A Simple Guide To Wrinkles

Since the skin is among the most visible features of the body and your complexion is one of the first things other people will notice when meeting you, it’s only natural to want to maintain its attractiveness and health. The quality of our skin has an impact on our confidence and self-esteem. Since the number of wrinkles that we have is one of the factors that gives away our age, people from around the world tend to invest in skin care products and treatments that promise to reduce these tell-tale lines. Are you frustrated with these signs of aging and thinking of trying out BOTOX®? Madison, WI’s Radiance Skin Therapy & Laser Center team believes that it’s helpful for patients to be knowledgeable on how wrinkles are formed before having their first injectable treatment.

First of all, the question you might be asking is what are wrinkles really and why do they occur? It’s normal for lines to appear due to aging, but there are also many other environmental forces and daily habits that can worsen them. The deep layer in the skin called the dermis loses a large amount of collagen and elastin over time. These are the elements that create the supporting and flexible structure of the skin. Also over time, the top layer of skin becomes thinner and is more easily damaged.  

Wrinkles are also likely to form on sun-exposed areas like the neck, the forearms, and the backs of the hands. Some of these lines may be smaller and more superficial, while others may form deep depressions.

Here is a quick look at the main types of wrinkles that form:

Dynamic Wrinkles

Dynamic wrinkles are usually the earliest stage of wrinkles that people notice during their 20s and 30s. They occur on places where the skin naturally creases up as a result of the contractions of the underlying facial muscles, which cause the skin on the surface to bunch together. We use our face to convey emotions while communicating with others while speaking and making facial expressions, while eating, and during other day-to-day activities.

It’s impossible to keep our faces perfectly still, but all of these repeated movements cause the collagen to break down at a faster rate. Eventually, the skin can no longer bounce back to its smooth resting state and these lines deepen.

Dynamic wrinkles are visible while your face is in motion. Examples of these include the dynamic expression wrinkles from facial expressions such as crow’s feet, frown lines, bunny lines (indentations at the sides of the nose when you scrunch it up), and vertical “11s” between the brows. They usually occur in the upper third of the face in areas where the skin is thin and the muscles are in use a lot, such as around the eyes, but they may also form above the upper lip.

Static Wrinkles

The other major category of facial wrinkles is known as static wrinkles. These lines are caused by anything other than muscle activity. Common contributors include sun damage, gravity, smoking, dehydration, air pollution, intrinsic aging, genetics, some medications, stress, poor nutrition, and pressure on the skin.

Static wrinkles and folds usually occur on the center and lower area of the face at a later stage in life than dynamic wrinkles, when those dynamic wrinkles become permanent or the fat moves down and the skin becomes deflated. Examples of static wrinkles include:

·         Permanent Elastotic Creases: Deep lines that form due to sun exposure on areas such as the cheeks, lips, and base of the neck

·         Atrophic Wrinkles: Crinkles that are parallel to each other on the forehead and are linked to a breakdown of collagen from causes other than sun damage

·         Gravitational Folds: Areas of sagging skin due to the force of gravity such as nasolabial folds

·         Compression Wrinkles: Wrinkles that occur from placing pressure against your skin on a pillow or blanket while sleeping  

If you’re interested in learning more about signs of aging from Radiance Skin Therapy & Laser Center, get in touch with the office to learn more about how injectable treatments can help you enhance your skin. Call them at (608) 240-0088, or fill out a contact form to write to them and ask about the risks and benefits of BOTOX®.