Wrinkles: A Science Backed Approach

Wrinkles are a natural part of growing older, and they will eventually affect everyone. There’s no harm in having wrinkles, a few facial lines may even be endearing and add some character to your face.

That being said, it’s safe to say an overwhelming majority of people dislike the idea of wrinkles and would love to delay them as long as possible. So, it should come as no surprise to learn that the anti-aging market is currently worth nearly 60 billion dollars per year.

Without medical or surgical intervention, it can be pretty challenging attempting to reverse the appearance of wrinkles once they have arrived. However, there are a few steps and lifestyle changes you can make that will help to slow down their arrival.

A natural part of the aging process is for skin to become thinner, drier, and less elastic, which means it will lose its ability to protect itself from damage. This will lead to wrinkles, creases, and fine lines to appear on the skin.

When a person is young, their skin is stronger and has a better ability of bouncing back. As they get older, the skin will lose its flexibility, and it will become more difficult for the skin to bounce back, resulting in these permanent grooves.

One of the largest contributors to wrinkles are facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, or squinting. These lines will develop at a young age and deepen as a person gets older. Wrinkles will affect people of different skin tones in different ways as a result of structural and functional differences.

Research into this subject has discovered that the compact dermis is thicker in the skin of African and Asian people, which very likely helps to protect against facial wrinkles. Some factors, other than age, that will influence the development of wrinkles are:

Sun Exposure

Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning booths will increase the development of wrinkles. Ultraviolet light will break down the collagen and elastin fibers of your skin. These fibers combine to form the connective tissue that supports your skin and when this layer starts to break down, the skin will become weaker and less flexible. The skin will start to droop, and eventually wrinkles will appear.

Darker skin contains more melanin which will help to naturally protect from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, but these rays will still do damage in large doses.

Smoking

Smoking is bad for your health in general, but also will heavily contribute to wrinkles and premature signs of aging. The more that you smoke and the longer that you smoke, the more likely you will be to develop wrinkles and the more pronounced they will appear.

Some of the reasons why smoking contributes to wrinkles are because:

• Nicotine causes blood vessels to narrow, which reduces the flow of oxygen and nutrients to skin cells.
• A number of chemicals found in cigarettes will trigger molecular events that will remodel or damage structures necessary for skin elasticity and overall health.
• The repetitive act of squinting and lip pursing will contribute to lines forming around the mouth and eyes.
• Heat and non inhaled smoke will dry out and damage the surface of your skin.

Dehydration

The human body is made up of about 75% water. Water is found inside cells, within blood vessels, and in between cells. When you are dehydrated, your skin will lose its ability to hold onto moisture and bounce back. Over time, being under hydrated can lead to the formation of wrinkles.

Digital Pollution and Blue Light

While too much sun exposure outside can damage our skin, too much exposure to our phone, laptop, and TV screens can also cause damage when we’re indoors. While more research is still needed, studies have found that even short-term exposure to blue light increases the chances of cellular damage and stress, not to mention accelerating signs of aging and skin damage caused by the flash of light during selfies.

Genetics will play an important role with how your skin ages over time, this is known as intrinsic aging. Just like growing older, you won’t be able to do much about this factor either. However, there are plenty of things that you can control that will go a long way in keeping your skin wrinkle free for as long as possible.

Moisturize

Moisturizers are like a tall glass of water for your face, as they help to nourish and hydrate your skin. They become especially important as you get older and your skin naturally becomes drier. Using a moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid and vitamin C are especially effective at preventing wrinkles from forming or getting even deeper.

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Protect Yourself From The Sun

The number one cause of avoidable wrinkles in exposure to sunlight. Whatever you have to do in order to avoid direct sunlight whether it’s avoiding peak hours (10 AM to 2 PM), seeking shade, covering up with sun protective clothing like a wide brimmed hat, or even using an umbrella will all be helpful. The easiest solution is probably just to wear sunscreen as often as possible, but make sure that it is broad spectrum, SPF 30 (or higher), and water resistant. Apply it on your skin everywhere that isn’t covered by clothing, every day, and for the entire day.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is pretty bad for your overall health, and if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s a heavy influencer on creating wrinkles. In 2013, a study was done on 79 pairs of identical twins. It found that the twin that smoked had significantly more wrinkles than their non smoking twin.

Get Enough Sleep

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body will produce cortisol, a hormone that breaks down skin cells. Getting enough rest will help your body to produce more human growth hormone (HGH), which helps skin to remain thick and more elastic in nature, which will make it less likely to wrinkle.

Sleep On Your Back

Sleeping in certain positions night after night may contribute to “sleep lines”, wrinkles that become etched into the surface of your skin that don’t disappear once you’re awake and moving. Sleeping on your side will increase the wrinkles on your cheeks and chin, while sleeping face down will give you a furrowed brow. The best way to prevent wrinkles from forming while you are sleeping is to sleep on your back.

Stop Squinting

Repetitive facial movement, such as squinting, will overwork your facial muscles and form a groove beneath your skin’s surface. This groove will eventually develop into a wrinkle. If you need glasses to read, then wear them and avoid squinting whenever possible. You should also wear sunglasses whenever you are out, as they will protect the skin around your eyes from sun damage and prevent you from squinting.

Eat More Antioxidants and Omega-3s

There are plenty of fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidant compounds. These compounds will help to fight damage caused by free radicals (unstable molecules that damage cells), which can help skin look younger and more radiant, while protecting against some effects of photoaging. In addition, you should eat more fish, namely salmon, that contain the essential fatty acid called omega-3. This fatty acid will help to nourish your skin and keep it plump and youthful.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking water is extremely important for good health. Your body requires water for just about every function that it performs including flushing toxins from your body, aiding with digestion, and regulating your body temperature. Water will also keep you skin healthy and hydrated from the inside.

While you won’t be able to hold off wrinkles forever, you can effectively delay them for a long time by making a few lifestyle changes and paying close attention to the health of your skin. Avoiding sun damage, not smoking, and staying hydrated are some great first steps in delaying wrinkles.

However, there are quite a few more things you can do in order to help reduce their development. For example, a daily skincare routine will go a long way toward helping mitigate damage you may have already sustained and helping to protect your skin from damage in the future. Good luck!

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