Wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process. But they don’t have to show up earlier than expected. Here are 4 things you didn’t know about facial creases and how to prevent them.
1. Sleeping can both help and hurt
A good night’s sleep is important in the fight against wrinkles. When you don’t catch enough Z’s, your body produces extra cortisol, a hormone that breaks down skin cells. But how you sleep is another issue. Over time, certain sleeping positions can lead to “sleep lines” – wrinkles that become engraved into your facial surface. Snoozing on your side encourages creases on your cheeks and chin, while sleeping face-down gives you a furrowed brow. Reduce your chances of sleep lines by dozing off on your back. But if you must sleep on your stomach, splurge on satin pillowcases. Your face will slide around the silky surface as opposed to crunching down on it.
2. The sun can find you
To minimize the signs of aging, daily use of sunscreen is key. Applying sunblock helps prevent the chances of photoaging, the wrinkling, spotting and loss of elasticity caused by exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. But even if you aren’t hitting the beach or going for a hike, you’re still at risk for sun contact. Driving around town or even sitting by an office window can still put you at risk for skin damage, sun spots and aging. Just remember if you see the sun, it sees you – so don’t skip the protection. Leave a bottle of sunblock in your makeup bag so you don’t forget to include it in your beauty routine.
3. Your face can tell a story
As you age, your skin gets thinner and less elastic. And if you’re guilty of over articulating yourself with facial expressions such as squinting, frowning and even smiling, it can lead to expression wrinkles. The repetitive motion of scrunching your face will permanently etch lines into your face. Though expression wrinkles are inevitable in the aging process, there are a few things you can do to slow down the formation.
• Smoker Lines – Pursing your lips when puffing on a cigarette or drinking from a straw can lead to wrinkles around your mouth. Try to minimize or avoid smoking altogether and drink from a glass to prevent the deep lines.
• Crow’s Feet – Constant squinting increases your chances of wrinkles from appearing around your eyes. To prevent squinting, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the light and visit your eye doctor yearly to make sure you don’t have a vision problem.
• Bunny Lines – Smiling and frowning can lead to horizontal wrinkles across the ridge of the nose. Since you shouldn’t avoid smiling, these lines can be softened with Botox injections.
4. Don’t stretch yourself thin
Makeup helps accentuate your beautiful features, but applying it incorrectly can create unwanted creases. Stretching and pulling your eyes to apply eye liner or opening your mouth widely to apply mascara, for example, are frowned upon in the beauty world. Instead, move your whole face when applying makeup to prevent overstretching your skin. And don’t forget to wash your face before bedtime. Your makeup and the pollutants your pick up during the day dig deep into your pores, breaking down collagen and elastin.
