Dr. Jeanine Downie knows a thing or two about how to keep skin of color youthful and beautiful.

Not only is she a renowned cosmetic dermatologist -- and regularly seen giving expert advice on shows like The Dr. Oz Show and The Today Show -- but she's had to deal with some undesirable skin issues herself.

Dr. Downie was a lifeguard in her youth and ended up with big patches of dark melasma on her face so, "I've been taking fade cream and sunblock seriously from age 21," she says.

She explained to StyleList recently at an event for Ambi skincare, where she was the featured speaker, that although darker skin does appear to age slower than sun-sensitive light skin, it doesn't mean it won't catch up to you eventually. "Everyone ages," she explains. "It's just how you age."

So while light skin is more likely to see wrinkles and crow's feet, as darker skin ages you'll see uneven skin tone like melasma, large pores, dark circles, and sagging skin, which manifests as nasolabial folds (those parenthesis around your mouth).

So what are Dr. Downie's tips for preventing all of this?

For starters, you have to wear an SPF 30 every single day, even if it's raining. (Ambi Even & Clear Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 makes it easy)

For very uneven skin, Dr. Downie likes prescription Tri-Luma (a retinoid with skin-lightening hydroquinone) or Ambi Fade Cream, but she says "Only put fade cream on the spot itself. Don't rub it all around or you might get a halo effect."

"And I love in-office glycolic peels. I do them on myself once a week," she continues. Injectable fillers like Restalyne can help plump up sagging under the eyes and in the cheeks, and can help smooth out the dreaded parenthesis.

And make sure you're nice to your skin!

Don't vigorously scrub off your eye makeup ("If you stretch your eye area it will be happy to respond by looking saggy and droopy.") and don't pick your zits to death ("A brown spot from a picked pimple can take 6-12 months to go away.")

Follow these tips and you'll look younger, longer.