Why We Get Wrinkles as We Age and How to Slow it Down

A gracefully aging face is beautiful, but we don’t blame you for wanting to slow down the aging process. As we age, every part of our body is affected, from our physical form to our brains. With experience, wisdom, and accomplishments, we tend to notice our outward change first.

How Our Face Ages

Hundreds of changes collect on your face as the years go back; some are likely familiar:

• Our ears get longer because our cartilage never stops growing.
• Our noses may droop or expand because our nasal cartilage weakens.
• Our foreheads expand backward because our hairlines retreat.

Your face is also structurally different than it was when we were younger. Our face contained fat that was evenly distributed across our temples, cheeks, eyes, mouth, and forehead. As we age, that fat starts to lose volume and shifts downwards in clumps, forming wrinkles.

The best retinoids for wrinkles can help slightly with bagginess around the chin, but it’s more suited for deep forehead and eyebrow wrinkles, as well as laugh lines. From constant tugging, your facial muscles may eventually start to crease and begin to fold due to sun damage.

How to Slow an Aging Face

Age-related changes in our faces are unavoidable. Not everyone gets to live a long life and witness age appears on their bodies. Although age can reflect the joy and challenges of life for some, it’s not the same for others. Most of us would rather postpone the inevitable.

Face-lifts, creams, and surgeries have improved over the years, and the results are much more natural. However, surgery isn’t accessible to everyone. There are many alternatives to popular cosmetic procedures that won’t cost an arm and a leg, including non-invasive treatments.

To slow down the aging process, try the following:

Use Anti-Aging Products

There are several wrinkle-fighting products that work, thanks to their dermatologist-tested ingredients. Retinoids, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, E, peptides, glycolic acid, lactic acids, and ceramides will reduce inflammation, stimulate collagen production, and trap moisture in the skin.

Moisturize

Speaking of trapping moisture in the skin, moisturizers are perfect at doing just that. Moisturizers can make your skin look more youthful by reducing the appearance of fine lines and minimizing the damage created by sun damage, dry skin, acne scars, or rashes.

Wear Sunscreen

You can blame most of the wrinkles, fine lines, and sunspots on your skin on the sun. While the sun is great for you and your skin in moderation, it’s healthier for you to wear a minimum SPF of 30 when you go outside. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours or immediately after sweating.

Wash Your Face

Wash your face when you wake up and before you go to bed, as doing so will remove any excess dirt, bacteria, and oils from your skin. Never use harsh soaps or cleansers. Instead, use lukewarm water and a gentle, preferably oil-based cleanser to wash away imperfections.

Exfoliate

From improving circulation to removing dead skin cells, exfoliation provides a number of benefits for your skin. You can use brushes, facial scrubs, washcloths, or skin peels to give your skin a more seamless, toned look. Stick to gentler exfoliation methods if you have dry skin.

Get Some Sleep

When you sleep, your body starts to heal. While in REM, your immune system is energized, muscle growth and tissue repair occur, and your hormone levels become balanced. All of these things lend themselves to your skin being able to heal from the daily wear and tear.

Don’t Drink or Smoke

While it’s true that a glass of wine a day won’t kill you, it’s better if you just avoid it in general, same with smoking. Both substances cause your skin to age prematurely. Habitual smokers and drinkers develop more fine lines, droopy skin, wrinkles, and shallow complexions than average.