Reasons You're Getting Facial Wrinkles

So you’re getting older, and that, to you, is an acceptable enough reason why you are getting facial wrinkles. The truth, however, is a bit more complicated than that. Sure, wrinkles are an undeniable and inevitable part of the aging process, but some people get facial wrinkles prematurely, and you could be one of them.

It is not uncommon for many men and women to have wrinkles even when they’re still relatively young. A lot of these premature wrinkles can be blamed on a number of things, including:

There seems to be no limit to the damaging things smoking can do to you and wrinkles happen to be one of them. Your blood vessels become narrower when you use nicotine, and makes getting nutrients, oxygen, and blood to the epidermis so much harder.

When a smoker takes a drag, the act of pursing the lips can form lines above the mouth. Cigarette smoke also breaks down collagen and elastin, both of which are instrumental in keeping the skin firm and flexible. The really unfortunate part is that even non-smokers are affected in the form of second-hand smoke.

Sun exposure is good, but too much of it can make you look older than you are. Like cigarette smoke, UV rays damage collagen and elastin. Sunscreen can offer you some measure of protection from those rays, but you have to wear some every single time you go to work or run an errand, not only when you’re spending a day at the beach.

Remember that lip-pursing thing while smoking that causes wrinkles? Well, the same thing happens when you squint into your computer screen, or with just about any movement your face makes like furrowing or raising your brows, or even just smiling. Your facial expressions cause the involved muscles to contract, causing the skin to wrinkle. While you can’t really do much about smiling especially when it’s in your nature to smile often, you can reduce the squinting by getting your eyes checked.

When you lack sleep, your body produces more cortisol, the stress hormone that breaks down collagen and contributes to the formation of wrinkles. Your skin also regenerates while you’re sleeping, so not getting enough of it means your skin is being deprived of that restorative benefit. People coined the phrase, “beauty sleep,” because that’s what it really is.

If you’re in the habit of rubbing your eyes with your hands if they feel irritated, then you are hastening the formation of facial wrinkles. When you rub your eyes, you’re also tugging the very delicate skin around that area, which will cause wrinkles and make your skin sag.

The collagen which helps your skin stay youthful and supple is mostly composed of water, so it’s only right that you hydrate yourself to help replenish it. Fail to do so consistently, and more lines will likely form on your skin. You become prone to cell damage as well if you don’t drink enough water.

You may find this odd, but your sleeping position can contribute to the formation of facial wrinkles. If you’re a side sleeper, then your cheeks and jawline would tend to have more wrinkles because they’re buried into your pillow for a longer time than usual. If you like sleeping facedown, then your wrinkles will be concentrated on your forehead.

A sugar-rich diet can cause wrinkles, mainly because it can break down collagen. The same goes for any kind of high-carb, high-glycemic food. If you can swear off sugar forever, that would be great. However, if you can’t, then you should at least switch to fruits to fend off your cravings for anything sweet and strike soda, ice cream, and all other sugary treats from your diet.

Living in the city has its advantages, but it also has more than its fair share of downsides. One such disadvantage is pollution, which no city-dweller can ever really avoid. Aside from causing the usual health problems, pollution can also make anyone look older. According to recent research, all that smog can accelerate the appearance of wrinkles and age spots.

The best way to avoid getting wrinkles this way, of course, would be to move out of the city. However, if doing so isn’t an option, then you should get an air purifier for your apartment. Houseplants that clean the air would also be great.

The higher your stress levels, the more cortisol your body produces. As stated earlier, cortisol contributes to the formation of wrinkles. Since eliminating stress is next to impossible, the best any of us can do about it is to learn how to manage it better. We can also engage in stress-reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, or regular exercise.

Do you pull on your eye area when applying eyeliner? When applying lipstick, do you stretch your mouth wide open? If the answer to both questions is yes, then you should stop doing both ASAP. Doing either or both when applying makeup can cause more lines to appear on your face. Do your skin a favor and stop tugging on it when applying makeup.

That may sound sexist and undeniably unfair, but research has shown that women tend to get more wrinkles than men. This is because women have fewer sweat glands, and their skin is less oily than men, which means it wrinkles much faster. There’s also the fact that men have more blood vessels around the mouth, which is why they never seem to have wrinkles around that area.

While wrinkles are inevitable, you can still do something to delay their onset. You can still have younger-looking skin by changing some of your habits, or by tweaking your skincare routine a bit. Since your eye typically seems to be the first part to get wrinkles, it would be great if you can keep it nourished and hydrated by using eye cream starting right now.

Updated May, 2020