Wrinkles : Symptoms, Prevention, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and General Care of Wrinkles

Wrinkles are folds in our skin caused by the underlying muscles contracting.

Wrinkles are found primarily on the parts of the body where sun exposure is greatest. These areas especially include the face, neck, the backs of the hands, and the tops of the forearms.

Wind, heat and chemicals and the natural effects of aging cause a certain amount of wrinkling in everyone, but it is much worse in people who spend a lot of time in the sun. Years of exposure to the sun cause "photo aging," which includes freckles, yellowing, roughness, visible blood vessels, and dark spots, as well as wrinkling.

Wrinkles can be divided into two categories; fine, surface lines and deep furrows. Wrinkle treatments are in general much more effective for fine lines. Deeper creases may require more aggressive techniques, such as plastic surgery.

Wrinkles are found primarily on the parts of the body where sun exposure is greatest. These areas especially include the face, neck, the backs of the hands, and the tops of the forearms.

In addition to sun exposure, smoking may contribute to the formation of wrinkles. Finally, it is believed that some wrinkling is predetermined genetically from one's parents.

Symptoms of Wrinkles

Symptoms of wrinkles include:

Deeply formed lines and fine

Crinkling crosshatch marks

Skin that is wrinkled may also have a tough, leathery appearance if the person has had a lot of exposure to the sun.

Prevention of Wrinkles

Following these tips can prevent wrinkles:

Never use a sunlamp or tanning bed or lie in the sun to get a tan.

Wear a sunscreen on your face and hands every day. Different types of moisturizing creams are available that contains sunscreen

Use sunscreens that block out both UVA and UVB radiation. However, do not rely on them only for sun protection. Also wear protective clothing and sunglasses. The sun can cause damage even on cloudy and winter days, especially between 10 AM and 3 PM.

Reapply sunscreen after swimming, perspiring heavily, or toweling off.

Avoid spending too much time in the direct sun, especially during the hours when the sun's rays are harshest.

Don't go to the tanning salon. The UV light from tanning booths is just as damaging as the sun's - and sometimes worse.

Do not smoke because smoking also causes wrinkles.

Drink water.

Moisturize dry skin, especially during months when the air is drier.

Avoid exposure particularly during the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM when sunlight pours down 80% of its daily UV dose.

Avoid reflective surfaces, such as water, sand, concrete, and white-painted areas.

The higher the altitude the quicker one sunburns. (One study suggested, for example, that an average complexion burns at six minutes at 11,000 feet at noon compared to 25 minutes at sea level in a temperate climate.)

Avoid sun lamps, and tanning beds or salons. They provide mostly high-output UVA rays. Some experts believe that 15 to 30 minutes at a tanning salon is as dangerous as a day spent in the sun.

Causes of Wrinkles

Aging is also one of the main causes of skin aging. Years of sun exposure cause the supporting structures of the skin, primarily the collagen and elastin, to weaken and break down. In addition, as a person ages, the sweat and oil glands of the skin become less numerous and smaller in size. This causes the skin to lose moisture and to dry out. Dry skin with weak collagen and elastin will sag, shrivel, and wrinkle. The skin around the eyelids, jaw, and neck is especially thin, and therefore more naturally prone to aging.

Other causes include the following:

Loss of elasticity with age

Sun damage

Repeated facial movements, such as frowning

Natural effects of gravity, which cause sagging of the skin as a person ages

Smoking

Skin type (people with light-colored skin and blue eyes are more susceptible to sun damage)

Some people get wrinkles due to hereditary factors.

Hairstyle (depending on how much skin is covered by hair and protected from the sun)

Occupational and recreational sun exposure over the course of many years

Diagnosis of Wrinkles

Your doctor may ask detailed questions about your wrinkles, such as:

When did you first notice that the skin was abnormally wrinkled?

Has it changed in any manner?

Has a skin spot become painful or does it bleed?

What other symptoms are occurring at the same time?

A detailed examination of the skin will be performed. If wrinkles are accompanied by a skin lesion that has changed in appearance, diagnostic tests may include a skin lesion biopsy

Treatment of Wrinkles

If you are considering treatment for your wrinkles, ask your doctor which procedure is right for you. There are numerous over-the-counter treatment options for wrinkles, including various creams and lotions.

Botox collagen and other injections are the additional techniques available to help minimize wrinkles.

Topical creams and ointments, such as tretinoin or alphahydroxyl acids (AHAs), which peel off top layers of skin

Chemical peels to remove wrinkled layers, such as the application of lactic, glycolic, or salicylic acids

Other treatment options include:

Dermabrasion, a procedure that sands away the top layers of skin

injection of substances such as fat or collagen, which is a gelatin-like substance, under the skin .It is one of the traditional methods used in skin resurfacing.

Laser skin resurfacing with an ablative laser (such as an erbium or carbon dioxide laser) is another technique that, like dermabrasion and deeper chemical peels, may require some downtime during the healing process.

Other lasers, known as non-ablative lasers, may also be beneficial in treating wrinkles. These lasers work by heating the dermis and stimulating collagen growth. This process, which leaves the outer layers of skin intact, has no downtime associated with it.

Botulinum toxin- this is used for wrinkles between the eyebrows and around the eyes. The toxin is injected into the muscle that caused the wrinkle. It paralyzes the muscle, so that the wrinkles gradually disappear when the muscle isn't used.

Risk Factors of Wrinkles

People at highest risk for wrinkles include:

Fair-skinned people

People who spend a lot of time in the sun

People who have family members with a lot of wrinkles

General Care of Wrinkles

Wearing sun-protective clothing is extremely important and protects even better than sunscreens.

Wear hats with wide brims.

Wash your face with a mild non-soap cleanser

A diet with plenty of whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables,

The best long-term prevention for wrinkled skin is a healthy lifestyle with daily exercise to keep circulation moving

Reduce Stress. Reducing stress and tension may have benefits on the skin.

Wash the face with a mild soap that contains moisturizers. Alkaline soaps, especially with deodorant, should be avoided.

Avoid drinking alcohol within three hours of bedtime. Alcohol increases the risk for leaks in the capillaries, which allows more water in and causes sagging and puffiness.

Lie on the back when sleeping. This helps offset the effects of gravity.

Call the Doctor

Call the doctor if:

A spot on the skin has more than one color, has an irregular shape, or is raised.

You notice any new or changing pigmented lesions

If you think that your skin is becoming excessively wrinkled at an early age.