Wrinkle formation
Some people seem to have a natural or genetic predisposition to wrinkle formation. Such people may see fine lines appear in their 20’s and earlier 30’s. Such people may be blessed (or cursed) with a skin that tends to be dry because of genes. Dry skin is more likely to cause wrinkles. However in the majority of cases, wrinkles are caused as a natural process of aging, because of sun exposure and other lifestyle factors, like smoking.
Aging
A person’s age can be dramatically evident in the changes in the skin. As you age, the dermis begins to thin, and the fat cells located underneath the dermis begin to degenerate. The elastic and collagen fibers, which act as a frame work holding the skin surface layers firm and smooth, begin to shrivel and deteriorate. The skin begins to lose its supple quality. To test for suppleness, press your figure at any point on your skin. If the skin spring springs back to the previous position when the finger is removed, then the skin is still supple. However, if it stays in the pressed position and does not spring back, it is beginning to lose its suppleness.
Further, skin that is not supple tends to sag. As the years goes by, the skin loses its ability to retain essential moisture. The glands that are responsible for secreting oil and sweat begin to degenerate, robbing the skin of precious water and lipid emulsions that tend to protect the skin. Soon the skin begins to dry, becomes rough and loses its shine. Besides, as the skin ages, it is less able to undertake self repairs or self rejuvenate. That means that any damage that is caused is less likely to fix itself as easily as it can when you were younger.
Unless you live a completely uneventful life or have never engaged yourself in the joys, sadness, challenges, fears and anxieties that are part of life, you would have spent many hours of your days laughing, crying, worrying, and afraid. These actions cause tiny muscular contractions that may not be so damaging when they are taken in their singularity. However, years of smiling, laughing, worrying and other actions can take their toll on your skin. Frown lines begin to appear between the eyebrows. Crow’s feet are seen at the corners of the eyes, radiating out towards the temples. The area around the mouth can see small lines called laugh lines that can deepen with age. Worsening the problem is gravity which pulls at the skin, leading the formation of jowls around the jaw, and drooping of the eyelids.
Damage from the Sun
People who live in countries where there is a culture of sun worshiping by basking in its rays in the summer months are exposed to much more than the warm glow of sunlight. These people have a higher risk of skin aging. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet solar radiation causes photoageing, and is one of the most important causes of not just ageing skin, but also a variety of potentially dangerous skin cancers.
In fact, exposure to the sun‘s UV radiation accounts for close to 90 percent of cases of premature ageing of the skin. You don’t have to wait till you‘re older to see how exposing your skin to the sun can ruin it. The effect of sun exposure can be seen by the time a person is 20 years old. Both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays can cause wrinkle formation, ageing skin, a range of skin cancers, and lowered immunity.
There can be damage to the collagen fibers that are so important for the skin. Exposure to even small amounts of the sun‘s UV radiation can cause the skin to accumulate elastin. This causes production of metalloproteinase enzymes. Generally, these enzymes help repair tissue that has been damaged by the sun. However, when the rejuvenation and repair procedure has to be done over and over again because the person is constantly in the sun, some of these enzymes can actually end up damaging collagen. Over and over a period of time, the damaged collagen fibers can form into solar scars. When this process continues, wrinkles are formed.
In fact, studies have shown that people who are light complexioned and who are exposed to sunlight for up to 15 minutes everyday, have high levels of Metalloproteinases enzymes for about a week, increasing the chances of degeneration of collagen.
Lifestyle Factors
Besides ageing and sun exposure, there are several other things you can do to block the formation of wrinkles. Primary among these is smoking. Smokers can soon begin to see tiny wrinkles around the lips. These may be caused because of the constant pursing of the lips while smoking. Cigarette smoke and all other types of smoke can produce radicals in the body that can cause damage to cell membranes. They can contribute to wrinkle formation and, eventually, even cancer. Persons who lose excessive weight may also find that fat deposits under the skin melt away because of the weight loss, leaving the skin loose and wrinkly. In such cases, wrinkle treatment may do little to bring back the skin‘s earlier smooth appearance. A person may need to undergo cosmetic surgery to snip away the excessive folds of the skin. Common pollutants in the air can cause depletion of vitamin E. This vitamin is an important anti oxidant, and loss of this vitamin can cause skin damage.