Facial Wrinkles: 5 Causes And Preventions
What are Facial Wrinkles?
A line here and a crease there is the easiest way to describe facial wrinkles.
Over time everyone is bound to go through a stage in life where the plump cheeks of youth transform into lines of experience.
However, it is vital that we understand the change that our skin goes through. We should have the information needed to prevent our youth from slipping away into a life well lived before we need or want it to.
(image – half face with wrinkles half without)
Before diving into why fine lines and wrinkles form and what we can do to prevent them it’s important to distinguish the different lines.
Types of Wrinkle Lines
The distinguished lines of our faces are unique to the person they appear on. However, to understand them better, we can divide them into their primary and most common categories.
Forehead Lines
Run horizontally across the top of the T-zone area. Often referred to as “worry lines” and linked with stress and excessive sugar intake.
(image-forehead lines [preferably drawn art])
Frown Lines
Verticle lines between the brows; often referred to as “elevens”. These lines are associated with a life of worry.
(image- follow the same pattern for the rest of the categories as mentioned above)
Tear Troughs
Beginning at the bridge of the nose horizontally descend under the eyes. An easier way to understand them is the look of puffy eyes that you might have in the morning causing a crease under the eyes.
(image)
Crow’s Feet
Lines spread outwards, anchored to the outer corners of the eyes. It is one of the most common forms of wrinkles. They are often associated with a life of smiling or squinting.
(image)
Nasolabial Folds
Appearing as parenthesis around the upper lip area. They are also referred to as laugh lines.
(image)
Marionette lines
These lines follow the chin in a vertical manner. They naturally occur as you age and the skin around the chin loosens and sags.
(image)
Sleep Wrinkles
Mostly appearing perpendicularly to the expression lines mentioned above. Usually caused due to compression of the face each night.
(Image)
The categories of wrinkles can further be grouped as dynamic and static.
- Dynamic wrinkles: These develop over time from repeated facial movements.
- Static wrinkles: These develop as the skin experiences a loss of elasticity and gravity, causing a dropping like effect.
Dynamic wrinkles can eventually transition into static wrinkles over time as age progresses.
Underlying Causes
As individuals ages, the skin experiences a breakdown of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin; This causes the skin’s support structure to become weak regarding strength and elasticity. The skin no longer appears smooth as fine lines start to emerge.
Collagen |
Elastin |
Hyaluronic Acid |
| Collagen is a protein in your bodies connective tissues. In regards to skin, it gives structure.
The body contains three main types. Over time, the body starts to produce less collagen, leading to skin wrinkles and thinning. |
Elastin is a crucial protein present in connective tissues.
It allows the body to resume the same shape after stretching, often referred to as the skins structure’s snapback property. |
Hyaluronic Acid is also sometimes known as hyaluronan. The production of this acid naturally occurs in your body, with large amounts residing in your skin.
Its primary function is to retain water. The substance keeps tissues well lubricated and provides moisture to the skin resulting in smoother and plumper skin. |
(image- anatomical diagram of young skin vs ageing skin pointing out the loss in elastin, collagen etc.)
5 Primary Causes
Hereditary Process
The increased fragility of your skin is natural with age. Along with the breakdown reared to above your skin naturally reducing the production of oils.
The reduction of these oils leaves your skin drier. The dry skin causes the skin to appear more wrinkled. In the deeper layers of your face, the fat present starts to diminish, which further causes loose and saggy skin.
(image-old individual with wrinkles)
Part of this breakdown can depend on your genes and family. This natural process can also be exacerbated through additional factors listed below.
Sun Damage
The most significant cause of ageing is damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays, which cause wrinkles and pigmentation, rough skin, and age spots. A common form of UV rays that you encounter every day is the sun; hence this can be referred to as sun damage.
(image-uv damage deptiction)
UV light contributes to the collagen and elastin fibres deep within the skin to break down faster.
Different types of skin are more susceptible to sun damage, i.e. light-coloured skin. Certain kinds of skins are better off when it comes to protecting from UV rays.
These skins contain more melanin. Even with being more equipt individuals with high levels of melanin still need to protect themselves from UV rays.
Smoking and Alcohol
This is another form of accelerating the skins’ deterioration and a direct contributor to wrinkles. The increased damage is due to the effect it has in lowering collagen.
(image-smoker lines)
Smoking, in particular, reduces the blood supply to the skin, accelerating the ageing process. Alcohol dehydrates the skin leaving it dry and more likely to age and wrinkle faster.
Excessive Repetition Of Facial Expressions
Expressions such as smiling and squinting can eventually lead to fine lines on the face.
(image-diagram of different motions and their wrinkles)
The repetitive use of facial muscles causes groves to form beneath the surface. As the skin ages, it loses its ability to spring back into place, and the grooves take shape as a permeant part of your face.
Sleeping Positions
A recent study has found that sleeping positions can also affect the formation of facial wrinkles and distortions.
(image-diagram showing the difference between sleep and face wrinkles)
The compression and tension applied on the face during sleeping on our sides and our stomach can cause lines and wrinkles.
(image-diagram showing the tension)
The distortion occurs due to the face being compressed against the pillow for prolonged amounts of time daily, combined with decreased skin, decreased skin elasticity and thinning.
5 Effective Preventions
Protect And Repair
The most efficient and beneficial route taken towards reducing wrinkles is sunscreen (SPF 35 or higher) use. A broad spectrum sunscreen can help protect you from sun exposure on a daily basis.
(image – sun damage vs sun-protected skin)
This protection from UV rays is recommended as a daily necessity and has far-reaching benefits extending outside the bounds of facial wrinkles.
Antioxidant serums like Vitamin C can further encourage new collagen growth.
Healthy Lifestyle
Taking care of your skin is closely related to healthy choices.
Have you ever had someone come up to you and tell you how good you look after 8 hours of sleep rather than just 4?
There is a reason. Healthy choices help in the short and long term.
What Are Healthy Choices For Your Skin?
- Limit your sugar intake
- Eat yellow, green, and orange Vegetables and Fruits
- Stop Smoking
- Reduce Alcohol Intake
- Change your sleeping position
- Wash your face daily or even twice a day
- Stay Hydrated
- Exercise
- Get your recommended hours of sleep
(image- healthy young individuals eating healthy food)
Avoiding Crease Creating Habits
Avoid squishing your face against your pillow for long periods.
(image-image of face squishing against a pillow)
Avoid resting your face on your hands; This includes your cheeks, forehead and chin.
(image-image of face resting on hands)
Avoid excessively rub your eyes, squinting or scrunching your eyebrows.
(image-individual scrunching eyebrows)
Choose Products That Fit Your Skin
Prevention doesn’t start when wrinkles start to appear.
The use of the following skin care can help you delay the progression of wrinkles.
- Retinols
- Alpha Hydroxy Acids
- Antioxidants
It is essential to start early.
Just like you brush your teeth to make sure you don’t get cavities, make sure you take care of your skin to delay the formation of wrinkles.
Use proper skin care is a necessary part of this prevention.
It is essential to consult with a skincare specialist regarding what is best for your skin. Like any other specialist, they hold insight regarding what the best course of action is for you.
Medical Treatments
Medical treatments are mainly used to reverse the signs of ageing. However, they can also be used as a preventative measure in terms of helping cell turnover.
I realise the term medical treatment seems a little daunting. In this context, medial treatment refers to relatively non-invasive procedures rather than plastic surgery.
(image-Microdermabrasion)
A non-invasive yet effective procedure to tackle these wrinkles is Microdermabrasion. The process requires microcrystals of aluminium oxide to be sprayed on the skin surface.
The treatment smooths and freshens the appearance of the skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and lines. It further helps reduce coarse appearing skin, enlarged pores and UV damage.
(image-skin peels)
Chemical Peels, also referred to as Skin Peels, are another non-invasive method of tackling wrinkles and fine lines. They help regenerate the skin causing the face to look smoother. The technique causes the dead skin cells on the face to shed.
Beware; do not try this at home or without professional consultation. You will end up causing more harm than good without a medically licenced professional to guide you regarding the best course of action.
(image-Botox)
Small doses of a protein known as botulinum toxin, into targeted facial muscles can help tighten and smoothen out this skin. This is more commonly known as Botox. This flattening of the skin reduces the appearance of wrinkles. The results start to appear just after a few days and last for 3-4 months.
The forehead lines, frown lines and crow’s feet are the most effective areas.
(image-dermal fillers)
Soft fillers in the shape of Dermal Fillers are a very popular option for eliminating crevices and wrinkles.
The fillers inject our bodies’ natural components such as hyaluronic acid to restore the lost volume in your face. The effects can last up from 9 up to 12 months.
Hope That Helped!
Every journey is different; every face is unique, and every individual experience facial wrinkles.
Let us what you found helpful and how we can help aid your journey by providing you with the best information possible.
