5 Surprising Causes of Wrinkles and How to Fix Them

Did you know that your love affair with your smartphone, your urban lifestyle, and even your sweet indulgences could be causing your wrinkles? Here are five surprising things that can lead to wrinkles and how you can fix them.

Sugar

The Cause: If you’re guilty of eating too much sugar, you’re more than likely going to have wrinkles. How does this happen? When you eat sugar, it enters the bloodstream and binds to a protein, creating a by-product called Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). AGEs damage collagen and diminish skin’s integrity, leading to sagging tissue and wrinkles.

The Fix: Refined sugar found in most processed foods is a definite no-no and should be consumed in moderation, but you should also keep an eye on high-glycemic foods, such as strawberries, melons, bananas, and white breads and pastas. Instead, try low-glycemic foods like apples, blueberries, cranberries, and whole grain breads and pastas to get your daily nutrition. To reverse the effects of sugar on collagen levels, enhance your skin care routine by adding creams and serums that contain powerful ingredients like advanced stem cell technology and retinol.

Smog

The Cause: Air pollution is a common cause of skin aging. In fact, chemicals found in smog cause reactive oxygen species and free radicals that are like those caused by sunlight (the usual aging culprit). As these industrial particles settle into your skin, they affect its luster and can lead to dark spots and wrinkles.

The Fix: Cleansing your skin the moment you get home is the first step to fighting the wrinkling effects of those pollution particles. The second step is to fortify your skin each morning by using an antioxidant-rich skin cream.

Your Sleep Position

The Cause: Sleeping on your side or stomach with your face pushed into a cotton pillowcase increases pressure on the skin. This constant pressure can lead to collagen breakdown and wrinkles.

The Fix: Never skip your night cream (even better if it contains retinol to promote collagen production) and try to alternate your sleep positions. If you can’t change your sleeping habits, swap out your cotton case for a silk or satin pillowcase.

Tech Neck

The Cause: Tech neck is trending—and that’s not a good thing. After staring down at your laptop and smartphone all day, skin laxity and wrinkling at the neckline is a real risk, particularly because the skin on the neck is thinner.

The Fix: The most effective fix for tech neck is simply prevention. Surgical cosmetic enhancement options and firming creams may be an option, but holding your smartphone or placing your laptop at a higher level (so you’re not always looking down) is the best way to keep the skin on your neck from sagging and wrinkling.

Stress

The Cause: When you’re feeling stressed and anxious, your cortisol levels increase. This hormone causes inflammation and negatively affects tissues that maintain the skin’s elasticity and tightness over time.

The Fix: Try to make time to decompress and relax. Schedule in a regular yoga session, try meditation, or simply end your day by setting aside a quiet hour to read a book or enjoy a cup of herbal tea. Better yet, add a firming face mask to your relaxation routine to really cut stress and minimize wrinkles.

If All Else Fails…

To help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, you may want to consider a non-surgical, radio frequency-based wrinkle reduction treatment, which works to promote collagen production and elastin fibers by delivering uniform heat below the skin’s surface. The result is noticeably smoother skin after just a few quick, painless treatments with no downtime.

To discover more about non-surgical wrinkle reduction treatments, consult a certified treatment provider in your area by entering your details into the search field below: