What’s the best way to have younger-looking skin?

We all age, but you can take steps to keep your skin youthful. Transitioning your skin care regimen is only half the battle.  As we age we lose volume in the skin around the upper lip and over the cheekbones and often gain volume around our neck, which can make us look older. Injectable remedies can help. Treatments should only be performed by licensed health care professionals.

Here are some of the latest anti-aging trends:

Injectable fillers can improve the appearance of nasolabial folds (lines that run down the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth) and marionette lines (lines run from the corners of the lips downward towards the jawline). Today’s commonly used fillers use a natural substance to plump up sunken areas and make the shadows in deep lines disappear.

Juvèderm is the world’s top-selling filler and is used to fill lines, cheeks, vertical lip lines and lips.

For example, Juvèderm Voluma XC can help add volume to your cheeks to lift and contour the area, lasting as long as two years. The procedures are done in office, and results are instant.

Botox remains the best treatment for crow’s feet and the frown lines that appear between the eyebrows. Many physicians also use this to relax the lines that run across the forehead. By relaxing the muscles just below the skin’s surface, the lines smooth out and give you a more youthful look.

Remember, there are also lifestyle habits you can adjust for healthy skin:

Drink lots of water. While we hear this often when it comes to healthy skin, it is not cliché. Drinking water is good for your skin and overall health. An adequate amount of water daily keeps your body’s systems running properly and that includes your skin. A lack of hydration can make your skin dry, tight and flaky. Dry skin has less resilience, which makes it more prone to wrinkling.

Protect your skin from the sun. Even in winter when skies are overcast, UVA and UVB radiation can damage your skin. And a significant amount of sun exposure can occur even when you’re not outside. Up to 60 percent of UVA radiation linked to premature aging (UVA) can penetrate glass. Sitting by a window for extended periods of time throughout the day, whether it is in a car or a building, can increase harmful sun exposure. Apply broad spectrum sunscreen (SPF 50) every day.

Avoid smoking. The nicotine in cigarettes and the smoke itself is very harmful. Smoking not only deprives the skin of oxygen but damages collagen, which is a protein that holds your skin together. Smoking speeds up the development of wrinkles and leaves skin dry and discolored.

But the best way to ensure youthful-looking skin is to prevent skin damage when you’re young. Melanoma, one of the more worrisome skin cancers, has been linked to sunburns before the age of 18. And there seems to be a connection between severe sun exposure as a child and damage to the weathered-appearing skin as an adult. Patients who have the worst skin as adults in terms of aesthetics and possible development of skin cancer had their worst sunburn before age 18.