Wrinkles: Causes, Types, and Treatment Options

Ageing is a biological phenomenon that will always bring changes to the skin; hence, you can never defy wrinkles entirely. However, certain anti-ageing ingredients and procedures can help delay their onset and reduce their visibility.

That said, it’s important to understand your wrinkles, their types and root causes, so you can tackle them more effectively. This blog will cover everything you need to know about wrinkles.

What are Wrinkles

Wrinkles are the creases or folds on the skin that no one wants, but can’t turn away entirely. As we age, our skin has to contend with visible signs of ageing, including fine lines, sagging skin, and wrinkles due to its loss of elasticity. Medical science calls wrinkles rhytids. 

Your wrinkles tend to appear more on your skin parts that are exposed to the sun, including your face, neck, and hands. Some folds can be deeper into your skin, while others may not.

What Causes Wrinkles

Collagen is the tissue that is responsible for providing elasticity and structural support to your skin. As we age, this loss of elasticity results in wrinkles. While some wrinkle-causing factors are beyond your influence, other factors are within a grasp of your control. Here are a few of the most common causes behind wrinkles;

Ageing

Ageing is a major underlying cause. As you pass more years of your life, your skin naturally becomes drier and starts losing elasticity. The deeper layers of your skin lose the fat and collagen that are highly crucial for your skin’s tightness and firmness, and your skin becomes saggy and loose. 

Genetic Factors 

You can inherit the tendency to develop wrinkles. Certain genetic factors can determine how you age. Some people’s genes may predispose them to make less collagen, while others can produce more. Moreover, your genetic variation can also control your skin’s ability to retain moisture. 

Smoking

Tobacco smoke has chemicals that can constrict blood vessels, hence reducing the blood flow in your skin, hastening the ageing process. The reduced blood supply deprives your skin of essential nutrients. Thus, smoking is one of the major contributors to wrinkles.

Pollution

Pollutants may trigger inflammation in your skin that may lead to premature ageing. Your skin may become loose and saggy due to a loss of collagen. In particular environments, air pollution can cause severe dehydration by stripping the natural oils of the skin.

Ultraviolet Radiation

According to a study, sun exposure accelerates skin ageing, leading to deeper wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, and loss of elasticity.

Some parts of your skin may be prone to sunburn; ultraviolet radiation affects these regions particularly. After the radiation hits your skin, it breaks down the elastic fibres and collagen, and as a result, your skin becomes loosened. 

Also Read: 20 Wrinkle-Reducing Habits for Younger-Looking Skin

Are Wrinkles the Same As Fine Lines

While many people use the terms wrinkles and fine lines interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Fine lines can occur as one of the early or premature signs of ageing. On the other hand, wrinkles are deep creases or folds that develop over time with collagen loss. Fine lines are precursors, and wrinkles are the more advanced stage of the ageing process. 

From temporary creases due to sleeping positions like pressing your face against a pillow, lacking adequate hydration, or causes by repeated facial movements, including frowning or smiling, all these are categorised as fine lines. 

Types of Wrinkles

Dynamic and static are the two broad wrinkle categories, whereas other types are also common. Dynamic wrinkles occur due to continuous facial movements, and static wrinkles happen because of loss of elasticity as you age. Let’s learn more about them in detail.

Dynamic Wrinkles

The muscles on your face contract when you make expressions like smiling, frowning, or squinting. When these expressions are made for longer durations. Over time, they deepen into the skin and form creases or folds on your face, called dynamic wrinkles.
They can be noticed around the eyes, forehead, lips, and between the eyebrows. 

Static Wrinkles

You must have heard of the term “fine lines”; they are static wrinkles. When dynamic wrinkles become steady, they become static. They can occur due to many reasons, primarily ageing, and can become even more pronounced over time. 

Atrophic Wrinkles

Atrophic wrinkles develop when the elastin structure of the skin breaks down. The two main culprits are sun exposure and ageing. You can witness these wrinkles in the areas especially exposed to the sun, including the face, hands, and neck. 

Gravitational Folds

The loss in soft tissue volume with age and the gravitational force may loosen your skin and make it saggy. These folds often occur on the upper eyelids, jowls, brows, and lower face area. 

Expression Lines

Our facial muscles are deeply connected to the skin tissue and automatically activated when we make any expression, including frowning, laughing, and smiling.
However, when the skin starts losing its collagen, it becomes difficult for your skin to return to its original position after movement ends, and you may develop expression wrinkles or lines. 

Compression Wrinkles 

When we sleep with our face pressed against the pillow for extended periods, our facial muscles struggle to withstand the pressure and may develop compression lines. Sun rays can deepen these sleep wrinkles. But if you change your sleep habits, these wrinkles don’t get deeper into the skin and often disappear too. 

How to Treat Wrinkles

Let’s explore some effective treatment methods and procedures for combating your wrinkles.

Facelift

It is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the face, neck, and jawline. Cost can be a limiting factor, and the wrinkles may still return with time despite the facelift.

Ablative Laser Resurfacing

It is a type of facial rejuvenation process to improve your skin’s appearance with the help of a laser. This will smooth and firm your skin, but the results are not permanent.

Chemical Peel

A chemical solution is applied by a healthcare professional to peel the top layer of the skin. Afterwards, the skin becomes smooth. One treatment is hardly enough. You may have to undergo multiple sessions, depending on your condition.

Serums and Creams

The most used products are prescription-strength retinoids. The anti-wrinkle products can be incredibly effective if you use them appropriately. But it requires a lot of patience and consistency to witness improvements. DRSQ has some effective products for saggy skin and wrinkly texture.

Vitamin A Serums

We have a range of 3 prescription-strength vitamin A serums infused with a milder alternative of retinol, retinaldehyde. 

• Starter Vitamin A serum with 0.25% retinaldehyde is suitable for retinoid beginners.
  
• Miracle Pro Vitamin serum with 0.5% retinaldehyde is for the next-level users.
  
• Advanced Vitamin A with 1% retinaldehyde is for advanced users. 
  

Collagen Boost Moisturiser

It is a collagen-boosting firming cream to lift and firm your sagging skin. This has a powerful combination of Vegan DMAE, MSM, and organic phytolipids that work synergistically to revitalise the thinning dermal/epidermal layers. You can get visibly firmer skin with a restored youthful glow.

Botox and Fillers 

Botox and fillers are injected into the skin to help with wrinkles and facelifts. These treatments are temporary and must be repeated regularly to maintain the effect.

Does Makeup Cause Wrinkles

We cannot directly claim that cosmetics are the reason behind your wrinkles, as there is no evidence found yet. But there are various factors involved, including how you apply it, which quantity is appropriate for your skin type, and how you remove it.

If you are using low-quality products, your skin may have to face the consequences. The ingredients might clog your pores. 

Go for fragrance-free products with skin-friendly ingredients that are less irritating to your skin. Ensure to wipe off all your makeup before you sleep. 

Can We Prevent Wrinkles

Wrinkles are normal and hit everyone. They are not problematic until they appear before the right age. But again, that “right age” differs from person to person. There is no way to fade them entirely. 

However, you can delay the development of wrinkles and how they appear by choosing to do the right skincare and a healthy lifestyle. 

The Bottom Line

Before starting with your treatment, you must know that wrinkles are a normal part of the ageing process, and everyone has to go through them. However, a few internal and external factors may speed up the process of skin sagging and might leave you worried. Early intervention and the right skincare routine can slow the ageing process of the skin

References:

• H J Spoor, "Wrinkles", 1999 Feb
  
• Shoubing Zhang, Enkui Duan, "Fighting against Skin Aging: The Way from Bench to Bedside", 2018 May
  
• Neira Puizina-Ivić, "Skin Aging", 2008 June
  
• Ann Schmidt Luggen, "Wrinkles and beyond. Skin problems in older adults", 2003 Sep
  
• Reza Kafi, Heh Shin R Kwak, Wendy E Schumacher, Soyun Cho, Valerie N Hanft, Ted A Hamilton, Anya L King, Jacqueline D Neal, James Varani, Gary J Fisher, John J Voorhees, Sewon Kang," Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol)", 2007 May