The Origins Of Aging Wrinkles, Sleep Wrinkles And How To Treat Them

Wrinkles often tend to be some of the first signs of aging and it’s typically not a change people celebrate. Although getting older comes with wisdom and a better sense of who you are and what you like, it also reveals the inevitable physical decline our skin and body goes through. Getting older should absolutely be celebrated but there’s no shame in wanting to look your best and prevent a rapid decline in physical aging which often affects how you present yourself to the world.

One way we deepen our wrinkles is through expression. Genetic makeup also plays a role in this. Some people have stronger muscle movement than others, making them more prone to deeper fine lines. These lines often show up around our eyes and frown lines or our forehead. While they are endearing and reveal a lived face with many emotions, it’s completely acceptable to want to subdue some extra lines here and there.

Common Ways Wrinkles are Formed

Wrinkles are typically formed from animation. When your muscle contracts often, it etches lines in the skin where the repetitive motion is. Wrinkles are also formed from:

The normal aging process. As the collagen and elastin proteins reduce in production skin loses bounce and firmness, causing wrinkles to occur.
Improper skincare routine. Using moisturizers or barrier creams can act as a lubricant for the skin, preventing the skin from drying and forming creases
Environmental factors like pollution and harsh weather can affect the skin on a cellular level and external level.
Diet is incredibly important as your hydration and nutrition provides the vitamins and minerals needed to supplement your skin.
Smoking can narrow vessels leading to the skin which limits nutrients supplied to the skin. This inevitably accelerates aging.
Sun Exposure is one that we are coming around to realize how dangerous it can be when prolonged and how permanent the damage can be. UV rays break down elastin and collagen in the skin. This causes photoaging (the acceleration of aging in the skin involving wrinkles and discoloration due to the sun)
Sleeping Positions can really cement deep creases into our skin because of the repetitive pressure applied to the area over time.

When it comes to wrinkles from expressions and normal aging, these can often be addressed using botox. Frown lines, smile lines, forehead lines. These areas and more can be “relaxed” sometimes to the point where the line seems to disappear. However, botox does not fix all wrinkles. Wrinkles, for example, from poor sleeping positions are etched into the skin, not necessarily through muscle movement so relaxing the muscle with botox will not reduce the crease formed in the skin through sleeping.

Reducing Creases Without Botox

Treatments that can subdue creases on the skin either from pressure points or fine lines throughout the skin that botox cannot treat are:

Microneedling– controlled micro injuries to the skin that promote collagen production. Helps reduce uneven skin texture

Laser Resurfacing treatments– resurfaces the skin using lasers and often can penetrate deeper in the skin than some microneedling pens. Lasers are also meant to even out skin texture but also skin tone. Downtime for semi-fractional lasers is often times a week and multiple sessions are needed just like with microneedling. These treatments focus on supplementing the skin with increased collagen and elastin to reverse the skin’s aged appearance.

Tips on Preventing Creases to Skin

Avoid long periods in the sun and always wear sunscreen or take protective measures
Silk pillowcases to reduce friction
Sleep on your back
Include foods rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and omega 3 fatty acids to support collagen production. When we have a loss of collagen and elastin, creases form more readily.

Also Read our other articles on the series of aging accelerants: Prevent Accelerated Aging in the Face and Age Backwards