Physiology of Wrinkles
Developing wrinkles is a factor of life as you age. In some cases wrinkles start becoming visible in your 20s in the form of fine lines, progressing as you age, and the severity can be based on a number of factors. Learn why wrinkles develop, how they affect the skin and what factors can increase the number of wrinkles you have.
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Skin Layers
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Wrinkles are not only formed by the surface layer of skin. Instead they are formed by all three layers that compose the skin: the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous layers.
Categories
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Two types of wrinkles can develop on the skin: fine surface lines and deep furrows. Both can be caused by normal facial expressions that are repetitive in nature. However, fine lines can result because of other factors.
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Aging
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As you age, skin cells age and change as well. Eventually they become thinner, drier and unable to repair as quickly. Also, the amount of fat stored underneath the layers of the epidermis decreases, causing normally smooth skin to reshape and form fine lines and wrinkles.
Collagen
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Associated with aging, decreased levels of collagen cause the skin to become less elastic and lose strength. The dermis slowly loses its ability to "bounce back" -- similar to when a rubber band becomes overstretched.
Increased Risk
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Even though wrinkles will inevitably appear as you age, several factors increase their development, including sun exposure, smoking, heredity and skin type. Out of all the factors, sun damage is the greatest cause for development of wrinkles and premature aging.
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