Do you know how many types of wrinkles exist and how you can fight them?
Many think that wrinkles are only due to skin aging, but in reality, various causes contribute to their formation and to eliminate or prevent them, you must first know them.
It is obviously normal for wrinkles to develop due to the skin becoming thinner and less elastic over time and they tend to appear on the face in areas where the skin folds during facial expressions, as well as they can form on parts of the body that are exposed to the sun, such as the face and neck, back of the hands and arms.
The 2 major categories of wrinkles
We can divide wrinkles into 2 large groups:
- Dynamic wrinkles : These develop due to repeated facial movements. When facial muscles contract, the skin over those muscles stretches to accommodate. At a young age, however, the skin recovers, but over time these wrinkles become permanent.
- Static Wrinkles : These result from loss of elasticity, gravity, and the loss of fat and collagen . They are therefore wrinkles independent of muscular action.
Dynamic wrinkles can become static over time. Fine smile lines turn into more prominent nasolabial folds as our cheeks lose plumpness and become slightly saggy in middle age.
What types of wrinkles exist?
We can distinguish 4 types of wrinkles, which can be classified according to the causes that produced them:
- Expression lines
- Sleep wrinkles
- Gravity wrinkles
- Actinic wrinkles
Expression lines
As the term itself says, they are wrinkles derived from the repeated movements of the facial muscles that cause folds in the skin, folds that become permanent in the long run. They usually appear around the mouth, eyes and forehead.
What causes expression lines ?
Every time you laugh, squint your eyes to protect them from the sun, frown in worry, your skin adapts to the position that your muscles make it assume, to then return to its resting position.
What are expression lines? We can talk about 4 types of expression lines :
- Wrinkles between the eyebrows : They typically form vertically in two thin lines.
- Lip lines : Also called smoker's lines, these are the small creases that form just above the upper lip. They run vertically from the lip towards the nose.
- Wrinkles on the forehead : they form horizontally on the forehead, in fact.
- Smile lines : These are nasolabial folds, which run diagonally from the outer edges of the nostrils to the sides of the mouth.
Sleep wrinkles
I'm a new concept. During lateral or abdominal sleep the facial tissue is subjected to mechanical shear, compression and traction forces. The skin is stretched and pulled in every direction with changes in sleeping position.
They can appear in the morning on the face, neck and chest. While some disappear during the day, others remain for the long term.
They are also known as compression wrinkles , because they are caused by pressing your face against your pillow while you sleep.
They are wrinkles that disappear, but in the long run, both due to age and if one usually maintains the same position during sleep, they can become permanent.
Gravity wrinkles
As we age, the skin begins to lose collagen and elastin , creating wrinkles and sagging. But this loss of elasticity can also occur for other reasons, such as sun damage, water loss, ingested toxins and other factors.
In these cases the skin begins to sag and wrinkle under the pressure of gravity and aging.
Another problem is the so-called aponeurotic ptosis : most common form of drooping eyelids, caused by aging.
Over time, the tissue used to lift the eyelid muscles stretches and begins to sag around the eye due to the effects of gravity. Although both eyes can be affected by ptosis, it is often worse in just one eye.
Actinic wrinkles
This type of wrinkles is formed as a result of the cumulative damage produced by solar radiation on the elastic fibers and collagen, and also due to estrogen deficiency and cellular slowdown.
These are wrinkles that form mainly on the cheeks, upper lip and base of the neck and become progressively permanent over time.
How to fight the various types of wrinkles?
There is no universal method, but for each type of wrinkles you need to follow a precise regimen to prevent and reduce them as much as possible.
Expression lines
You certainly can't avoid laughing and smiling, worrying, in short, assuming one of the many facial expressions. However, some tips will allow you to reduce this type of wrinkles which, over time, become permanent.
- Follow a healthy diet that includes plenty of water: proper hydration helps defend against facial wrinkles.
- Get enough sleep to allow your skin to recharge.
- Use sunscreen on your face every day: don't forget that the sun's ultraviolet rays are also present on cloudy days and in winter. And wear sunglasses — they'll not only keep you from squinting, but they'll protect the skin around your eyes.
- Moisturize your face at least three times a day. Use your favorite moisturizer. Don't forget the skin between the eyes and eyebrows.
- Exfoliate your face a few times a week. Use your favorite exfoliating scrub to get rid of dead skin cells.
Sleep wrinkles
We have seen how sleep wrinkles, or compression wrinkles, are produced based on the position of the face and the pressure exerted on the skin during sleep.
How to fight these wrinkles?
Avoiding sleep is certainly not the correct answer.
Some experts suggest using silk or satin pillowcases instead of flannel or fabrics that hold the skin, rather than letting it slide, thus preventing these wrinkles from forming.
You can use a retinol cream, a vitamin A derivative, which stimulates collagen formation and prevents wrinkles. Or use a night moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid , which helps plump and firm the skin.
Gravity wrinkles
Is it possible to prevent or fight this type of wrinkles?
We have said that gravitational wrinkles are due to age, but lifestyle factors can also contribute to faster skin aging.
Smoking, drinking and a poor diet can deprive the skin of the nutrients, oxygen and hydration it needs to repair and regenerate; so eliminating bad habits will avoid unnecessary damage and make your skin look healthier.
What you shouldn't underestimate is how reduced collagen production and loss of fat on the face allow gravity to pull the skin down, creating cavities in the face, sagging skin and exacerbating wrinkles.
So how do you keep your collagen levels high?
Make sure you are eating a diet rich in ingredients like leafy greens like kale and broccoli, colorful fruits and vegetables, omega acid rich nuts every day, and that you are getting proper hydration.
Actinic wrinkles
They are caused by a loss of elastic structure within the skin mainly caused by exposure to the sun. These wrinkles form mainly on the cheeks, upper lip and base of the neck and become progressively permanent over time.
How to fight wrinkles caused by the sun's rays?
First of all you need to use a cream with a sunscreen, also protect the parts of the body exposed to the sun.
A good skin care regimen also helps smooth out and prevent these types of wrinkles.
