Posted on February 17, 2022

As you age, so does your skin. And some everyday habits aren’t helping the situation. The good news is that there are things you can start doing now to improve the health of your skin.

During the aging process, your skin loses elastic fibers and collagen production slows. The loss of elastic fibers causes wrinkles and, without collagen, skin begins to lose its elasticity, causing it to sag, wrinkle or look leathery.

There are some common things we may all be guilty of at one time in our lives that negatively impact the health of our skin. If you’re doing any of these things, consider taking steps to turn things around.

1. Sun exposure and ultraviolet light

There’s no question that UV light causes wrinkles. Sun damage is cumulative and any ultraviolet exposure, including from tanning beds, is damaging to the skin. Also, there’s no such thing as a base tan or a healthy tan. Tanning beds use UVA bulbs and UVA is known to be carcinogenic. Frequent tanning, repeated sunburns and lack of sun protection from the harmful UVA/UVB rays all contribute to premature aging of the skin, deep wrinkling and increased risk of skin cancer.

Treatment: Avoid the sun, use broad spectrum sunscreen consistently, wear protective hats and clothing, and minimize sun exposure, especially during peak UV times from 10 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon.

2. Smoking

Smoking is harmful to your skin and causes rapid aging, particularly with increased facial lines around the mouth called smoker’s lines. Smoking isn’t the only cause of those lines. Sun damage is another culprit.

Treatment: Consider enrolling in a smoking cessation program.

3. Repetitive movements

Repetitive movements with muscle contraction can cause facial wrinkling. These normal facial expressions are often considered signs of a happy life. The crow’s feet on the sides of the eyes and around mouth from smiling, the creases across the forehead and between the brows from expressive talking when people raise their eyebrows, and the bunny lines across the nose. 

Treatment: If these wrinkles are bothersome, you can try to avoid these repetitive movements. Botox in these areas can help, but it can’t reverse wrinkles that have formed.

4. Sleep positions

When you sleep on your side or stomach, the skin can get creased if you end up in the same position each night. Basically, you’re creating facial wrinkles or creases due to external pressure on the skin instead of an internal change in the texture of the skin.

Treatment: Change your sleep position so you avoid pressure on the skin. This may mean sleeping on your back. You could also consider using silk pillowcases, which reduces friction against the skin.

Original article: https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/stop-doing-these-6-things-that-cause-wrinkles