Why do our faces age and how can we slow the process?

As we get older we experience many changes in how our bodies look and feel. To many aging is a scary process and no one enjoys getting older. Aging is nothing to be ashamed of, but it doesn’t mean you can’t desire to slow the process. There are many tips and tricks to slow aging and make wrinkles disappear. Despite all of the suggestions you hear there is no one solution, but there are some things you can do to slow the formation of wrinkles.

How do our faces age?

Many things happen to make our faces develop wrinkles and our skin changes. Many of these changes are obvious, and some are more subtle. When you get older your forehead may grow if your hairline recedes. Your ears get longer from cartilage. Some people’s noses may droop due to weakening nasal cartilage. In our youth, fat is distributed evenly on our faces. As we get older our facial fat shifts and clumps in different places. Some parts of our faces sag as fat moves to other parts of the face. Some people have fat that sits around the chin and neck which is when jowls form. 

Wrinkles form due to a few reasons. Deep wrinkles on your forehead are from making expressions. Some wrinkles form because of facial fat moving. Other wrinkles are formed from sun damage, smoking, and natural aging. Wrinkles are not completely preventable. Many people dislike their wrinkles, and there of course are procedures available. Facial aging will happen to everyone, but slowing the process and keeping your skin healthy can be really beneficial long term. [1]

How to prevent wrinkles?

There are some ways to help prevent wrinkles from occurring that don’t include botox or surgery. A few ways to prevent wrinkles from occurring prematurely include:

• Using sunscreen of at least SPF 30 every day will protect your skin from sun damage. Sun damage ages your skin and causes wrinkles. Sunscreen and wearing hats can help minimize sun damage.
• Retinoids are great for increasing collagen that plumps your skin. Retinoid creams can be found at any pharmacy or skincare store. This cream should be used daily.
• Moisturizing every day helps to hydrate your skin. Dry skin is more prone to wrinkles.
• Drinking water and staying hydrated are also helpful for keeping your skin healthy.
• Getting your vitamins is also important. Foods with anti-inflammatory properties can help prevent wrinkles.
• Never smoke. Smoking damages your skin and causes wrinkles.

You are in control of some aspects of aging and getting wrinkles. There are simple steps that you can take to minimize the number of wrinkles you get. A healthy lifestyle can go a long way for the way your body looks and feels. [2]

What procedures minimize wrinkles?

There are many surgeries and procedures out there to erase wrinkles and make you look younger. A face-lift is a common cosmetic surgery to reverse wrinkles and sagging skin. This surgery is done by pulling back the skin on each side of the face. Excess skin is taken away and it gives the effect of having a tighter and younger-looking face. This procedure can minimize sagging cheeks, excess skin at the jaw, and wrinkles. [3]

Some other ways to minimize wrinkles besides a face-lift include:

• Injection of neuromodulators such as botox. These injections freeze muscles in your face that cause wrinkles.
• Hyaluronic acid injection is more commonly known as filler. This injection literally fills in deep wrinkles.
• Microneedling is a procedure where a few small needles create small wounds on the face. This promotes new collagen to form.
• Chemical peels are used to erase blemishes and new skin heals in place of the blemish.

There are many different procedures to try to minimize wrinkles. It is important that you trust your doctor, do your research, and look at all of the options before you decide on a procedure. No procedure will make your skin perfect, but many procedures can improve areas of your face you are insecure about. [4]

Sources:

1 https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-your-face-ages-and-wh...

2 https://www.healthline.com/health/skin/how-to-prevent-wrinkles#dont-smoke

3 https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/face-lift/about/pac-20394059

4 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/8411-treatments-to-redu...