It’s never too late—in the season, or in your life— to start protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Use sunscreen every day and wear sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat whenever possible. “The single thing that ages the skin more than anything else is ultraviolet light, which damages DNA and breaks down collagen [the fibers that keep skin firm],” explains Mary P. Lupo, M.D., a dermatology professor at Tulane University in New Orleans. “The way I see it is: You can’t reverse a freight train until you first stop it.” Once you start protecting your skin you can reverse the damage that’s occurred.
