Wrinkles
Wrinkles are a natural part of aging in life and we will all eventually get them. Wrinkles are lines and crevices that form in your skin due to aging. Some wrinkles can be deep crevices or furrows and can be noticeable around your eyes, mouth and neck.
What causes wrinkles?
Besides the well known cause of wrinkles, aging, there are other factors that play a role in getting wrinkles that you can actually control.
- Exposure to UV light speeds up the natural aging process and is the prime cause of early wrinkles. Exposure to UV light breaks down your skin’s connective tissue – collagen and elastin. Without the supportive connective tissue your skin soon loses strength and flexibility making your skin sag and wrinkle prematurely.
- Smoking can also accelerate the aging process of your skin. This is due to smoking’s effect on collagen.
- Repeated facial expression and movements, such as squinting or smiling, lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Every time you use a facial muscle, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin and as the skin ages, it starts to lose its flexibility and is no longer able to spring back into place. These grooves then become permanent features on your face.
- As you get older, your skin naturally starts to become less elastic and more fragile, decreasing the production of natural oils and drying your skin making it appear more wrinkled.
Prevention
There are a few ways to help prevent and minimize the appearance of wrinkles.
- Protect your skin from the sun. Limit your time in the sun and always wear protective clothing and wear sunscreen, applying every 2 hours.
- Use products with built-in sunscreen. When choosing skin care products, choose a product with a broad- spectrum sunscreen- meaning it will block both UVA and UVB rays.
- Moisturize your dry skin. Moisturizing helps trap water in your skin, which helps mask tiny lines and creases. This may take some time of regular use before you notice any improvement in your skin.
- Don’t smoke, even if you do you can still help improve your skin tone and texture and help prevent wrinkles by quitting smoking.
- Eating a healthy diet. There is some evidence from research that certain vitamins in your diet can help protect your skin, so it’s good to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Treatments
If you are concerned about the appearance of your skin or if the wrinkles bother you, you can see a dermatologist for a personalized skin care plan and they may also recommend medical wrinkle treatments.
