There is a genuinely simple answer to this, and the fact that it is unglamorous is the only reason it does not get more attention.
Sun protection, every day
Most of what people identify as aged skin is cumulative ultraviolet exposure: pigment irregularity, texture, fine lines, loss of clarity.
Compare the skin on the underside of your forearm with the skin on the back of your hand. Both are the same age. Only one has been in the sun. That is the whole argument in one comparison you can run yourself.
Why it matters more after surgery
Surgery repositions tissue; it does not change the surface. A beautifully restored structure under sun-damaged skin still reads as older than it is.
After resurfacing or an operation, this stops being general advice and becomes part of the treatment. Sun on healing skin can leave permanent pigment change.
The second thing
If you want a second: stop smoking. It affects skin quality, and it affects healing if you ever do have surgery. Neither of these is what people hope to hear, and both outperform anything you can buy.