Wrinkles and Aging Skin
Wrinkles PDF Print E-mail

Wrinkles: A Sign of Age 

iron and wrinkle shirtThere are two categories of wrinkles - fine surface lines and deep furrows.

Fine lines arise due to irregular thickening of the dermis and because of a decrease in the amount of water held by the epidermis. This is mainly caused by sun damage and exposure to environmental toxins such as tobacco smoke.

Furrows are classified as dynamic or static. Dynamic lines appear with movement and activity of facial muscles. Static lines are unchanged with muscle movement and are the result of break down in support beneath skin.  Overtime dynamic lines become static.

Crow's feet around the eyes are due to smiling and activity of the eyelid muscles and worry lines on the forehead are due to contraction of the frontalis muscle when raising the eyebrows.  Frown lines (or the “Mad Eleven”) between the eyebrows are due to contraction of corrugator muscles and procerus muscle when concentrating or when angry.

Wrinkle treatments are in general much more effective for fine lines. Deeper creases generally require more aggressive techniques, such as plastic surgery.

Treatments available for wrinkles include medical treatments (such as vitamin A acid, alpha hydroxy acids, antioxidants, and moisturizer) and cosmetic procedures (such as glycolic acids peels, deep peels, dermabrasion, laser resurfacing, surgical procedures, and Botox).

Wrinkles can show your age, protecting yourself against sun damage will help prevent the signs of aging. 

 
The Wrinkle Cause PDF Print E-mail

The Trifecta Components of a Wrinkle

Wrinkles are a trifecta of three factors:
1. The skin component
2. The underlying muscle component
3. The subcutaneous fat component

Facial Skin
As facial skin ages, it thins out and becomes dry, fragile, and traced with lines. Oxidation and free radicals from the external environment bombard skin’s collagen molecules causing them to lose their elasticity and become rigid.

Collagen is especially vulnerable to aging and environmental damage due to its slow turnover rate. Glycation is a process that occurs when sugar molecules cross-link (bond) with skin's collagen making the collagen more rigid and less elastic. Glycation is directly involved in protein degradation which results in the signs of aging.

Facial Muscles 
Facial muscles are unique as they are the only muscles that attach to bone and skin. All other muscles attach bone to bone, which allows the body movement. Another interesting fact about facial muscles, they are the only muscles that cause wrinkles.  
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