You wake up one morning and while you’re washing your face, you notice something new … is that a new…laugh line?  And… then you wonder… what actually causes wrinkles… can I do something to prevent them or make them look less obvious?

Wrinkles are caused by a combination of factors — some you can control, others you can’t:

As you get older, your skin naturally becomes less elastic and more fragile. Decreased production of natural oils dries your skin and makes it appear more wrinkled.

Fat in the deeper layers of your skin also diminishes. This causes loose, saggy skin and more-pronounced lines and crevices.  Without the supportive connective tissue, your skin loses strength and flexibility. Skin then begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely.  Starting in our early 20’s, most of us gradually produce less collagen and elastin in the skin.  Since these are key components in keeping our “younger looking” skin, our skin becomes thinner, less elastic and fragile.  Unfortunately, this happens to all of us.

Repeated facial movements and expressions, such as squinting or smiling, lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Each time you use a facial muscle, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin. And as skin ages, it loses its flexibility and is no longer able to spring back in place. These smile lines then become permanent features on your face.

Then, there are causes that we do have more control over including:

Ultraviolet radiation, which speeds the natural aging process, is the primary cause of early wrinkling. Exposure to UV light breaks down your skin’s connective tissue — collagen and elastin fibers, which lie in the deeper layer of skin (dermis).

Smoking can accelerate the normal aging process of your skin, contributing to wrinkles. This may be due to changes in the blood supply to your skin.

The good news is there is help for those smile lines and wrinkles.  In fact, filling in wrinkles *is the main reason most of our Bellafill patients have selected a dermal filler.  We’ll tell you more about that in future blog posts so keep following us!