Wrinkles are creases or folds in your skin that are often associated with aging. As you get older, your skin cells divide more slowly, leading to thin skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, dry skin, thinning skin and loss of skin elasticity occur as you age and lead to wrinkles and creases in your skin. Other factors can also speed up the aging process and cause premature wrinkling of your skin or early aging. Environmental factors like the sun and pollutants can cause early aging.
Sun Exposure
According to the Cleveland Clinic, excessive sun exposure causes signs of premature aging, like wrinkles in your skin. Collagen and elastin are proteins found in your skin that keep it smooth, elastic and free of wrinkles. Sunlight damages collagen and elastin. Low levels of these two proteins in your skin cause wrinkles and other signs of early aging. Furthermore, the sun induces your skin to produce free radicals which can attack and destroy your skin cells, including collagen forming cells. This also causes wrinkles to form in your skin. To prevent sun induced wrinkles, avoid overly exposing your skin to sunlight and use sunscreen every time you go out.
Smoking
When you smoke, your aging process begins early, leading to creases and folds or wrinkles in your skin. Smoking constricts your blood vessels, reducing blood flow to your skin. Your skin wrinkles when its cells are deprived of the nutrients and oxygen supplied by blood. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the chemicals in tobacco smoke also damage the collagen and elastin in your skin, resulting in early development of wrinkled skin. The actions of smoking such as pursing your lips around a cigarette and squinting may also cause wrinkles. Additionally, smoking stimulates free radical production, which accelerates the aging process and leads to wrinkle development
Chronic Dieting
According to the book "Change Your Looks, Change Your Life: Quick Fixes and Cosmetic Surgery Solutions for Looking Younger, Feeling Healthier, and Living Better", chronic dieting--also known as yo-yo dieting--can damage your skin and lead to premature wrinkles. Chronic dieting involves repeated weight loss and weight gain. Weight gain stretches your skin and reduces its elasticity, while weight loss leads to wrinkled and sagging skin.
References
- The Cleveland Clinic: Wrinkles
- "The Wrinkle Cleanse: 4 Simple Steps to Softer, Younger-Looking Skin;" Cherie Calbom; 2006.
- "Change Your Looks, Change Your Life: Quick Fixes and Cosmetic Surgery Solutions for Looking Younger, Feeling Healthier, and Living Better;" Michelle Copeland; 2004.
- Mayo Clinic: Smoking: Does it cause wrinkles?
- Mayo Clinic: Wrinkles
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