Facial wrinkles – where do they come from and how to combat them?

Facial wrinkles, as the name suggests, have to do with facial expressions. When we smile, show displeasure, surprise, anger or other emotions, various grimaces form on ours, resulting in wrinkling of the skin. Since the work of facial muscles accompanies us from the moment we are born, facial wrinkles also accompany us throughout our lives, but they are not very visible in childhood and adolescence. When the skin loses its firmness, they begin to become more pronounced, and thus visually add years to us. Fortunately, there are effective methods to counteract facial wrinkles. What are these methods?

What are they and how are facial wrinkles formed?

The change in the texture and appearance of the skin is due to the body’s natural aging process. As we age, the skin loses its high hydration level and becomes less able to bind water molecules. It also does not regenerate as efficiently and quickly as it used to. The production of collagen and elastin, the key fibrillar proteins for firmness and cohesiveness of the skin, also slows down with age.

Wrinkles are deformations and depressions in the skin resulting from changes in its structure. They can take the form of furrows, fine lines, mesh of thin and fine lines, creases, folds. Facial wrinkles appear on our face first, even before other signs of skin aging, such as sagging facial oval, sagging skin, neck wrinkles or loss of skin density.

Facial wrinkles form as a result of intense facial muscle activity. It is estimated that in 1 day our facial muscles make up to 15,000 movements. Therefore, facial wrinkles are most prominent in people with the most dynamic and expressive facial expressions. In people with neutral facial expressions, they are less accentuated and begin to form later.

The first facial wrinkles are observed at different ages, but most often around the age of 30. Initially, facial wrinkles are fine and appear only when the facial muscles are working (e.g. when we wrinkle our forehead or squint our eyes). They disappear when the muscles relax.

However, as we age, our skin becomes less and less hydrated, thinner and less elastic, resulting in the perpetuation of facial wrinkles. They become visible no longer only when the facial muscles are working, but also when they are at rest.

Types of facial wrinkles

The first facial wrinkles mostly appear in the eye area. The skin around the eyes is very delicate. It is also thinner than in other areas of the face, and therefore more sensitive and prone to irritation and damage.

In later years, facial wrinkles appear on the forehead, cheeks and chin. However, not all people follow this order, much depends on genetic conditions and facial expressions. Some people already in their youthful years have quite pronounced vertical “lion” wrinkles or transverse wrinkles on the forehead or nasolabial furrows (so-called smile wrinkles).

Types of facial wrinkles:

• wrinkles at the corners of the eyes (so-called crow’s feet),
• Wrinkles under the eyes,
• wrinkles around the mouth (fine wrinkles above the upper lip, or so-called smoker’s wrinkles, and marionette wrinkles below the corners of the mouth),
• nasolabial furrows (running from the lobes of the nose to the corners of the mouth),
• the wrinkle between the eyebrows,
• horizontal wrinkles on the forehead.

How to counteract facial wrinkles?

Although the aging process of the skin does not bypass anyone, it can be noticed that it goes slower in some people and faster in others. This has to do with a number of factors, including genetic predisposition, the innate number of collagen fibers, skin type and thickness, but also the lifestyle we lead and the skin care methods we practice.

It is not true to say that we have no influence on wrinkles. The skin aging process can be slowed down and reduced. Mature skin can maintain a beautiful appearance, you just need to surround it with care and remember to take consistent, regular care.

Check: How to rejuvenate the face?

9 tips to prevent the perpetuation of facial wrinkles?

• Avoid sunbathing, especially often and for long periods of time, and if you do go out in the sun, it’s worth remembering to protect yourself with sunscreen SPF. It is worth knowing that overexposure to the sun is one of the main factors responsible for photoaging of the skin and the formation of wrinkles. Even half an hour of sunbathing leads to the destruction of collagen fibers, let alone a prolonged stay in the harsh sun. You should also avoid tanning beds, which are very damaging to the skin.

• Keep your face highly moisturized (including by using moisturizing creams and hydrating masks). Dry skin is much more prone to wrinkle formation.

• Use face creams (day and night) designed for your skin type.

• Remember to cleanse your face thoroughly every day. Always wash off your makeup before going to bed.

• Drink plenty of water (about 1.5 – 2 liters a day). Eat healthy. Frequently introduce into your diet products rich in: Vitamins A, E, C, B, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, flavonoids, carotenoids, omega 3 acids, amino acids, chlorophyll, beta-cyanins and beta-xanthins.

• Avoid alcohol and cigarettes. They strongly accelerate the aging process, are disastrous for the skin and age the face.

• Get enough sleep (sleep about 7-8 hours a night). Proper sleep hygiene is a very important, but often neglected, factor that positively affects the condition of the skin. During night rest, all cells of the body, including skin cells, regenerate. After a good night’s sleep, we look younger and more vital, our skin is better toned, smoother and has a healthier appearance. In contrast, after a poorly slept night or too little sleep, our face looks tired, gray, dull. Under the eyes we have unsightly bruises and bags, and the skin is more prone to damage and the formation of facial wrinkles.

• Avoid stress, overwork, overtiredness.

• Avoid being in a polluted environment.

Daily, morning and evening application of day and night creams (preferably from early youth, before wrinkles have time to set in), proper cleansing and nutritionnourishment of the facial skin, avoidance of skin-damaging factors – these are measures that will allow us to keep our complexion in great shape regardless of age.

Facial muscle exercises, advanced facial serums and professional treatments will also help us inhibit the formation of facial wrinkles and the formation of other signs of skin aging.

How to get rid of facial wrinkles? First, put on facial muscle exercises!

Facial gymnastics or facial yoga (exercises combined with massage) are simple treatments designed to stimulate microcirculation and improve facial muscles. They are an effective way to fight the signs of aging, and most importantly, anyone, without any effort and without straining their wallet, can perform them in the comfort of their own home.

We can reach for facial muscle exercises at any age, of course, the earlier we start doing them, the better results we will get.

Regular facial exercises help to strengthen the muscles and make the skin adhere to them better and tighter. The complexion becomes firmer and renewal processes are stimulated, resulting in a more youthful appearance of the entire face.

The following exercises will work particularly well in preventing facial wrinkles:

• stretch the neck upward, and then try to push the jaw forward firmly,
• open the mouth wide, as if pronouncing the letter “O”, and try to firmly curl the lips behind the teeth,
• using circular motions, massage the cheeks from the inside (especially where the nasolabial furrow is formed),
• alternately puff up the cheeks and pull them inward,
• retract the lips inward and clench firmly,
• two fingers (index and middle) apply to the outer corners of the eye and very lightly pull the skin to the side, then squint,
• place the palm cushion between the eyebrows and the fingers on the head, press down and slightly raise the palm cushion, after a few seconds lower it,
• place the fingers horizontally on the forehead, press the skin and wrinkle the forehead at the same time.

Do each exercise for 5-10 seconds. We do several repetitions in 2-3 series.

Anti-wrinkle cosmetics

To more effectively counteract the formation of facial wrinkles, for daily care it is worth using creams containing active ingredients that stimulate theproduction of collagen fibers, improving the level of skin hydration and characterized by antioxidant activity. These include:

• retinol,
• AHA acids,
• vitamin E,
• coenzyme Q10,
• peptides,
• ceramides,
• vitamin C,
• marine algae,
• vegetable oils,
• hyaluronic acid,
• caffeine,
• collagen.

Check out the anti-aging face serum that will effectively crack down on facial wrinkles: EleveRenew

Home remedies for facial wrinkles

While in youth, facial wrinkles are characterized by high dynamics and tend to disappear directlyimmediately after a change in facial expression, they become more permanent in later years, making our face more serious and older. Wanting to prevent the deepening and perpetuation of facial wrinkles, it is worth acting in multiple ways, combining exercise with good quality anti-age cosmetics and home treatments.

Simple home anti-wrinkle treatments:

• Fruit mask: blend (or grate) peach, kiwi and avocado. We apply the pap to the face. After 25 minutes, we rinse it off.

• Apple-oat mask: grate an apple, add 2 tablespoons of oatmeal previously drenched in boiling water. Mix and apply to the face. Rinse off after 20 minutes.

• Banana mask: grate or crush the banana with a fork. We add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply to the face for 20 minutes.

• Egg white mask: whip the egg white foam and apply to the face. Wash off after 15 minutes.

• Yogurt mask: Mix 4 tablespoons of natural yogurt with a tablespoon of liquid honey. Apply to the face. Wash off after 20 minutes.

• Apple cider vinegar poultice: Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with 3 tablespoons of water. We soak a cotton ball in the concoction and wash our face with it. After 5 minutes, we rinse our face.

Professional treatments for facial wrinkles

To smooth fine facial wrinkles and shallow deeper wrinkles, we can also use professional treatments. The most popular are:

• Botox treatment (it is especially used for smoothing horizontal forehead wrinkles, vertical forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet, furrows around the nose and mouth, wrinkles on the neck),
• hyaluronic acid treatment (is mainly used to reduce wrinkles around the eyes and mouth),
• laser wrinkle removal treatment (used mainly for crow’s feet, wrinkles under the eyes, nasolabial furrows, wrinkles around the mouth, sagging facial oval, but also for hyperpigmentation and scarring),
• needle mesotherapy (applied to a selected area of the face to even out the skin surface, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and firm the complexion).

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