What are wrinkles?
These are grooves that are more than 1 mm deep and appear on the skin. They are part of the chronological aging process and result from a decrease in collagen responsible for supporting the skin, which becomes less firm, a decrease in elastin, with loss of elasticity, a decrease in skin thickness and also, repeated muscle movements.
What are the types of wrinkles?
The process of wrinkle appearance is dynamic, appearing in different stages. They can be classified according to the time they remain on the skin into:
- DYNAMIC WRINKLES, characteristics of young skin, which appear as a consequence of repeated movements of the facial muscles, such as frowning or making an angry face, smiling, blinking. They appear when the movement or facial expression is made and disappear when the face returns to normal.
Examples of this type of wrinkles are expression lines on the forehead and around the eyes.
- STATIC WRINKLES, which derive from dynamics, are deeper and more definitive, and do not disappear with the cessation of facial muscle movements, remaining on the skin independently of them.
First appear the FINE STATIC WRINKLES, such as wrinkles around the eyes. They appear between the ages of 20 and 30 and are related to collagen loss and sun exposure.
To the EXPRESSION WRINKLES STATICS They appear around the age of 30 and 40, becoming more evident after the age of 50, in general. Examples are “Chinese mustache”, “crow’s feet” and “barcode”.
They occur due to the association of repeated contraction movements with skin changes typical of aging, such as the gradual loss of collagen (decrease in skin thickness and support) and elastin (decrease in elasticity), transforming dynamic wrinkles into static wrinkles.
To the DEEP STATIC WRINKLES They appear between the ages of 40 and 50 and are evident even when the face is at rest. They give the face a more tired and worn appearance.
- To the GRAVITATIONAL WRINKLES, which, as the name suggests, are related to the action of gravity on the skin, pulling it “down” for years. This type of wrinkles appears after the age of 50, and becomes more pronounced between the ages of 60 and 70. They are due to the loss of elasticity and firmness of the skin, accompanied by increased sagging of the facial muscles, and the decrease and repositioning or “falling” of facial fat. in some areas of the face, making it look droopy. The oval of the face changes, appearing to be detached with the formation of a double chin and a “bulldog face”.
They appear mainly on the jaw, chin and in front of the ears.
Why do wrinkles appear?
The main ones causes wrinkles, sagging and changes in the oval of the face are:
1. Age/Chronological Aging, with:
- Decreased firmness and elasticity due to reduced collagen and elastin production,
- Increased dryness of the skin,
- Changes in facial muscles, with decreased support
- Decrease in facial fat - with loss of volume, which leads to the appearance of the “Chinese mustache”
- Sagging of the facial bones (bone resorption) with effects on the chin and jaw and grooves around the eyes.
In addition to the internal factors of our body, related to the chronological aging characteristic of the passing of the years, there are also external factors. Two other factors also contribute to wrinkles: infrared rays and pollution.
2. Sun Exposure:
Solar radiation is one of the main causes of aging (photoaging), causing wrinkles and fine lines and can also cause blemishes.
Studies reveal that 90% of external aging is caused by ultraviolet radiation of the Sun, and has cumulative effects, accelerating the appearance of wrinkles.
The final result of the combination of these factors results in changes in the oval of the face, which changes from a triangular shape in youth to an oval shape as the years go by, presenting wrinkles.
If you can't stop your biological clock, you can, however, control other factors...yes, we are responsible for part of our wrinkles, when:
- We ingest alcohol which dehydrates the skin, increasing the loss of firmness and damaging the quality of collagen.
- We eat foods with sugar, which triggers glycation in the skin, that is, it attacks proteins such as collagen.
- We smoke, the smoke It destroys the skin's collagen and impairs its oxygenation, reducing blood circulation in the skin of the body and face. In addition, smoking promotes the early appearance of wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, the famous “bar code”.
- We sleep on our stomach or side, which leads to worsening wrinkles. If you sleep in this position, use a silk or satin pillowcase to avoid this.
- We forget to wear sunglasses and squint, worsening the “crow’s feet” around our eyes.
Dryness and dehydration also contribute to the appearance of wrinkles, so you should use moisturizing and humectant agents to maintain a healthy skin barrier.
Stay tuned to the next articles to find out how you can prevent and treat wrinkles!