Sun damage occurs over a period of several years. With repeated sun exposure, the skin can no longer repair itself and the damage occurs. Even the sunburns you received as a child can cause wrinkling as an adult. It is imperative that you apply sunscreen to all visible areas of your body-namely, your face, neck, arms, and hands-in order to protect yourself.

Cigarette smoking also causes accelerated aging. Smokers are shown to develop deeply wrinkled skin earlier in age than a non-smoker. Also, the nicotine in cigarettes has been shown to cause a yellowish-hue to the smoker's complexion. These signs can be diminished by stopping smoking. Even people who have been a smoker for years can gain a lot of their skin-elasticity back if they stop smoking today.

Tip: Smoking can add an average of 15 years to your face-aging you amazingly fast.

Something that many people do not think about causing premature aging is the way they sleep. It's true-sleeping positions can cause wrinkles. Most of us have woken in the morning with a "line" across our face from the way we were sleeping. A "sleep line" is essentially, a permanent wrinkle.

Of course, there are several more factors that are involved in the aging of your skin, but the sun, cigarette smoke, and sleep position are a few that you can take hold of. Some may take more time to control than others, such as smoking. What's important is to start now and you would see a vast improvement in your skin.

You can take steps to reduce the signs of aging by following a simple routine. Click here to view our list of recommendations.