Wrinkles are creases, folds, or ridges on our skin that appear naturally as we old.
The first wrinkles tend to appear in areas where our skin naturally folds during facial expressions.
Moreover, they develop as or skin becomes thinner and less elastic over time.
Wrinkles are a natural part of aging and are most prominent on skin that is frequently exposed to the sun such as the face, neck, hands, and forearms.
Sun Exposure is the main culprit in causing wrinkles, although genetics plays an important role.
Moreover, pollution and smoking also contribute to it.
Let us discuss why do people get wrinkles, what causes them and what increases their appearance. Moreover, we will also discuss treatment options and methods to reduce them.
What are Wrinkles?
Often termed as a fold, creases, or rhytide, they appear on our face, neck, hand, and forearms as we age due to the process of aging.
The major causes are sun damage, aging, pollution, loss of body mass, and habitual sleeping positions.
Moreover, our facial expressions promote age wrinkling in the skin.
Wrinkles are a natural part of our aging process and affect everyone.
However, not everyone likes the appearance of wrinkles and as a result, the anti-aging market all over the globe is worth 50 billion dollars a year.
Many products and procedures promise to reduce wrinkles however, some show little or nothing effect while others can achieve a fair amount of success.
What Causes Wrinkles?
There are many reasons why our skin wrinkles. Let us discuss them:
Aging: As our skin ages wrinkles start to appear on our skin. the skin cells divide slowly as we age and the mid-layer i.e. dermis begins to thin.
The dermis is made of a network of elastin and collagen fibers which offers support and elasticity to our skin.
As this network loosens with time, depressions are created on our skin. Moreover, such skin is also less able to retain moisture and is less efficient in secreting oil, and slower to heal.
Dry skin, loss of moisture causes wrinkles to initially appear around the eyes and your forehead, like frown lines.
Facial Muscle Contraction: Small muscle contractions develop on our forehead, between the eyebrows, and around the corner of our eyes.
Moreover, smiling, frowning, squinting, and other facial expressions cause them to become more prominent with time.
Sun Damage: Excessive damage from the rays of the sun especially UV rays can result in premature aging of the skin.
This exposure breaks down the collagen fibers and leads to the production of abnormal elastin. As a result, our skin produces an enzyme, Metalloproteinase.
This enzyme creates and forms new collages however, during the process of its formation, some healthy collagen fibers are damaged therefore resulting in solar elastosis.
It is a disorganized formation of fibers in the skin and as a result, wrinkles develop with the frequent rebuilding processes.
Smoking: Heathy skin constantly regenerates and old collagen breaks down and is removed.
As a result, there is the production of new collagen in the skin. Researches suggest that smoking causes a reduction in the production of collagen.
And this decrease results in less production of collagen.
Skin tones: Wrinkles affect people with different skin tones differently.
Research indicates that the skin of black and Asian people has thicker and more compact dermis, which likely protect against facial wrinkles.
Learn more about Smile Lines here.
Sleep Wrinkles
When we compress our face against the pillow, sleep wrinkles form. Moreover, they appear in predictable locations due to underlying superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS)
These are different from facial wrinkles. Moreover, sleep wrinkles can deepen and become permanent over time unless a person changes their habitual sleeping positions.
What are the Treatment Options?
With advancements and modern technology, now you can get rid of wrinkles easily with different cosmetic procedures and treatments.
Many aesthetics and dermatologists today use different techniques to reduce the appearance of them on the face.
Some of these are:
Dermabrasion
This is an exfoliating technique that uses a rotating device to remove the outer layer of your skin.
This is a surgical procedure that involves wearing and tearing the skin with a device.
During this procedure, the dermatologist will numb your skin with anesthesia and will use a device, a dermabrader.
They will use it either in smaller sections or larger ones over multiple sessions.
Microdermabrasion
This is a less invasive cosmetic procedure than dermabrasion.
Microdermabrasion involves spraying particles or microcrystals of aluminum oxide across the surface of the skin.
Most dermatologists use a hand-held device with fine diamonds and a vacuum to remove the particles as they move the brush over your skin.
Laser Skin Resurfacing
This treatment is a cosmetic procedure that reduces facial wrinkles and irregularities that sun damage caused to your skin.
The laser skin resurfacing technique directs short and focused pulsating beams of light at the irregular skin.
Ablative resurfacing removes skin very precisely, layer by layer. Moreover, it stimulates the growth of new collagen fibers.
The advantage of using this technique is it results in fewer problems with hypopigmentation.
However, non-ablative skin laser resurfacing promotes the development of new collagen, helps to restore the contours of your skin and appearance with minimum downtime.
Fractional Laser technology is also available that delivers laser light to the target area without affecting the nearby tissue.
Plastic Surgery
Plastic surgery or non-surgical facelift can also reduce the appearance of wrinkles, frown lines, sagging skin, and fine lines.
Depending on the concerns you want to address, your dermatologist or plastic surgeon can help you decide the non-surgical procedure that best suits you.
Both of these include botox and fillers.
Botox
Botox is a derivative of Botulinum Toxin. It blocks the chemical signals that cause your facial muscles to contract.
Your doctor or dermatologist will inject botox into your skin such as between your eyebrows and around the corner of your eyes.
As a result, the wrinkles on your face smooth out. The effect of Botox lats for 3 to 4 months.
However, when the botox wears off, you will notice the appearance of wrinkles again as the muscles become active again.
You will, therefore, need the treatment again. If you choose not to use it again, the appearance of wrinkles may worse.
Fillers
Where your skin is sagging, you may need fillers to fill in or lift. Fillers treat prominent folds around your mouth, nose, and chin.
Hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring sugar polymer in our skin is the most common filler dermatologists use.
However, fillers are temporary providing improvement for 4 to 6 months. Moreover, you will need to repeat this treatment.
Chemical Peels
Chemical Peels is an in-office treatment however you can use the light form of it at home as well.
Moreover, you will need to take extra measures for this procedure as it can cause damage to your hair and eyes.
Therefore, many dermatologists suggest getting it from the clinic.
Your doctor will numb the area especially if they are using deep peels. Moreover, they will give you an IV and closely monitor your heart rate.
There are three types of Chemical Peels in Dubai. These are:
Types of Chemical Peel
Light peel: Your doctor will use a brush o cotton ball to apply a chemical solution like salicylic acid on your face.
As a result, your skin will start to whiten and you might feel a slight tingling sensation.
They will then remove the solution and apply a neutralizer solution at the end of the treatment.
Medium Peel: Doctors use a special gauze or sponge to a chemical solution on your face.
The solution may contain glycolic acid or trichloroacetic solution. Doctors usually add a blue color to the solution.
Your skin will begin to whiten and by the end, they will apply a cool compress on your face. For 0 minutes you may feel a stinging or burning sensation however, doctors do not apply a neutralizer.
Deep Peel: For this treatment, your doctor will sedate you. They will use a cotton tip applicator to apply phenol to your skin.
This will turn your skin white or grey. Moreover, it takes almost 15 minutes to complete this procedure, to limit your skin’s exposure to the acid.
Home Remedies for Wrinkles
Over-the-counter OTC medications and skin creams can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve collagen production.
Therefore, before seeking medical treatment, you could try home remedies some of which are even proven by scientific research.
Aloe Vera
This plant has a number of healing properties.
A study in 2008 suggests that taking its supplement daily, significantly improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in just 90 days.
Another study shows that applying aloe vera gel to the skin reduces the appearance of wrinkles and also increases the production of collagen and hydrates your skin.
Banana Mask
This fruit contains oils and vitamins that can boost healthy skin.
Many experts recommend using banana paste on the skin.
Mash a quarter of the banana until it becomes a paste and apply a thin layer on your skin. Let it sit for 20 minutes before washing it off with warm water.
Superfoods
Food that is rich in nutrients is often termed as Superfoods.
A study suggests that people with healthy eating habits had fewer wrinkles, In the same way, people who eat more fruits had fewer wrinkles than those who ate meat and junk food.
You can add the following superfoods to your diet to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles: Artichokes, Avacaodes, Chia Seeds, Cinnamon, Egg whites, Giger, Oatmeal, Salmon, Sardines, etc.
Essential Oils
Using essential oils with a carrier oil on wrinkles may help reduce them,
Use can use essential oils in combinations that will heal your skin without causing irritation.
Some essential oils that may help with the appearance of wrinkles are Argan oil, Carrot Seed, Clary Sage, Grae seed, Frankincense, Jooba, Lavendar, pomegranate, pose oil, etc.
Some people might be sensitive to essential oils therefore, it is important to do a patch test first.
Massage
A lot of people turn to facial massage to prevent and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
There are hundreds of facial massage devices that can help prevent wrinkles by promoting the production of proteins.
Moreover, experts suggest that facia massage with finger daily, for about 3 to 5 minutes can give the same effect. It also reduces stress which can lead to wrinkles as well.
Prevention of Wrinkles
Many people get wrinkles and fine lines but the major cause of it is sun damage. You can take some measures to prevent the appearance of wrinkles.
Some of these are:
Avoid direct contact with the sun as UV rays are the main culprit causing wrinkles.
Many dermatologists recommend wearing a hat and clothing to protect your skin as using a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every day.
Moisturize your skin as it prevents dryness thereby reducing the chances of developing wrinkles.
Quit smoking as it increases and speeds up the aging process.
Hat a healthy and balanced diet that contains fruits and vegetables. However, avoid sugar and refined carbs.
Use a gentle cleanser twice a day, however, avoid rubbing your face with a wash towel.
Learn more about Skin Tightening Home Remedies here.
Conclusion
Wrinkles are a normal part of our aging process, fine lines appear first, and then creases deepen when our skin loses its elasticity.
You can use a number of treatments to get rid of wrinkles. Moreover, lifestyle changes like moisturizing, using sunscreen, sun protection, and eating a healthy diet can help prevent or delay the appearance of wrinkles.
