What are Wrinkles?
A wrinkle is a natural crease or line formed in healthy skin, resulting from the skin’s loss of firmness and elasticity over time. The most common areas wrinkles form are on sun-exposed skin like the face, neck, hands and forearms. However much you want to roll back time, the aging of our skin starts as soon as we are born – or even earlier!
Over time, the dermis loses both collagen and elastin, so skin gets thinner and has trouble getting enough moisture to the epidermis. The fat in the subcutaneous layer that gives skin a plump appearance also begins to disappear, the epidermis starts to sag, and wrinkles form.
Although you might think wrinkles are just inherited, there are additional contributors to the changes within our skin as we age. Sun exposure, smoking, repetitive facial expressions, and other lifestyle factors can all contribute to wrinkle formation. While wrinkles are a natural part of aging, their severity and onset can be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
It’s natural to wrinkle more as you age. Skin cells divide more slowly, and the inner layer of skin (the dermis) thins. Proteins in your skin start to break down. This includes collagen, which supports its outer structure, and elastin, which makes it stretchy.