What are wrinkles?
A wrinkle in the common sense of the term is a crease, fold or ridge in an otherwise smooth service, in this case: on skin. Skin wrinkles typically appear as a result of ageing, and its various processes, i.e., glycation “glycation is a process where sugar molecules attach themselves to other molecules, for example proteins and fats,” explains Dr Stefanie Williams, dermatologist and author of Look great, not done! … “One of these affected proteins is collagen, which results in loss of the skin’s elasticity.”
However, there are many factors that contribute to the appearance of wrinkles:
- Habitual facial expressions
- Sun damage
- Poor hydration
- Smoking
- Loss of body mass etc
Development of facial wrinkles is a kind of fibrosis of the skin. It has been suggested that wrinkles develop from incorrect repairs of injured elastic fibres and collagen fibres. Repeated extensions and compressions of the skin cause repeated injuries of extracellular fibres in derma. When our skin goes through the repairing process, some of the broken elastic and collagen fibres are not regenerated nor restored but replaced by altered fibres. It helps to think of the fibres being naturally “tight” like a rubber band – if you extend it over and over, eventually it will lose its shape and elasticity. When an elastic fibre is broken in an extended state, it is sometimes replaced by a “long” collagen fibre. Accumulation of “long” collagen fibres cause the skin to become looser, this is when a fold on the skin appears, but this fold is not necessarily permanent, and can often be caused by sleeping, which we’ll explain more later.
When a “long” collagen fibre is broken in a compressed state, it can be replaced by a “short” collagen fibre. The shorter fibres will restrict the extension of longer fibres (imagine having two rubber bands, one short and one long, place them between two hands and extend them, the shorter one will reach full extension quicker than the longer, thus making it impossible for the longer band to attain full extension), this makes the “long” fibres in a permanent folding state = a wrinkle.
Sleep wrinkles, as mentioned earlier, are created when the face is compressed against a pillow. They appear is predictable places due to the underlying superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) and are usually different to the wrinkles caused by facial expressions. Sleep wrinkles are not always permanent but can become so if habitual sleeping positions are not altered.
UV rays also irreparably damage the skin, as they first penetrate the epidermis and prompt the formation of free radicals (responsible for breaking down collagen) but then they can also penetrate the dermis, this leads to more serious consequences: skin cancer.
Vitamin C can help regenerate skin cells and reduce certain wrinkles so make sure you include lots of it in your diet or take a supplement. Prevention is always better than cure so, finding ways to reduce wrinkles is always the best route to take.
If you feel you would benefit from Botox, get in touch with us and we can chat you through your options.