by Doreen Martel

Created on: April 30, 2009

Who doesn't want to stay young forever? Or, at least, young-looking? Our youth-oriented society makes us feel that growing old is a disease that we need to cure. As a result, a whole industry has been initiated - that of the anti-aging solutions. On the front lines of fire, our skin. How we look often determines how we feel. And, don't we all want to feel young?

There are so many products and procedures out there that all claim to be the cure to aging skin. They come in every price range and can be found in just about every store. They range from simple creams to plastic surgery. If you google "anti-aging skin care," you get over five million hits. Five million! Where do you even start to find what's right for you?

Start simple. I it sounds redundant because you've heard it before: eat a healthy diet, get plenty of exercise, and stay out of the sun. And if you're in the sun, use sunscreen, at least SPF 30. We often forget that our skin is an organ of our body - the largest organ, actually. A healthy diet full of antioxidants and fish oils, along with vitamin supplements are great for your skin. But it is also our body's one defense to the outside world. Our skin has the busy job of keeping out dirt, disease, and infection. However, we tend to abuse it with our love of makeup, tans, and tattoos. It's no wonder that it changes so much over the years and we wind up with wrinkles!

Creams and Masks

The least expensive way to reduce wrinkles and look younger is to use creams and masks that can help provide the skin with nutrients from the outside. Try some different homemade remedies that use all-natural ingredients you can easily find in any supermarket. Or, choose from the many, many anti-wrinkle creams in the skin care aisle. Find a trained esthetician near you and treat yourself to a customized facial. These things can all be tried before you resort to more drastic measures.

Microdermabrasion

In the next line of the anti-wrinkle artillery are treatments that patients can receive at a spa or in a dermatologist's office with minimal side effects or healing time. Microdermabrasion is one of the most popular. It uses tiny crystals to exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells, thereby allowing the new skin cells to come to the surface. It also stimulates the production of collagen in the skin, a type of protein that binds cells together and allows the skin to maintain its elasticity, thereby smoothing out wrinkles.

Collagen and Botox

Collagen can also be injected into the

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