Why Does The Skin Wrinkle?

When we grow old, sitting down and enjoying the fruits of our labor are the majority of what fills our years. Nobody however can tell us how to deal with the gray hair, the bending back or the unavoidable wrinkling of the skin, which is part of the package that comes with old age. The decimal people, who marshal up some courage to talk about the why, when, what, why and how of skin wrinkling, end up beating around the bush.

I guess it is time we call a spade and uncapsule the bitter reality by openly talking about this issue. For starters, wrinkles are lines or deep furrows formed on a person’s skin, mostly - due to old age. As people grow old, the skin undergoes a variety of physiological changes that makes it difficult to be repaired thus the formation of wrinkles. As we get old, the number of cells reduce immensely making it difficult for the skin to repair itself.

Also during aging, the dermal-lower part of the skin layer also thins. Accordingly, elasticity is highly reduced. The skin also sags because collagen is produced in limited form. Dryness of skin is also experienced at this point as sebum, which aids in the lubrication of skin is produced in small amounts.

In addition to that, the upper layer of the skin also known as the epidermis shrinks, making the skin look very pale and thin. Moisture to be perspirated from the skin resulting in dryness. The skin area where the dermis joins with the epidermis also flattens. This inhibits nutrients needed by the skin from getting into the target cells. All these contribute greatly to damage and wrinkling of the skin.

The lack of water in the body is also a major cause for dry skins and formation of wrinkles. Lack of water results in inadequate moisturization of the skin. This in turn facilitates dry skin formation which then leads to wrinkles.

Over exposure to the sun is also increasingly a cause of wrinkles. Direct heat from the sun on bare skin over lengthy periods of time damage the skin cells, which are very important for skin repair.

Nevertheless, there are people who are young yet still have wrinkles. One of the top causes for such premature wrinkles is smoking. This is mainly because the heat from smoking dries out the skin.

Hereditary factors also account for premature wrinkles. When we say hereditary, focus is on the genetic composition of a person inherited from parents. Although expansive research has not been done to support this, pilot researches indicate that there are people whose genes are prone to wrinkling than others.

Other causes of skin wrinkling include: People with dry skin get wrinkles faster than those with oily skins. Also, people with soft and fair skin tend to get wrinkles faster than their opposite counterparts.

In accordance with these causes, many solutions have been advanced. Some of them are:

Curative Measures

+ Use of ant-wrinkle creams to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
+ Use of laser technology to remove wrinkled skin.
+ Surgical procedures e.g. plastic surgery.
+ Use of Botox injections that reduce wrinkle lines and furrows.

Preventive Measures

+ Reducing exposure to the sun e.g. using a hat or sun-glasses.
+ Applying moisturizers at least once or twice a day.
+ Drinking a lot of water and eating a balanced diet.
+ Avoiding frowning frequently.

As a candid rule, let us be our best caretakers, accept wrinkling as part and parcel of our lives and deal with it knowledgeably rather than ignorantly doing nothing!

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