Unfortunately, the accumulation of wrinkles is a natural part of aging. There are some things you can minimize or avoid throughout your life to minimize the appearance of your eventual wrinkles, but there’s no proven way to dodge this bullet completely, so to speak. Let’s take a look at some of the causes of wrinkles, how to prevent wrinkles, and some wrinkle remedies that you can implement into your skincare routine.
Some Causes of Wrinkles
Natural Degradation of Collagen & Elastin
As we age, our skin naturally ramps down its production of two critical structural components: collagen and elastin. Collagen is responsible for the skin’s ability to maintain its tight structure, while elastin allows the skin to rebound when stretched or pulled. When these two components dwindle to low numbers, the skin begins to sag, stretch, and wrinkle一 naturally.
Exposure To UV Radiation
Now, it’s impossible (and unhealthy) to completely avoid exposure to the sun. For this reason, we consider UV exposure to be a factor that people have very little control over. However, it has been suggested that excessive exposure to UV radiation, (for example, sunbathing in copious amounts) can impact how many wrinkles you will have later on in life. UV radiation does damage the skin, so it’s no surprise that repeated overexposure would lead to more wrinkles.
Smoking
Aside from being a general danger to your health in many other ways, smoking一 especially cigarettes一 can affect your skin’s ability to recover and produce those essential building blocks we mentioned above: collagen and elastin. In fact, the toxins in cigarette smoke can act directly on elastin, physically degrading it. If there’s one thing you can do right now to reduce your risk of developing a host of poor health outcomes, it’s this: quit smoking.
Repetitive Facial Motions
There’s a very good reason that certain wrinkles are called laugh lines and frown lines. This isn’t meant to scare you into becoming emotionless, but repeated movements in the face can physically break down collagen and elastin. This is merely a physical process, so there’s not too much that can be done to prevent it. You can, however, set yourself up for success by following a great skincare routine.
Sub-Optimal Skincare Routine
Dry skin is more prone to all types of damage, including the development of wrinkles. When developing your skincare routine, if you are concerned about wrinkles, make sure to include skin-supporting supplements like collagen or even facial massages to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin.
How To Prevent Wrinkles
Luckily, there are some factors that you can control. You can, for example, try to avoid excessive exposure to sunlight, quit smoking, and develop a good skincare routine. However, above all, remember that wrinkles are a natural part of getting older.
Wrinkle Remedies
One of the best things you can do for your skin is to make sure you have an effective skincare routine. Furthermore, make sure to tweak your routine as the seasons change. Also, if you already have wrinkles, try to find a firming cream (like our Advanced Firming Cream) that will help your skin retain moisture and reconstruct itself with those critical components we talked about: collagen and elastin.