If wrinkles appear on your face, then old age has come? But no! There may be nothing in common between the first wrinkles and aging of the body. Reflection in the mirror largely depends on what lifestyle a woman leads, where she lives and how she eats. Let's talk about the most common (and often unexpected) causes of wrinkle formation!
1. Warm rays of the sun
UVA rays, which can reach deep layers of the skin, and UVB rays, which cause sunburn, can lead to premature aging of the facial skin and, as a result, the appearance of wrinkles. Dermatologist Jerome Potozkin, MD, PhD, says that the sun's radiation helps to reduce the production of collagen and elastin in the body, causing the skin to "shrink". To protect it, you need to apply a moisturizer with SPF 30 every day.
House windows and car windshields do not protect the skin from UV exposure. Therefore, when working in a bright office or going on a trip by car, you should not neglect the use of sunscreen.
2. Living in the city
Women living in urban areas have more wrinkles and age spots on their skin compared to women who live in rural areas for 24 years or more, according to a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Doctor of Medical Sciences, dermatologist Maral Skelsi explains this by environmental pollution and the harsh environmental situation in the city, which leads to the accumulation of free radicals in the body and, as a result, to the deterioration of the skin condition.
3. Prolonged wakefulness
Scientists have proven that getting a good night's rest is important not only for our well-being, but also for weight loss. Another useful action is the prevention of wrinkles. “Lack of sleep changes the pH of the skin, which makes the cells less able to retain moisture. To keep your skin smooth and even, make sure you get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a day,”advises dermatologist Maral Skelsi.
While we sleep, the body recovers. If a woman goes to bed deep after midnight and wakes up very early, the regeneration processes do not take place in full, which is fraught with inflammatory skin diseases and acne.
4. Love for TV shows
Avoiding physical activity in favor of watching TV or any other passive pastime can contribute to the appearance of wrinkles, scientists say. "Exercise stimulates collagen production, which reduces the likelihood of wrinkles," says MD, dermatologist Ann Chapas. “In the warm season, exercise more often outdoors, after applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your skin.”
5. Unwillingness to part with the phone (tablet)
The habit of constantly looking at the phone, checking mail or messages on social networks is much more harmful than we previously thought. It can cause wrinkles in the neck and chin area. “The skin on the neck is very thin and more prone to aging than other parts of the body,” says dermatologist Dandy Engelman. "To minimize the risks associated with the use of gadgets, you need to reduce the time of using them and buy cosmetics with amino acids and peptides that increase the firmness and elasticity of the skin, making it look more toned."
A new concept has emerged in the beauty industry - “digital aging”. This is the name given to the deterioration of skin condition due to exposure to blue light from the screens of smartphones, phones, tablets and computers. HEV radiation penetrates into the deep layers of the skin, disrupting the production of elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid. Until scientists have come up with effective protective measures, cosmetologists recommend using antioxidant serums and creams.
6. Walking in the fresh air
“If you forget to wear glasses before going out on a sunny day, it’s not surprising that you have thin lines between your eyebrows in the form of the number 11 and crow's feet in the eye area,” says Dara Liotta, MD, plastic surgeon … - The skin around the eyes is 40% thinner than other areas on the face. To protect it, you need to wear oversized sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays.
7. A lot of sweets in the diet
A meal in which there are many simple sugars - flour products, sweet desserts, chocolate and sweets - is fraught with glycation. It is an irreversible process that inhibits the skin's ability to self-renew and regenerate due to the destruction of connective tissue. The skin becomes tough and loses elasticity. The low protein content on the menu also puts it at risk, since protein food is a "building material" for the body. To make the reflection in the mirror enjoyable longer, you need to reduce the amount of sweets in your diet and increase your protein intake.
“Try giving up sugar for two weeks! Energy will be in full swing with you, you will start the process of weight loss, and your face will noticeably rejuvenate,”recommends Christina Goldenberg, MD, dermatologist.
8. Frequent stress
A busy work schedule and personal feelings on the love front not only affect your mental and emotional well-being, but also affect the way you look. “Stress stimulates the production of the hormone cortisol, which in turn reduces the skin's ability to retain moisture,” says dermatologist Maral Skelsey. "Look for techniques to help you deal with stress, whether it's walking after dinner, hanging out with friends, or talking to a therapist."
9. Coffeemania
Two cups of coffee a day - this is exactly how much, according to researchers, a woman can drink if she does not want to see early wrinkles on her face. The fact is that coffee is a diuretic - it dehydrates the body, which makes the skin tend to dry. In addition, an excessive love of coffee increases the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol, which also accelerates the aging process of the skin.
For every cup of coffee you drink, you should have one glass of clean, cool water. Otherwise, dry skin, and eventually dehydration - cannot be avoided!
10. Diet low in fruits and vegetables
Fresh fruits, vegetables and greens are the main sources of vitamins and antioxidants in the diet. External environmental factors and bad habits accelerate oxidative processes in the body, which is why the skin ages faster. And antioxidants partially neutralize damage, thereby protecting the beauty and youth of the skin. In order to keep the skin beautiful, you need to eat more often foods with vitamins A, E and C in the composition, as well as containing antioxidants lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene. These are apples, peaches, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, all types of cabbage, eggplants and other products.
11. Bad habits
The habit of constantly squinting, drinking drinks through a straw, and smoking cigarettes are common causes of wrinkles around the eyes and around the mouth. “Active muscle contraction causes the skin cells to contract, which reduces its elasticity and deeper wrinkles form over time,” explains dermatologist Christina Goldenberg. In addition, nicotine in cigarettes leads to constriction of blood vessels, which is why skin cells receive less of their vital nutrients. "This undermines the health of the skin and makes it more prone to wrinkles," says dermatologist Maral Skelsey.
Foreign researchers have shown that wrinkles in the corners of the mouth and above the upper lip in women who smoke appear 10-15 years earlier than in those who do not smoke. The concentration of vitamin C in the body, a powerful antioxidant that prolongs the youthfulness of the skin, is 60% lower in women who smoke than in non-smokers.
Expert commentary
Anna Ponomareva, dermatologist-cosmetologist
Do not think that wrinkles are caused solely by aging. Unfortunately, their appearance is influenced by several factors - excessive facial activity, constant grimacing, decreased skin elasticity due to improper or inappropriate care, love of sunbathing.
Therefore, the fight against wrinkles must begin with their prevention - high-quality cosmetic care (this includes regular skin cleansing, peeling, massages), as well as the daily use of SPF-protected creams. Protect your skin from exposure to sunlight all year round: both in winter and in summer. The difference lies in the choice of the level of protection: in winter, 10 units are enough, in summer - up to 30, on vacation - 50. Do not forget that there should be constant control over facial expressions: if you constantly squint in the sun, wear sunglasses.
Pay attention to your lifestyle: bad habits (for example, smoking), lack of a regimen, inadequate sleep, unhealthy diet, as a rule, do not affect the appearance in the best way, contributing to a decrease in skin turgor.
Of course, preventive measures alone, when you already have wrinkles, will not be enough. The approach to them should be comprehensive. Better to start with cosmetic procedures that will improve the condition of your skin in general. Here, methods such as fractional laser resurfacing, which will allow you to rejuvenate and smooth the skin, and an RF-lifting course, work great - it will promote the production of collagen and elastin.
However, injections remain the most effective ways to get rid of deep wrinkles in the nose bridge or in the forehead area. For mature skin, injections of preparations containing botulinum toxin (botox, xeomin, dysport) are suitable. Botulinum toxin blocks the transmission of nerve impulses, which leads to temporary paralysis of the muscles responsible for facial expressions. Therefore, no matter how hard you try to frown, you are unlikely to succeed. Botox injections work for six months. In order to completely get rid of wrinkles and the habit of frowning on the forehead, the procedure must be repeated several times.
Unfortunately, wrinkles appear not only on the forehead. But the approach to them in other areas of the face should be fundamentally different. For example, nasolabial folds do not appear due to the bad habit of frowning, nor do they arise due to excessive sunburn. The nasolabial folds are the result of gravitational ptosis (prolapse of soft tissues due to age-related changes). Therefore, here it is necessary not to get rid of wrinkles, but to replenish the volume and, accordingly, smooth out wrinkles with the help of fillers based on hyaluronic acid. This method allows not only to make wrinkles invisible, but also to give the skin a healthy, well-groomed appearance due to the action of hyaluronic acid, the task of which is to moisturize, increase skin turgor, and stimulate the production of its own collagen and elastin. Hyaluronic acid injections give an obvious lifting effect almost immediately.
Expert commentary
Sona Kocharova, dermatocosmetologist
Wrinkles appear for several reasons. First, biological aging. With age, the substances and components responsible for the youth and elasticity of the skin in the body become less and less. These include collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Active facial expressions also become one of the main reasons for the appearance of mimic, mesh wrinkles, nasolabial folds, creases around the mouth and forehead.
Secondly, photoaging: excessive exposure to the sun or tanning beds, especially if you do not use sunscreen, leads to premature aging of the skin. Thirdly, the “harmful” way of life. Food, stress, alcohol, lack of sleep - have a strong effect on our appearance.
It is possible and necessary to remove and / or prevent wrinkles with the help of cosmetic procedures and proper home care.
1. Do not be lazy and go to a dermatocosmetologist. Very often, doctors conduct free consultations, where you can ask the doctor what procedures you need and how to properly care for your skin at home.
2. Botox, dysport, relatox and xeomin are the most famous drugs used in botulinum therapy. The procedure "blocks" facial muscles, as a result of which wrinkles in the eye and forehead area disappear for a long time (about a year). At the same time, facial expressions are fully preserved.
3. Biorevitalization - "beauty injections". It contains hyaluronic acid to help rejuvenate the skin from the inside.
These are just a few of the many weapons in the anti-wrinkle arsenal. Take care of yourself, be young and beautiful!
Expert commentary Elena Konstantinidi, dermatocosmetologist, head of the cosmetology department of the Moscow clinic
The causes of wrinkles can be divided into several groups:
Genetic or congenital causes - active facial expressions, causing the early appearance of facial wrinkles, malocclusion that forms wrinkles around the mouth, poor posture, affecting the early appearance of wrinkles in the chin and neck area.
The appearance of wrinkles due to age-related changes - a decrease in the tone of the facial muscles and skin, thinning of the bones of the skull, changes in the temporomandibular joint, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Bad habits are the main reason for the appearance of early wrinkles.
What habits lead to the formation of wrinkles?
Wrong sleep (with your face in the pillow, on your side, with a high pillow) - leads to the usual wrinkles of the skin, which quickly transform into static wrinkles - it is best to sleep on your back. Irregular and insufficient drinking regime - dehydrated skin quickly becomes wrinkled. It is necessary to drink at least 2 liters of clean drinking water per day. Improper nutrition with a predominance of fast food is one of the most important causes of aging of both the skin and the whole body - as a result of glycation (the occurrence of cross-links in collagen and elastin fibers), early wrinkles appear and the skin tone is sharply reduced. Chronic lack of sleep and chronic fatigue - the body ages quickly under stress, which is primarily reflected on the face. Improper skin care - ignorance of the basic principles of skin care (cleansing, moisturizing, protection) leads to the early appearance of wrinkles. Sunburn - Damage to the skin by UV rays leads to the destruction of collagen and elastin of the skin and deep wrinkles. Smoking - causes irreparable harm to the skin, there is a medical term - "smoker's skin" - when it comes to dull skin with early wrinkles and dilated blood vessels.
How to beat wrinkles in a clinic?
Medical cosmetology offers many effective ways to combat wrinkles:
Fillers - preparations based on reticulated hyaluronic acid are most often used, which gives an excellent volumetric correction of deep and superficial wrinkles and is gradually eliminated from the body within 1-1.5 years, after which the procedure can be repeated. Plasmolifting - injection of your own platelet-rich plasma leads to an improvement in the quality of the skin and smoothing of wrinkles. Correction of mimic wrinkles with botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Dysport, Relatox, Xeomin) is an ideal technique for smoothing forehead wrinkles, between the eyebrows, wrinkles around the eyes. Chemical peels (superficial and medium) - smooth out fine wrinkles and improve complexion. Revitalization, redermalization - injection techniques based on the targeted administration of intradermal active drugs that stimulate their own fibroblasts and, as a result, smooth out wrinkles. RF lifting - as a result of deep tissue heating, protein fibers coagulate, which, when contracted, tighten and smooth the skin. Cosmetic care procedures contribute to deep hydration of the skin, increased blood circulation, which in turn leads to the smoothening of wrinkles. Laser and photorejuvenation - light techniques that act in the depths and on the surface of the skin, smooth out wrinkles and rejuvenate the skin from the inside and outside. Thread lift - due to the movement and fixation of tissues with notched threads, a beautiful and natural smoothing of wrinkles occurs.
Thus, although the aging of the body is a natural process, we can easily slow it down, and when the first wrinkles appear, you can always find the correct and comfortable technique that allows you to smooth out wrinkles for a long time.
