Lifestyle Tips for Wrinkle Prevention and Treatment

Wrinkles are one of the undesirable aesthetic consequences of aging. It is a crease, furrow, ridge that can occur anywhere on the body but is most commonly seen on the face. Aging is not the sole cause. There are other possible causes and contributing factors that can make wrinkling worse in some people or even cause it to arise in early adulthood when it is not expected. It is however somewhat of an inevitability of growing old, whether you get wrinkles in your 30s or as late as your 50s.

Collagen and elastic fibers in the skin give it the ability to stretch and retain moisture along with a host of other benefits that gives skin that ‘young and healthy’ look. These proteins are abundant in the skin during the early years of life but as you get older, the quantity of collagen and elastic decreases. Wrinkles are one of the consequences. While it is not entirely preventable, there are many ways that you can help delay the onset of wrinkles or minimize the severity.

Cure for Wrinkles

These days there are many treatment options for wrinkles. Some can temporarily mask it. Others can to some extent reduce the depth of wrinkles. And many topical applications and specialized treatments can possibly help to delay the development of wrinkles. But there is no cure. Wrinkles cannot be undone once it forms, particularly in an older person. Your dermatologist can best advise you on the treatment choice that will suit your individual case but this does not mean that you should give up responsibility for preventing wrinkles in terms of your lifestyle.

Here are some lifestyle tips that can help. Remember that it will help to prevent wrinkles to some extent. But wrinkles cannot be avoided entirely in the long term. Some of these lifestyle remedies can also help to ease existing wrinkles to some extent. But once again, wrinkles cannot be removed or cured completely. In fact there may also be a genetic component to wrinkle development. Searching for a cure to wrinkles is pointless. In fact some of the fad products that may be seen in ads can do more harm than good.

Stop Cigarette Smoking

The harmful effects of cigarette smoking is well known. But it is not only diseases that can be caused by cigarette smoking. Even wrinkles may develop faster than it normally would if you are a cigarette smoker. The exact reason for this is unclear but it is believed to be a consequence of reduced blood flow to the skin as a result of smoking. There is no minimum number of cigarettes that can be smoked in a day which will not have some of these negative health effects. Similarly trying to take mega doses of vitamins, like vitamin C, is not going to reverse the damage that you do to your body by smoking. Your only option is to kick the habit – completely.

Protect Against the Sun

Exposure to sunlight is the main cause of wrinkles, more so than aging and cigarette smoking. You cannot avoid sunlight but you can avoid overexposure. Sun bathing, spending long hours outdoors and not using sun protection hastens the onset and severity of wrinkles. If you are not going to change your lifestyle, or cannot do so, then you will need adequate sun protection. Sunscreen is one of the options and your sunscreen must offer protection against UVA (ultraviolet A) and UVB (ultraviolet B). Ideally you should also wear clothing that offers UV protection but the best way is to avoid long periods in the sun as much as possible.

Less Time in Tanning Booths

The sun is known to be the single biggest contributor to the development of premature wrinkles but going the artificial route for tanning does not mean that you will be spared the skin damage. The lights used in tanning booths and beds emit ultraviolet light. It is intended to stimulate the melanin-producing skin cells (melanocytes) to deposit more melanin in the skin. This gives a person the darker, more tanned look that they desire.

But just as with sunlight, UV damages the skin and therefore will play a role in wrinkles. Sometimes the damage can be greater than sun exposure. If you have to opt for artificial tanning then try not to do long sessions once in a while. Shorter duration sessions more frequently may be a better option.

Moisturize Skin Regularly

As you get older, your skin loses its ability to retain moisture. It requires more effort on your part to maintain your skin’s moisture content whereas in the earlier years of life you did not have to bother. A good moisturizer can do the trick to some extent. Speak to a dermatologist about a recommended moisturizer. An effective application can help to bulk up the skin slightly and make wrinkles look less prominent. But the focus should be on prevention.

While a moisturizer can prove useful to some degree, sunlight exposure plays a direct role in moisture loss. So do not rely on a moisturizer entirely if you are not using sunscreen, trying to stay out of the sun and quit smoking. Remember that your overall state of hydration can affect the water content in tissues throughout the body – make sure that you drink enough water.

Minimize Facial Expressions

Our facial expressions is one of the ways we communicate as humans and portrays our emotions. Repetitive facial expressions can actually promote the development of fine lines and wrinkles.  This does not mean that you should not smile or frown at all. It is not possible to avoid doing most facial expressions as it often occurs unconsciously. However, you should try avoid repeating the same facial expression excessively if you do so. Frowning all the time, smiling continuously and other facial expressions can contribute to the wrinkles along the skin creases created with these expressions.

Healthier Lifestyle for Healthy Skin

Most people believe that what they do to the surface of the skin will make the cosmetic difference when treating skin defects. This is not necessarily true as some of the defects may lie in the deeper layers of the skin. The appearance and the health of the skin is directly related to your general health. What happens inside is more important than what you do from the outside. General health, and therefore skin health, is dependent on your diet, lifestyle, the medication you use and any diseases you may have. Even adequate sleep and reducing stress levels can be helpful in slowing down wrinkle development.

References:

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174852.php

www.webmd.com/beauty/wrinkles/rm-quiz-aging-skin-wrinkles-1

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