Save your skin: Many options to treat wrinkles, age spots, sun damage and more

Your mom told you. Your doctor told you. Baz Luhrmann told you.

Wear sunscreen.

But inevitably, sun damage and natural aging eventually shows even in the most diligent of SPF-ers.

Amanda Dawson, a medical esthetician and laser specialist at Shine Medical Aesthetics in Cape Girardeau, says that luckily, a wide array of skin care procedures and treatments can mitigate the aging process, and in some cases, reverse it entirely.

"People start to see the effects from the sun from when they were younger," she says. "You have a lot of people who are 50 or 50-plus who are wanting to get rid of those things."

For those who don't find laugh lines amusing, licensed practical nurse Pam Strauss at Heartland Plastic and Hand Surgery explains there are three fundamental categories of treatments: noninvasive, minimally invasive and surgical.

"The first tier would include a physician-guided home skincare plan," she says. "It's a continuous regimen that includes cleanser all the way to sunscreens that contain topical prescriptions."

Other noninvasive procedures, such as laser treatments, microdermabrasion and certain types of chemical peels, are popular because they usually don't require any downtime, Strauss explains.

"Some people get just a little tender, depending on their sensitivity," Dawson says. "But the laser does so much. A lot of people are concerned about age spots, but after one treatment, it's a night and day difference."

Strauss offers a similar endorsement, highlighting the effectiveness of laser treatments. It can take about five to eight monthly treatments to take full effect however, because of the way it affects the body's collagen production.

"People stop producing as much collagen after their 30s," Strauss says. "[Laser treatment] shrinks pores, takes away brown and red discoloration and is a major stimulator of new collagen production."

Dawson says the treatments also can be administered to other areas, such as the neck, the back of the knees or the stomach.

For those looking for more dramatic results, Strauss says Botox and dermal fillers are more effective, but don't require surgery.

"They're hugely, hugely popular. Botox and Juvederm are my best friends," she says.

Botox is a series of injections that are usually used to lighten crow's feet, the lines of the forehead and the creases between eyebrows. The effects appear in about a week and last four to six months on average.

Dermal fillers usually go in the lines that run down from the nose to the corners of the mouth. Those effects appear immediately and can last up to a year.

Strauss says while the majority of her clients are females, men can and do benefit just as much from the procedures.

"We definitely do have men and women who do this," she says.

But in the end, prevention is still the name of the game.

"Having a good skincare regimen is important," Dawson says. "And the earlier you start, the better."