around the eyes is smoking, squinting and facial sun-tanning. To help keep looking younger before the damage, turn the following behaviors into your new habits.

1) Reduce your exposure to the sun, wear sunblock, a big hat and dark sunglasses. Your skin loses elasticity, especially from sun exposure. Your skin around the eyes is far more delicate and vulnerable to sun damage, so protecting this area by using sunblock formulated for use around the eye area if important. Likewise, wearing dark UV light protective sunglasses is important.

2) Reduce your squinting. Be sure to get your eyes checked out for corrective lenses if you find yourself squinting to see better. Squinting over time creates permanent wrinkles if you do it long and hard enough. If you are outdoors a lot, squinting into the sun also helps imprint the squint lines that are temporary patterns into permanent lines.

3) Don't pull on your eye skin. When applying or removing eye make-up, do not pull your eyes. Don't help the forces of gravity, which plays its own role by pulling skin downward, by pulling your face out of shape on a daily basis.

4) Don't smoke and reduce your exposure to second-hand smoke. In a secondary way, this relates back to "reduce your squinting" because people tend to squint when smoke irritates the eye, especially in nightclubs. Additionally, smoke, which is a pollutant, is a powerful contributor to what is called "oxidative stress." Oxidative stress is one of the creator of free radicals that causes damage to collagen and elastin. Environmental stresses, like smoke, second-hand smoke and pollution contribute to the oxidative stress impact.

5) Pump up with anitoxidants. From food (cherries are my favorite) to supplements to topical application, be sure to pump up your skin with a wide variety of antioxidants. The well-known supplements include Vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene and grape seed extract. These work by inhibiting collagen destruction stablizing existing collagen and elastin. Topically you can help increase tolerance to damage and toxins while strengthening the skin matrix; ingredients to look for in eyes creams are vitamin C, A and co-enzyme Q 10.