Wrinkles are caused when the skin’s inner elastic tissue begins to break down. It’s sometimes referred to as “aging.” When excessive UV light accelerates the aging process, it’s sometimes referred to as “premature aging.”

But here’s the problem with the term “premature aging”: Everyone’s skin ages differently according to your heredity — regardless of your lifetime UV exposure. After you reach your 20s, your dermis actually begins to break down little by little. Generally, this process starts earlier for women than it does for men.

So what’s the difference between natural aging and “premature aging?” We believe that diet, lifestyle and repeated sunburn can accelerate that aging process.

And one of the biggest contributors to wrinkles is cigarette smoking. Your skin gets its nutrition from capillaries — the tiny blood vessels that are often constricted in smokers. So it’s no surprise that smoking hurts your skin.

But why is it that some older people have tan skin and no wrinkles, while some people have more wrinkles? The answer is heredity.

Here’s what Smart Tan urges tanning professionals to teach clients about wrinkles:

1. Your heredity dictates how your skin will age. Diet, lifestyle, smoking and repeated overexposure can accelerate your natural aging.
2. We’re in the business of teaching moderation and sunburn prevention.
3. We think that’s the best way for you to minimize your risks of skin damage.

Smart Tan’s Continuing Education program — part of the Smart Tan System for training tanning professionals — teaches this and other material that give you and your staff the power to be your best. Call your Smart Tan Member Services representative at 800-652-3269 or 866-795-3755 in Canada for more information on the Smart Tan System.