Sooner or later, thin furrows and folds of the skin appear on the face of every woman - wrinkles. They can have different depths, but modern cosmetic techniques can make them less noticeable and even completely remove them. In addition, thanks to the correct care of the skin of the face, you can delay their appearance for years.
Let's look at the types of wrinkles and their causes, as well as ways to remove them and methods of prevention.
Types of facial wrinkles
By locationCosmetologists identify wrinkles on the forehead, between the eyebrows and around the eyes, which are called "crow's feet".
There are also nasolabial folds, marionette lines that run from the corners of the lips down to the chin, and small folds that appear above the upper lip.
In terms of depth, wrinkles are superficial, medium deep and deep.
- Surface wrinklesaffect the uppermost layer of the skin - the epidermis. As a rule, they are small, there can be many of them and they can occupy a large area. Such folds, which form a network of cracks, are most often formed due to dry skin.
- Medium deep wrinklesappear when surface wrinkles develop and deepen into the middle layer of the skin - the dermis. This is mainly due to the fact that special cells called fibroblasts begin to synthesize less collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid.
- Deep wrinklesare mostly formed in areas of natural skin folds. Their development is related to processes in the skin and subcutaneous fat tissue, muscle hypertonus, structural features of the face and even genetic predisposition.
Tactics to prevent and fight wrinkles depend on the causes of their appearance, so more attention should be paid to them.
The main reasons for the appearance
There are several main factors that contribute to the appearance of deep pits or fine lines on our skin.
Natural aging
As a rule, age-related wrinkles begin to appear on the face after 40 years. In response to a decrease in the production of female sex hormones, the production of collagen decreases, the rate of cell renewal decreases and the skin loses moisture and elasticity.
In addition, 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, so the oval of the face is deformed, the skin begins to sag, folds and deep wrinkles are formed.
Active facial expressions
Thanks to active facial expressions, you can have pronounced wrinkles until the age of 20. The thing is, our facial muscles are attached to the skin and it moves as the muscles contract and lengthen. If the facial muscle contracts regularly, over time the skin in the area of its activity stops straightening and a surface wrinkle is formed, which can later turn into a deep one.
Habits that we often do not notice in ourselves, such as wrinkling the forehead, raising or furrowing the eyebrows, squinting and laughing, lead to the formation of wrinkles.
Photoaging
Prolonged exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation leads to cell damage and so-called photoaging. UVA rays disrupt the processes taking place in the epidermis and also destroy the collagen and elastin in the dermis. As a result, the 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 exfoliation process 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 cosmetics, you can prematurely age your face and cause wrinkles to appear.
In addition, genetic predisposition and dry skin type can be to blame for the early appearance of noticeable wrinkles.
Aggravating factors
In addition to the main causes, there are several additional factors that lead to the formation and deepening of wrinkles.
Health issues
Problems with the teeth and jaw can contribute to the appearance of wrinkles on the skin of the face. Some wrinkles, such as nasolabial folds and nasolacrimal folds, become more pronounced due to swelling and fluid retention in the tissues.
The deterioration of the quality of the skin and the appearance of laxity and wrinkles can be a manifestation of diseases of internal organs, such as endocrine glands, liver, kidneys or lungs.
stress
Constant stress can also lead to wrinkles. With strong emotional stress, there is an increased production of cortisol, which slows down the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid by fibroblasts. As a result, the skin of the face loses turgor, that is, the ability to return to its original state after compression, and forms wrinkles.
Under stress, the blood vessels of the skin spasm and the facial muscles tense up. All this gradually leads to the appearance of wrinkles.
Bad habits
Any bad habits affect the beauty of our face.
Passive lifestyleimpairs vascular tone and lymphatic drainage, resulting in less skin elasticity and a tendency to form wrinkles.
Late bedtime and constant lack of sleeplead to dehydration of the skin and take away the precious time that the body uses to restore the epidermis. The fewer hours of sleep a day you get now, the more wrinkles you'll have on your face in a few years.
Bad nutritionaging skin. Strict diets, especially with an insufficient amount of protein, lead to the fact that the skin has nowhere to get material to build tissue. And the abundance of carbohydrates in the diet, including sweets, provokes the "saccharification" of collagen fibers, due to which they become brittle 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 way your face looks. Tobacco smoke contains many harmful compounds that lead to skin diseases, dehydration, loss of antioxidants in the skin and poor blood flow. Smokers have a much higher risk of developing deep wrinkles than non-smokers.
Wrinkles often appear due to a combination of several reasons.
Wrinkle treatment methods
There are many techniques to smooth out wrinkles and make your skin firm, fresh and radiant again.
Facial massage
Thanks to a good manual and machine massage, you can improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, saturate the tissues with oxygen, stimulate regenerative processes in the skin and remove swelling.
In addition, manual massage allows you to relax the deep muscles, return them to their previous length and position, and therefore smooth out facial wrinkles.
The course of procedures gives a pronounced effect, but even after one session, wrinkles become less noticeable and the face looks fresher and younger.
Despite the apparent harmlessness of massage, this method of wrinkle correction has contraindications. It is impossible to stimulate blood circulation and lymphatic drainage in oncology, blood diseases and enlarged lymph nodes for any reason. Massage is also contraindicated in neuralgia and skin problems: exacerbation of herpes, purulent inflammation and allergies.
People prone to allergic reactions should not use essential oils when massaging their face.
Acid peels
Superficial and medium peels, which are carried out using cosmetics containing acids, are effective in the fight against wrinkles.
Superficial peelinghelps to exfoliate the upper keratinized cells of the skin of the face, accelerates the renewal process of the epidermis, evens out the texture and color of the skin and removes small surface wrinkles. As a rule, salicylic, lactic or glycolic acid or a mixture of lactic and salicylic acid is used for this procedure.
Medium peelingpenetrates deeper into the dermis, stimulating the active synthesis of collagen and hyaluronic acid, skin renewal and smoothing or reducing medium-deep wrinkles. It causes flaking and the appearance of crusts, requires a recovery period and the use of special care products, but has a more pronounced effect. To remove 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 properly apply a peel, you can cause dermatitis even with a product with a mild acid content. That is why it is best to contact a cosmetologist for the procedure.
Botulinum therapy
To eliminate crow's feet, facial wrinkles on the forehead, between the eyebrows and in other areas, injections with 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 six months, after which the procedure must be repeated.
Botox itself is not dangerous and does not cause intoxication, since microscopic doses of neurotoxin are used to straighten wrinkles. But the correction of wrinkles should be carried out only by a professional - a cosmetologist who knows the structure of the face well, since complications are possible if the medicine is applied incorrectly.
Among the most unpleasant side effects are ptosis of the eyelids, drooping eyebrows and impaired mobility of the lips.
Plasmolifting
With the help of injections of plasma with a high platelet content obtained from your own blood, you can stimulate skin regeneration processes and remove wrinkles.
Platelets contain growth factors that activate collagen and elastin production by fibroblasts. Thanks to them, plasmolifting restores the firmness and elasticity of the skin, helps to remove mimic lines and age wrinkles, provides a lifting effect and improves the complexion.
The same technique is used to stimulate hair growth on the head.
Plasmolifting is safe because the patient's own cells are used as medicine. .
But such anti-wrinkle injections, like any cosmetic procedure, have contraindications. These are blood coagulation disorders, taking antithrombotic drugs, oncology with metastases and purulent inflammatory skin diseases.
Mesotherapy
Mesotherapy is effective for correcting wrinkles and preventing aging - introduction of microinjections of hyaluronic acid, vitamins, amino acids and other useful substances in the desired area selected by a cosmetologist depending on the needs of the facial skin.
In addition to the components of the drug, microtrauma caused by a thin needle has an effect. They stimulate the skin's own regeneration processes and the production of collagen and elastin.
Mesotherapy is good for moisturizing dry skin and fighting the first signs of aging, including superficial wrinkles.
There is a short recovery period: the bumps that remain on the skin after the injections disappear after a few days.
The result of the course of procedures - a reduction in the depth of wrinkles - lasts 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.
Smas lifting
SMAS lifting, the effect of which is compared to plastic surgery for lifting, helps to remove superficial and medium-deep wrinkles, makes nasolabial folds less pronounced and improves the shape of the face.
The device for this procedure emits ultrasound that penetrates deep into the skin to the muscle layer and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.
The cosmetologist specially treats the areas of the face with wrinkles for 30–90 minutes. In this case, the patient feels heat, slight tingling and tightening of the skin.
The most pronounced effect, including correction of mimic wrinkles, is achieved approximately six months after the procedure and lasts for more than a year. In this case, only one session every few years is sufficient.
Contour plastic
Another option for correcting wrinkles is contour plastic surgery. During the procedure, a filler - a biodegradable gel made of hyaluronic acid or own fat tissue - is injected under the age and expressive wrinkles. The injection fills the gap, smoothes the skin and gives the face a more youthful appearance.
The same technique is used to restore the harmonious proportions of the face, including the contours and volume of the lips.
The effect of non-surgical contouring lasts up to two years.
But this is a rather serious procedure to remove wrinkles, which should be performed only by a professional doctor and only with certified drugs. Poor-quality filler, incorrectly chosen density or inept injection under a wrinkle can lead to the opposite effect - the appearance of irregularities and even fibrosis of the tissues or disruption of facial expression.
Fractional photothermolysis
Fractional photothermolysis can be used to remove wrinkles of any depth and restore skin elasticity. A fractional laser is used in the procedure. Its beam, divided into small beams, penetrates deep into the skin and damages it point by point, stimulating regeneration processes and activating collagen production.
Due to the fact that the laser works at a certain stage and does not process the entire tissue, the recovery is very fast.After the procedure, red dots appear on the face for a short time, but no serious thermal burn occurs.
After just one session, a pronounced rejuvenating effect and the disappearance or reduction of wrinkles is noticeable.
The procedure is moderately painful and there is a recovery period.
Laser peeling
In addition to fractional, that is, targeted photothermolysis, general laser peeling is used to fight wrinkles, in which the entire face is treated evenly. It exfoliates dead cells layer by layer by vaporizing areas of the tissue and the depth of action can be superficial or medium.
The effect of the anti-wrinkle procedure is similar to acid peeling, with the difference that instead of acid, a laser is used for exfoliation.
Several sessions of laser rejuvenation can smooth fine lines and reduce deep age and expressive wrinkles.
But after a medium laser peel, the damage is more than after a partial exposure, so a longer recovery period is needed.
To choose the optimal anti-wrinkle procedure, it is best to consult a cosmetologist. He will evaluate the condition of the skin of the face and the general condition of the body, indications and contraindications for the use of various cosmetic methods against wrinkles and will recommend the most effective and safe method.
Preventing wrinkles: advice from a beautician
The formation and deepening of wrinkles can be prevented by proper skin care and replacing some bad habits with healthy ones.
Care that will keep your skin young
Care that includes high-quality cleansing, moisturizing, nourishing the skin and protecting the face from ultraviolet radiation will help delay the appearance of wrinkles.
To exfoliate old cells, cosmetologists recommend using acids.
Cosmetic products with hyaluronic acid are especially good for moisturizing the skin and preventing wrinkles.
To stimulate the production of collagen and preserve its fibers, you should pay attention to cosmetics with retinol, peptides and antioxidants.
In addition to basic care - creams that protect the skin of the face during the day and restore it at night, you can additionally use serums with 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 products that meet the needs of your skin.
Habits that will help delay the appearance of wrinkles
A few more recommendations will help slow down the formation of wrinkles.
- A dream. To regenerate the skin of the face, it is useful to sleep at least 7 hours a day.
- water. To activate the metabolic processes of the skin, you need to drink enough water - about 2 liters per day.
- Eating. Building healthy, firm, wrinkle-free skin requires a balanced diet high in protein, 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 area, you need to move. Not only any sports activities are suitable, but also walks in the fresh air.
- Relaxation. To prevent the appearance of wrinkles, it is important to learn to relax the facial muscles. A visit to a massage or self-massage salon, as well as psychological practices, will help with this.
- Calm. To prevent premature aging of the skin and the appearance of wrinkles, it is advisable to learn how to deal with stress and allow it as little as possible in your life.
Proper care and lifestyle changes will improve the health and appearance of your facial skin, as well as reduce the number of wrinkles that will appear in the future.
Trust experienced cosmetologists, take care of your appearance, sign up for cosmetic procedures in professional centers with qualified doctors.