Drinking water won't cure wrinkles, but loving care might

Busted: Unfortunately, the cure for wrinkles is not right in your kitchen, flowing freely from the sink or chilling in the fridge.

"Drinking tons of water to make wrinkles disappear is a myth, it's that simple." says Benjamin Raab, a Dermatologist at the Dermatology and Cosmetic Skin Surgery Center in Illinois. "All that the excess water will do is make you urinate more frequently. There is no real fountain of youth, but there are preventative steps you can take to avoid extrinsic aging that causes wrinkles."

Raab says protecting the collagen in our skin is key. As we age, there is naturally less collagen in the skin - the substance that makes up about 70 percent of our connective tissue. Collagen gives skin the elasticity that's lost over time, and this loss of elasticity is the primary cause of wrinkled skin.

Raab suggests some simple steps that will protect your skin as you age and help you win the wrinkle battle.

Don't smoke

Smoking inhibits collagen production and causes premature wrinkles to form. Cigarettes inhibit the amount of collagen that your body makes to heal wounds and repair damaged skin, which can lead to deeper wrinkles. Cigarettes also inhibit the body's circulation, which means blood won't reach the tiny blood vessels in the skin on your face, which leads to more wrinkles.

Avoid the sun

The sun destroys the skin's collagen and elasticity. Exposure to ultraviolet light - UVA or UVB - from sunlight accounts for 90 percent of the symptoms of premature skin aging and wrinkling.

Moisturize

Don't overlook the power of a simple moisturizer. Skin that is moist simply looks better, so lines and creases are far less noticeable.