What Causes Wrinkles in Your Face?

The Face

As collagen and elastin production slows with age, the skin begins to sag and follow the pull of gravity. The decrease in moisture in the skin, coupled with exposure to the sun and wind, pollution and poor diet, combine to create wrinkles in your face. Rapid weight loss causes wrinkles, when fat is depleted from the face. Areas that were plump with fat tend to contract and form wrinkles. Genetics play a large role in the development of wrinkles in the face. Family members often are recognizable by the placement and extent of their wrinkles Thick skin tends to remain wrinkle-free longer, while thin skin is more prone to wrinkling, as gravity and aging continue. Finally, lifestyle plays a huge role in the development of wrinkles. While genetics may provide you with a disposition to wrinkling, lifestyle choices that include sun exposure, smoking and alcohol and drug abuse determine the extent and severity of the wrinkles.

The Mouth

Wrinkles around the mouth can range from small vertical lines above the upper lip to drooping lines on the sides of the mouth. Skin around the lips is thin and more sensitive to gravity and external environmental damage than the forehead or cheeks. Repeated habits such as smoking, excessive drinking from a water bottle and whistling can create wrinkles over time. Women who wear lipstick regularly are at risk for lip wrinkles, because of exposure to the wax in lipsticks that allows the color to adhere to the surface. The petroleum base in the cosmetics draws out the skin's natural moisturizers, and the skin eventually comes to rely on the artificial moisturizer and stops producing its own internal fluids. Tooth loss can cause wrinkles around the lips, when the jaw and surrounding muscles contract around the drawn shape of the face. Missing teeth can cause the skin to collapse around the hole and create wrinkles. Deteriorating bone from gum disease can create less support for the lips and end up causing wrinkles.

The Eyes

Crow's feet, those dreaded wrinkles beside the eyes, and under-eye wrinkles are the two most common types of wrinkles that develop around the eyes. Like the lips, the skin around the eyes is more sensitive to the decrease in moisture in the face and the environmental factors of sun and pollution. Repeated facial expressions that include smiling and laughing are culprits behind excessive wrinkles around the eyes. Blinking and squinting are facial movements that tend to become habitual and eventually cause deeper wrinkles than might occur through the natural aging process.

Resources

• National Institutes of Health study on botox