Women tend to start worrying about signs of aging at age 26. In fact, 28% of women under the age of 25 admit they regularly worry about signs of aging. About 52% of women between ages 25 and 34 and 54% of women between 35 and 44 are worried, too.
Are you stressing out over signs of aging such as wrinkles as well? What causes wrinkles and what can you to do keep your skin smooth.
Keep reading to find out! In this guide, we’ll review the top 10 causes of skin wrinkles along with a few tips for smoother skin. Read on to learn more!
1. The Sun
One of the main reasons we develop skin wrinkles is because of prolonged sun exposure. First, UVA rays penetrate the skin’s deeper layers. Then, UVB rays (which cause sunburn) contribute to wrinkles. Together, both can cause premature aging.
Too much sun exposure can cause you to lose collagen and elastin. Both help keep your skin looking firm and young.
Try to protect your skin from the sun as much as possible. For example, it helps to wear at least an SPF 30 each day. Don’t head outside without lathering up first!
Make sure to reapply your sunscreen regularly, too, especially after water exposure.
You can also protect your skin from chronic sun damage by wearing a hat outside. If you’re prone to sunburns, there are a few foods that can improve your skin, including:
- Red wine (which is full of flavonoids)
- Pomegranates (which prevent oxidative stress and cell damage)
- Salmon (which contain omega-3 fatty acids)
- Olive oil (which contains squalane for protecting skin lipids)
- Strawberries (which contain vitamin C for fighting free radicals)
- Avocados (which contain vitamin E for skin protection)
- Sweet potatoes (which contains beta-carotene for building antioxidants)
Adding these foods to your diet can help prevent sunburn and keep your skin from wrinkling.
2. Sleep Deprivation
Your body needs seven to nine hours of sleep to heal after a long day. In addition to helping you feel refreshed and ready for a new day, sleep can also keep your skin smooth.
When you don’t sleep enough, your skin’s pH levels become altered. As a result, your skin will have a difficult time remaining hydration. Sleep and hydration help flush harmful toxins from your body.
In order to get the sleep you need, first, make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable. Adjust your bedroom’s temperature too.
Otherwise, try to turn off electronics before bed. Instead, try meditating, yoga, or reading before bed. Exercising daily can help exhaust you before bed, too.
3. Your Diet
You are what you eat! Removing sugar, carbs, and soda from your diet might help reduce skin wrinkles.
When you consume sugar, it completes a process called glycation. This involves binding proteins throughout your body, including collagen and elastin. As a result, sugar is capable of weakening the collagen and elastin in your skin, thereby causing wrinkles.
In fact, glycation also creates toxic products that can contribute to premature aging.
Try switching to a keto diet or cutting sugar out for two weeks.
4. Dry Skin
Leaving your skin dry and unattended can also cause it to form wrinkles. If you live in a dry environment, make sure to moisturize twice a day. A nourishing under-eye cream can also help keep fine lines from forming.
You can explore these six skin-saving strategies for more ways to prevent wrinkles!
5. Stress
If you’re trying to determine what causes wrinkles, take a look at your daily schedule. What’s causing your stress levels to rise?
Stress increases the hormone called cortisol in the body, which can impact you mentally and physically. In fact, too much cortisol can also impact your body’s ability to retain moisture. Remember, your need to stay hydrated to remove harmful toxins from the body.
Stress can also elevate your blood sugar level, which could damage collagen and elastin. Both keep your body from developing wrinkles and sagging.
Try to look for ways to reduce stress. For example, you can try adult coloring books or exercise. Meditation, yoga, and acupuncture can help ease your cortisol levels, too.
6. Air Pollution
Do you live in a heavily populated city? It’s possible the air outside could contribute to wrinkles and fine lines, too. In fact, pollution often causes free radical damage, which can lead to wrinkles.
One study found that women who live in urban areas have more age spots and wrinkles than those living in rural areas.
In order to keep air pollution from harming your skin, make sure to wash your face each night. A good cleanser can remove pollution particles and keep your skin refreshed.
7. Aging
Collagen makes up about 80% of your skin. As you get older, however, your body will start to naturally reduce collagen production. In fact, you’ll lose about 1% each year after you turn 20.
8. Squinting
Why do we get wrinkles? One common contributor to skin wrinkles is repeat motions. Facial expressions like squinting cause our muscles to contract. The more often we use these muscles, the stronger they become.
However, these movements also squeeze skin cells, which cause wrinkles to form. If you squint a lot, you could even deepen the wrinkles you already have. Facial expressions can even cause us to lose skin elasticity.
If you’re squinting often, visit your optometrist to improve your prescription.
9. Straws
Remember, repeat motions can cause wrinkles to form. When you sip liquid through a straw, you’re causing the muscles around your lips to contract. Repeating this movement over time will cause those wrinkles to deepen.
Ditch the straws to keep the wrinkles around your lips from becoming more apparent.
10. Smoking
Like sipping from a straw, smoking causes you to repeat facial expressions, which can contribute to wrinkles. The toxins from cigarettes can also age your skin.
Nicotine narrows your skin’s blood vessels. As a result, vital nutrients will fail to reach the epidermis. Quit smoking and watch the difference it makes for your skin!
What Causes Wrinkles?: Your Guide to Smoother Skin
Now that you know what causes wrinkles, it’s time to make a change! Cut out the bad habits and start taking care of your skin. With these tips, you can discover smoother skin with ease. Searching for more ways to improve your skin? Explore the Skincare section fo the blog for more helpful tips!