We may not welcome them, but wrinkles are inevitable. In fact, we’d look pretty weird without them. The problem is that, with so many anti-aging creams on the market, all with promising results, it’s all too easy to fall into the dream that, with just one application, you’ve said goodbye to wrinkles. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and a growing number of experts believe that we are too confused by the hype to know what is best for our skin.
According to dermatology specialists, you don’t have to pay a fortune for good anti-aging skin care. Choose products you can afford and understand. There is a huge amount of confusion about skincare and outrageous prices are being charged for creams that lack vital ingredients like sunscreens to no avail. The big question is, will any cream ever erase the lines as well as Botox? Dermatologists say there are no miracles in a jar. However, cosmeceuticals, cosmetics that have advanced medical effects, contain active ingredients that can make a significant difference to your skin and can help lay a good foundation for your beauty future.
According to dermatology experts, if you’re worried about wrinkles, you need to take skincare seriously, use the right creams for you, and most importantly, give them time to work. A careless approach means you are wasting your time. Lines and wrinkles can only be smoothed out with conscientious care and a daily ritual. Another classic mistake is smearing skin care products liberally. Don’t overdo it.
A pea-sized drop of cream can be enough for your face without clogging your pores. Get ready to experiment with new formulas as your skin changes.
What causes the skin to wrinkle?
Our skin is divided into three layers. The deepest is a layer of subcutaneous tissue, to which the entire structure of the skin is attached. The middle layer is the dermis, where cells called fibroblasts produce collagen fibers, supportive proteins that help keep skin smooth and elastic. Above this is the top layer, or epidermis. Here, the mast cells gradually divide and migrate to the surface of the skin. These are surrounded by natural compounds called epidermal lipids (or fats), including ceramide, which forms a “glue” that holds cells firmly in place, like cement in a brick wall.
Collagen bundles in the dermis work like springs in a mattress to support the skin’s surface. But when collagen is damaged, channels open between the bundles, the upper layers of tissue collapse into these channels, and lines, wrinkles, or folds can develop. By the time you see a wrinkle, the underlying skin will have already lost collagen and elastin, its recovery factor. Collagen is damaged by various factors. Some are unavoidable (such as aging) and others can be reduced, if not prevented.
What are the main culprits and what can you do about it?
CAUSE: The environment
EFFECT: Brow and eye creases, fine lines that fan out over the cheekbones, rings and crosses on the back of the neck.
New research from The British Skin Foundation has found that 80 per cent of us don’t always wear sunscreen abroad, let alone on a sunny day in the UK. The sun damages DNA so that cells cannot replicate properly. If that cellular blueprint is altered in any way, it can lead to skin blemishes, lines, and wrinkles. At the same time, UV rays stimulate enzymes known as MMPs, which help clean up old collagen, but can become so aggressive that they destroy fresh collagen as well.
Smoking in the sun is especially bad news. Even secondhand smoke is harmful to the skin. Exhaled smoke contains significant levels of nicotine, tar, nitric oxide, and carbon monoxide, which disrupt and weaken the skin barrier, leading to collagen breakdown. Smoking causes blood vessels to constrict, limiting the amount of oxygen that reaches the skin. This lack of oxygen reduces the production of collagen and elastin. Smoking stimulates MMPs to break down collagen, just like the sun does.
CAUSE: Facial expressions, stress.
EFFECT: Frown lines, crow’s feet, expression lines
Expression lines equal to character. Even Hollywood directors have begun to complain that Botox has robbed the faces of some stars of real emotion. While channeling angst can help divas win an Oscar, it doesn’t do their skin any favors in real life. Stress triggers corrosive hormones, including ‘killer’ cortisols that not only hamper immunity, but also increase moisture loss, leaving skin drier and more prone to lines. Tight muscles in the neck, shoulders and jaw, where many of us bear our stress, limit the supply of blood and oxygen to the skin on the face. But a frown is the most obvious sign of stress. Constantly wrinkling the skin when frowning causes microtears (minute stress tears). The side effect is inflammation, which damages collagen and makes the skin look less smooth.
However, it’s not just expression lines that are driven by stress. When the skin is constantly moving, like around the eyes and mouth, wrinkles are inevitable. So what about damage limitation? Invest in sunglasses. Wraparound frames with wide sides provide excellent UV protection and can save a fortune on Botox!
CAUSE: Aging
EFFECT: Creepy skin, deeper eye wrinkles, nose-to-mouth lines, marionette lines (mouth to chin), lip lines, neck rings
Good skin is in your genes, but even if you’re one of the lucky ones, don’t take it for granted. After all, hereditary aging may only account for 20 percent of total skin aging. This intensifies in our mid-thirties, when protein levels in our skin begin to decline by a steady one percent each year. Later, the drop in estrogen after menopause more than doubles the rate at which protein declines: We lose a staggering 30 percent of collagen protein in the first five years, resulting in a two percent loss of body fat. skin thickness.
In addition to losing collagen, the skin also loses volume because cell division slows down with age. This is because the stem cells can no longer divide and replicate accurately and become inactive. New research shows that one of the latest high-tech ingredients in skin creams, polypeptides, mimic growth factors in the skin to awaken dormant stem cells and encourage fibroblasts to produce more collagen. Although the results look promising in the test tube, the use of growth factor peptides in anti-aging creams remains controversial.
Meanwhile, vitamin A-derived retinoids remain the only ingredient clinically proven to stimulate both collagen and hydrating hyaluronic acid. This was confirmed by research at the University of Michigan Medical School earlier this year. Some peptides can help smooth out fine surface lines in a couple of weeks. But you need retinoids for long-term cell growth and real anti-aging benefits. Like vitamin C, you also need to use them throughout the day for up to two months before you see results, but the wait is worth it.