Sooner or later, fine grooves and folds of skin – wrinkles – appear on every woman's face. They can have different depths, but modern cosmetological techniques can make them less visible and even remove them completely. In addition, through proper facial skin care, you can delay their appearance for several years.
Let's look at the types of wrinkles and the causes of their appearance, as well as ways to eliminate them and methods of prevention.
Types of wrinkles on the face
By locationCosmetologists identify wrinkles on the forehead, between the eyebrows and around the eyes, called "crow’s feet".
Additionally, there are nasolabial folds, marionette lines that extend from the corners of the lips toward the chin, and small purse-string wrinkles that appear above the upper lip.
In terms of depth, wrinkles are superficial, medium deep and deep.
- Superficial wrinklesaffect the upper layer of the skin - the epidermis. As a rule, they are small, they can be numerous and occupy a large area. Such folds, which form a network of cracks, are most often formed due to dry skin.
- Medium deep wrinklesappear when superficial wrinkles develop and deepen into the middle layer of the skin - the dermis. This is mainly because special cells called fibroblasts start to synthesize less collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid.
- Deep wrinklesmainly form in areas of natural skin folds. Their development is associated with processes within the skin and subcutaneous fat, muscle hypertonicity, structural features of the face and even genetic predisposition.
Tactics for preventing and combating wrinkles depend on the causes of their appearance and therefore should be paid more attention.
The main reasons for the appearance
There are several main factors that contribute to the appearance of deep potholes or fine wrinkles on our skin.
Natural aging
As a rule, after 40 years, age-related wrinkles begin to appear on the face. In response to a decrease in the production of female sex hormones, collagen production decreases, the rate of cell turnover decreases, and the skin loses moisture and elasticity.
Additionally, gravitational ptosis can occur with age. When the soft tissues of the face are weakened and have lost their elasticity, it becomes difficult to resist the force of gravity, the oval of the face is deformed, the skin begins to sag, folds and deep wrinkles are formed.
Active facial expressions
Due to active facial expressions, you may have pronounced wrinkles by the age of 20. The fact is that our facial muscles are attached to the skin, and the skin moves as a result of muscle contraction and elongation. If the facial muscle contracts regularly, over time the skin in the area of its activity ceases to straighten and a superficial wrinkle is formed, which can subsequently turn into a deep wrinkle.
Habits that we often do not notice in ourselves, such as frowning, raising or frowning, squinting and laughing, lead to the formation of wrinkles.
Photoaging
Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays on the skin leads to cellular damage and so-called photoaging. UVA rays disrupt the processes taking place in the epidermis and also destroy collagen and elastin in the dermis. As a result, facial skin becomes weakened, dehydrated and wrinkled.
Improper care
The appearance of wrinkles is often associated with dehydration of the skin and disruption of the process of exfoliation of the horny cells of the epidermis. Therefore, skin care, including regular cleansing, nutrition and hydration, is extremely important.
If you don't follow these steps or use the wrong cosmetic products, you can prematurely age your face and cause wrinkles to appear.
In addition, genetic predisposition and dry skin type can cause the early appearance of visible wrinkles.
Aggravating factors
In addition to the main reasons, there are several additional factors that lead to the formation and deepening of wrinkles.
Health problems
Dental and jaw problems can contribute to the appearance of wrinkles on facial skin. Some wrinkles, such as nasolabial folds and nasolacrimal folds, become more pronounced due to swelling and stagnation of fluid in the tissues.
Deterioration in skin quality and the appearance of sagging and wrinkles can be a manifestation of diseases of internal organs, such as the endocrine glands, liver, kidneys or lungs.
Stress
Constant stress can also lead to the appearance of wrinkles. During severe emotional stress, increased production of cortisol occurs, which slows the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid by fibroblasts. As a result, the facial skin loses its turgor, i. e. its ability to return to its original state after compression, and forms wrinkles.
When stressed, blood vessels in the skin contract and facial muscles tense.. All this gradually leads to the appearance of wrinkles.
Bad habits
Any bad habit affects the beauty of our face.
Passive lifestyleworsens vascular tone and lymphatic drainage, making the skin less elastic and prone to wrinkle formation.
Going to bed late and constant lack of sleeplead to dehydration of the skin and cut off the precious time that the body spends restoring the epidermis. The fewer hours you sleep per day now, the more wrinkles you will have on your face in a few years.
Bad nutritionages the skin. Strict diets, especially with insufficient amounts of protein, lead to the fact that the skin has nowhere to get the materials necessary for building its tissues. And the abundance of carbohydrates in the diet, including sweets, causes the "sugarification" of collagen fibers, which is why they become fragile and lose their elasticity. All this leads to early aging and the formation of wrinkles.
Smoking- one of the main bad habits that affect the appearance of your face. Tobacco smoke contains many harmful compounds that lead to skin diseases, dehydration, loss of antioxidants in the skin, and poor blood circulation. Smokers are at a much higher risk of developing deep wrinkles than non-smokers.
Wrinkles often appear for several reasons.
Wrinkle treatment methods
There are many techniques to smooth wrinkles and make your skin firm, fresh and glowing again.
Facial massage
Thanks to good manual and hardware massage, you can improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, saturate tissues with oxygen, stimulate skin regeneration processes and eliminate swelling.
In addition, manual massage helps relax the deep muscles, returning them to their previous length and position, and therefore straightening facial wrinkles.
A series of procedures gives a pronounced effect, but even after one session, wrinkles become less visible and the face looks fresher and younger.
Despite the apparent safety of massage, this method of wrinkle correction has contraindications. It is impossible to stimulate blood circulation and lymphatic drainage in case of oncology, blood diseases and enlarged lymph nodes for any reason. Also, massage is contraindicated in cases of neuralgia and skin problems: exacerbation of herpes, purulent inflammation and allergies.
People prone to allergic reactions should not use essential oils to massage their face.
Acid peels
Superficial and medium peels, carried out using cosmetic products containing acids, are effective in the fight against wrinkles.
Superficial peelinghelps to exfoliate the upper keratinized cells of the facial skin, accelerate the epidermis renewal process, even out the texture and color of the skin and eliminate small superficial wrinkles. Typically, for this procedure salicylic, lactic or glycolic acid or a mixture of lactic and salicylic acid are used.
Medium peelpenetrates deeper into the dermis, stimulating active synthesis of collagen and hyaluronic acid, skin renewal and smoothing or reduction of medium-deep wrinkles. It causes peeling and the appearance of crusts, requires a recovery period and the use of special care products, but has a more pronounced effect. To eliminate wrinkles, post-acne and other skin problems with its help, glycolic, trichloroacetic acid or Yellow Peel are most often used.
However, without knowing how to apply the peel correctly, you can cause dermatitis even with a slightly acidic product. Therefore, it is better to contact a beautician for the procedure.
Botulinum therapy
To eliminate crow's feet, facial wrinkles on the forehead, between the eyebrows and in other areas, injections of drugs based on botulinum toxin are actively used. It temporarily immobilizes the muscle that forms the wrinkle, its fibers relax, regain their previous length and the skin fold also straightens.
The effect lasts for six months, after which the procedure must be repeated.
Botox itself is not dangerous and does not cause poisoning, since microscopic doses of neurotoxin are used to straighten wrinkles. But wrinkle correction should be carried out only by a professional - a cosmetologist who is well versed in the structure of the face, since complications are possible if the drug is administered incorrectly.
Among the most unpleasant side effects are eyelid ptosis, drooping eyebrows and reduced mobility of the lips.
Plasmolifting
With the help of injections of plasma with a high content of platelets, obtained from your own blood, you can stimulate skin regeneration processes and eliminate wrinkles.
Platelets contain growth factors that activate the production of collagen and elastin by fibroblasts. Thanks to them, plasma lifting restores firmness and elasticity to the skin, helps eliminate expression lines and age-related wrinkles, provides a lifting effect and improves the complexion.
The same technique is used to stimulate hair growth on the head.
Plasmolifting is safe, since the patient's own cells are used as medicine. .
But these anti-wrinkle injections, like any cosmetic procedure, have contraindications. These are bleeding disorders, taking antithrombotic drugs, oncology with metastases and purulent-inflammatory skin diseases.
Mesotherapy
Mesotherapy is effective in correcting wrinkles and preventing aging - by introducing microinjections of hyaluronic acid, vitamins, amino acids and other useful substances into the desired area, selected by a cosmetologist based on the needs of thefacial skin.
In addition to the components of the drug, microtrauma caused by a thin needle has an effect. They stimulate skin regeneration processes and the production of collagen and elastin.
Mesotherapy is effective in hydrating dry skin and fighting the first signs of aging, particularly superficial wrinkles.
Its recovery period is short: the bumps that remain on the skin after the injections disappear after a few days.
The result of the procedures – reducing the depth of wrinkles – lasts for a year and a half.
But, in addition to traditional contraindications, mesotherapy is not suitable for those who suffer from serious kidney diseases. And it is important to remember that there is a risk of an allergic reaction to the drug.
Christmas lifting
SMAS facelift, the effect of which is compared to plastic surgery for facelift, allows you to eliminate superficial and medium-deep wrinkles, make nasolabial folds less pronounced and improve the shape of the face.
The device used for this procedure emits ultrasound that penetrates deep into the skin to the muscle layer and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.
The beautician specifically treats areas of the face with wrinkles for 30 to 90 minutes. In this case, the patient feels heat, slight tingling and tightness of the skin.
The most pronounced effect, including correction of facial wrinkles, is achieved approximately six months after the procedure and lasts for more than a year. In this case, just one session every few years is enough.
Contour plastic
Another option for correcting wrinkles is contour plastic surgery. During the procedure, a filler is injected for age and expression lines - biodegradable hyaluronic acid gel or a person's own adipose tissue. The injection fills the gap, smoothes the skin and gives the face a more youthful appearance.
The same technique is used to restore harmonious facial proportions, including lip contours and volume.
The effect of non-surgical remodeling lasts up to two years.
But this is a rather serious procedure for removing wrinkles, which should be carried out only by a professional doctor and only with certified drugs. Poor quality filler, incorrectly selected density or incompetent injection under a wrinkle can lead to the opposite effect: the appearance of irregularities and even tissue fibrosis or disruption of facial expression.
Fractional photothermolysis
Fractional photothermolysis can be used to eliminate wrinkles of any depth and restore skin elasticity. The procedure uses a fractional laser. Its beam, divided into small beams, penetrates deep into the skin and damages it pointally, stimulating regeneration processes and activating the production of collagen.
Since the laser works in a certain step and does not treat all tissues, recovery is very fast.After the procedure, red spots appear briefly on the face, but no serious thermal burns occur.
After just one session, a pronounced rejuvenating effect and the disappearance or reduction of wrinkles are noticeable.
The procedure is moderately painful and has a recovery period.
Laser peeling
In addition to fractional, that is, targeted photothermolysis, to combat wrinkles, general laser peeling is used, during which the entire face is treated evenly. It exfoliates dead cells layer by layer by evaporating tissue areas and the depth of impact can be superficial or medium.
The effect of the anti-wrinkle procedure is similar to acid peels, with the difference that instead of acid, a laser is used for exfoliation.
Several laser rejuvenation sessions can smooth fine lines and reduce deep age and expression lines.
But after an average laser peeling, the damage is greater than after fractional exposure, so a longer recovery period is required.
To choose the optimal procedure to combat wrinkles, it is best to consult a beautician. He will assess the condition of the skin of the face and the general condition of the body, indications and contraindications to the use of various cosmetic methods against wrinkles and recommend the most effective and safe method.
Wrinkle prevention: advice from a cosmetologist
The formation and worsening of wrinkles can be avoided by taking care of your skin and replacing some bad habits with healthy ones.
Treatments that will keep your skin young
Care including high-quality cleansing, hydration, skin nutrition and protection of the face from ultraviolet rays will help delay the appearance of wrinkles.
To exfoliate old cells, cosmetologists recommend using acids.
Cosmetic products containing hyaluronic acid are particularly effective in hydrating the skin and preventing wrinkles.
To stimulate collagen production and preserve its fibers, you should pay attention to cosmetics containing retinol, peptides and antioxidants.
In addition to basic care - creams that protect facial skin during the day and restore it at night, you can also use serums containing concentrates of useful substances to prevent wrinkles.
Instead of choosing cosmetics by trial and error, it is better to make an appointment with a beautician. He will write the optimal care program for you, selecting the products adapted to the needs of your skin.
Habits that will help delay the appearance of wrinkles
A few additional recommendations will help slow down the formation of wrinkles.
- Dream. To regenerate facial skin, it is helpful to sleep at least 7 hours a day.
- Water. To activate the metabolic processes in the skin, you need to drink enough water - about 2 liters per day.
- Nutrition. To have healthy, firm and wrinkle-free skin, you need a balanced diet, rich in proteins, fatty acids and vegetables. At the same time, it is important to limit flour and sweets.
- Training.For good blood circulation and lymphatic drainage in the face, you need to move. Not only all sports activities are suitable, but also walks in the fresh air.
- Relaxation. To prevent wrinkles, it is important to learn how to relax the muscles in your face. Visiting a massage parlor or self-massage, as well as psychological practices, will help with this.
- Calm. To prevent premature skin aging and the appearance of wrinkles, it is advisable to learn to manage stress and let it enter your life as little as possible.
Proper care and lifestyle changes will improve the health and appearance of your facial skin, as well as reduce the number of wrinkles that appear in the future.
Trust experienced cosmetologists, take care of your appearance, sign up for cosmetic procedures in professional centers with qualified doctors.