There comes a time when you look in the mirror and all of a sudden you see an image of your mother. We have all heard others mention this experience happening to them, but we brushed it off because at that time, we didn't relate to it. But now we do. It's not that we have nothing against our mothers, but nobody wants to look like their mother. It conjures up images of the age we don't want to be. Suddenly we begin to look at ourselves differently and feel old. We notice every wrinkle and our skin begins to change.

During menopause, our bodies produce less estrogen and this dries out our skin; when our skin gets dry it becomes flaky or cracked. Drinking plenty of water helps to replenish any lost moisture. Using estrogen creams can help lock in moisture and keep the skin from becoming dehydrated. As our estrogen production diminishes, our skin starts thinning.

Over time, our skin produces less collagen and elastin and this causes wrinkling and sagging. The skin needs to have collagen and elastin in order to remain firm. If you take estrogen pills during menopause, there will be a greater production of collagen and elastin. Estrogen can also thicken the skin.

How much our skin wrinkles has a lot to do with heredity. All we have to do is take a look at our parents and older family members. This may or may not give you anything to look forward to in terms of aging skin. Genetics do play a big role in how our skin looks as we age. If they have drooping eyelids, sagging jowls, and frown lines then chances are you will follow the family pattern. But how you take care of your skin can make a difference in how your skin ages. Keep in mind that some of your older relatives may have not taken care of their skin over the years.

For women who grew up in the sixties and the seventies, sun worshipping was a given and our days were spent basking in the sun with tanning oils in hopes of a dark tan. Little did we know that down the road we would be paying for it in the form of wrinkles and skin cancer. All that sun exposure is another reason for skin damage. We need to use sun protector with ultraviolet ray protector to prevent skin damage. There are many products on the market that will protect your skin.

Those people who smoke are more likely to have deeper wrinkles than those who don’t smoke. Smoking can cause biochemical changes in the body that speeds up the aging process; smoking damages your elastin. Research has shown that the longer a person smokes and the greater amount of cigarettes consumed, the deeper the facial wrinkles.

So in a nutshell, take care of your skin by using sunscreen, moisturizers, consume healthy foods and drinks, and don’t smoke. You can’t pick your relatives so the only way to avoid looking like that one relative you would hate to look like is to use preventives; you will have a better chance of maintaining youthful looking skin.