Local dermatologist reveals tips for a smoother, wrinkle free complexion

Last week, Kim Kardashian posted a photo on her Instagram page featuring one of her rarely seen features: her smile. Her caption to the photo acknowledged the fact she indeed does smile, but not often, because "it causes wrinkles."

Her smooth and wrinkle (not to mention pore and blemish) free complexion compelled me enough to wonder if she was on to something. I checked in with local dermatologist and expert wrinkle blaster, Dr. Eric Bernstein.

"Thank goodness smiling doesn't cause wrinkles," explains Dr. Bernstein.  "It causes smiles in those around us. The sun is what damages our skin, 90%, with chronological aging adding another 5% or so (just look at the non-sun-exposed on your bottom-not a wrinkle on it!) for aging and maybe 5% as a result of pollution and stress causing free-radical damage."

The only exception? Smokers. "Smoke produces skin damage similar to the sun-and it occurs around the mouth, not from pursing one's lips to draw smoke, but to smoke being absorbed into the skin around the mouth," says Dr. Bernstein.

A great testimony to wrinkle free smiling is children. "Children smile ALL THE TIME and you don't see wrinkles on them!  Creases occur where our muscles attach to move our face, but they only happen as the sun damages our skin. If that never happened, we wouldn't have wrinkles at all. Smile away!!!" Ahem. Are you listing North West. So how can we prevent wrinkles? Dr. Bernstein recommends the following skin saving tips to prevent the 5 signs of aging (fine lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, spider veins, freckles and sagging skin).

1. Sunscreen to all exposed sites every day, sport sunscreens when active outside.
2. Clear window film on our cars and windows where we work or sit a lot.
3. Brown sunglasses (the lenses not the frames), especially for blue-eyed folks, to block the blue/green rays that are harder on our retinas.

For those of you who spent some regretful years bathing in the sun, there is hope.

When looking to over the counter options, AHAs and retinols (although prescription produces the best results) are your best bet. A great option to try is Dr. Bernstein's line, LaseResults (certified by my mom, the OG beauty product aficionado), which he developed to help reverse the signs of sun damage.

If looking for more dramatic results, lasers are the way to go. Dr. Bernstein, a full-time laser surgeon has the most success in "improving, not removing" wrinkles using the right combination of laser treatments.

For more information on Dr. Bernstein and his practice, visit www.dermguy.com