All About Wrinkles: Causes and Best Ways to Prevent and Fight Them
There is no way to stop it – as you age, your skin will age, too. While some may be okay with that, others try their best to prevent the signs of telltale aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and pigmentation, from appearing. While these indications of age are completely normal occurrences, they become a problem only when they appear before time. Premature aging can make you look much older than you are. Lucky for you, there are ways to keep that from happening, including using the best silicone patches for wrinkles.
While it may not be possible to get around aging and wrinkles – they are inevitable – you can definitely delay their onset and keep your skin looking young and radiant for a long time. But in order to prevent and fight wrinkles, you first need to know more about them. Let’s start with their causes. Once you understand the causes, you will be better equipped to avoid them.
Causes of Wrinkles
There are mainly two different aging processes that can contribute to the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. They are intrinsic aging and extrinsic aging.
Intrinsic Aging
Also known as chronological aging, intrinsic aging is a natural genetically determined process that occurs over the span of your lifetime. It is not affected by any external factors. With age, your skin undergoes numerous changes. It becomes much drier. The collagen and elastin fibers begin to break down. The natural exfoliation process slows down, which causes a buildup of dead skin cells. there is a loss of stored fat in the subcutaneous tissue. And all of these changes lead to wrinkles, sagging, fine lines, and other signs of aging.
It is, however, important to keep in mind that intrinsic aging only makes up a small percentage of our skin’s overall aging. It is the external factors that do the most damage.
Extrinsic Aging
If you have ever woken up in the morning with a fine line on your forehead that you swear wasn’t there the night before, it is likely due to extrinsic aging.
Extrinsic aging is a result of various external environmental factors that contribute to rapid aging of the skin. Here are some of its most common causes:
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Smoking
Smoking is bad for your health and your skin, too. The repeated pulling of the Purse String muscles when you pucker your lips and take drags as well as the nicotine content in cigarettes can cause your skin to age prematurely. Nicotine constricts the blood cells in the outermost layer of the epidermis, which deprives your skin of oxygen and vital nutrients. And that results in premature sagging and the appearance of wrinkles.
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Pollution
Free radical damage is a result of environmental pollution. It changes the chemical structures in our body and alters biological functioning, which speeds up the aging process. This is why it is important for you to protect your face and skin against free radicals with the right products.
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Prolonged sun exposure
Sun exposure leads to photoaging, which is probably the biggest culprit behind those lines and wrinkles that appear in your 20s and 30s. When the harmful UVA rays penetrate your skin, they break down collagen and elastin, and as a result, your skin starts becoming loose, saggy, and wrinkly. Photoaging can also cause other skin issues, including sun spots, pigmentation, and so on.
What Are the Best Ways to Prevent Wrinkles?
They say prevention is better than cure. And that doesn’t hold any truer than in the world of skincare. If you want to keep your skin looking healthy and youthful, you need to take care of it. There are a few things you can do to prevent wrinkles and reduce the toll of time on your skin.
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Use sunscreen
This is the most effective way to prevent sun damage and thereby, premature skin aging. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher for maximum protection. No matter the weather, slather sunscreen on all exposed skin, including your face, your neck, hands, and feet. It is recommended that you use sun protection even when you are indoors.
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Moisturize your skin
Use a good-quality moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated and nourished. Moisturizing is especially important as your get older because your skin loses its natural moisture content, which makes it more prone to lines and wrinkles.
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Get enough sleep
If you don’t get a good night’s rest, it can have a detrimental effect on your skin. You may not see the effects after a day or two, but they will begin to show over the years. So, try to get at least six to eight hours of sleep every day. Go to bed early and wake up early.
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Stop smoking
Stop smoking and your skin (along with your heart and lungs) will thank you. As mentioned earlier, smoking is one of the leading causes of premature aging as it narrows blood vessels and breaks down elastin and collagen in your skin.
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Stay hydrated
Drink a lot of water throughout the day. It will work wonders for your skin. Water is essential for boosting your skin’s hydration levels and keeping signs of aging at bay. Try to drink 2-3 liters of water a day, especially after a strenuous activity that makes you sweat.
How to Reduce the Appearance of Fine Lines and Wrinkles?
Sometimes, despite caring for your skin, you may see some facial lines and wrinkles. Although they are not a health concern, they can often have a negative impact on your confidence and self-esteem. Fortunately, there are various products and treatments that are designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Read on to know what they are.
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Microneedling
Microneedling is a process of using tiny needles to puncture the skin, which triggers the skin’s healing response and helps renew the skin cells. Although now it is possible to do microneedling at home, it is best to get it done by a professional.
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Chemical peel
Chemical peels work by removing layers of the skin, which helps reduce the appearance of lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and so on.
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Laser therapy
Laser therapy is one of the most effective non-surgical treatments for wrinkles. It provides quick results and tightens your skin in two to three weeks. It, however, comes with a downtime of a few days.
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Silicone patches
Silicone patches have become quite popular in recent years due to their effectiveness. Enriched with the goodness of collagen and other beneficial ingredients, the best face patches for wrinkles hydrate, nourish, and repair the skin, thus removing the appearance of wrinkles and making your skin look healthy and young.
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Botox
Botulinum toxin therapy, commonly known as botox, relaxes the facial muscles, which makes wrinkles and fine lines less visible. It does not have any downtime, which means you can go about your daily activities immediately after the procedure.
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Fillers
Fillers are a great choice for people experiencing sagging skin. They plump up the sunken areas and make your face look bright and smooth.
If you want to eliminate wrinkles and turn back the clock on your skin, it is crucial that you go the extra mile and adopt the right methods, products, and treatments. Shop from reputable brands that offer skincare products, like silicone patches for scars and wrinkles, that are effective and safe. Do your research to ensure that you make the right choice and do what’s best for your skin.