Could Your Lifestyle Be Causing Your Wrinkles?

It’s a fact of life that skin wrinkles as we age. Genetics and skincare can significantly influence the severity of your wrinkles and the age at which you start noticing those little lines criss-crossing your skin, but eventually, we all face it. 

Unfortunately, you may be unknowingly causing your wrinkles to show up early. If this has happened to you, and you want to get rid of them, our team of licensed aestheticians at Gago Wellness can expertly and safely treat those wrinkles and help you reclaim your once-smooth skin. But if you want to prevent premature signs of aging and keep wrinkles at bay for as long as possible, consider these wrinkle-causing habits.

Smoking

In addition to wrecking your lungs, smoking does a number on your skin. Cigarette smoke damages the structural proteins in your skin called collagen and elastin, which deflates and weakens your skin, leading to wrinkles. 

In addition, holding a cigarette between your lips and sucking in the smoke keeps your lips in a pursed position — that etches deep lines in the lip tissue. 

Eye tugging

The skin around your eyes is more delicate than other areas on your body. It’s very sensitive to any external forces, like rubbing, scratching, and tugging. Consider your makeup routine and pay attention to how you apply eyeliner, mascara, and shadow — and how you remove it. If you pull down with your fingers to access the inner lash line, you’re likely damaging your skin and causing wrinkles. 

You should apply moisturizers with your ring finger because it’s the weakest and least likely to harm the skin with too much pressure. 

Forgetting to wear sunscreen

Although you need some sun to produce vitamin D, overexposure is the number one enemy of your skin. That’s why a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 is a non-negotiable part of your daily routine — rain or shine. 

And don’t think you’re protected just because you’re in your car. There’s a reason skin cancer is more common on the left side of the body in the US, because the sun hits you through the window. So slather on the sunscreen even when you’re driving, and you may prevent both wrinkles and cancer. 

Sleeping on your tummy or your side

If you’ve ever woken up with an imprint of your blankets or sheets on your skin, you have an idea of the way wrinkles can develop during the night. If you get about 6-8 hours of shuteye, that’s a huge chunk of your day spent pressing your face into your pillow. 

To prevent nighttime wrinkles, it’s best to sleep on your back. Trading in your stiff or decorative pillowcases for slippery, silk ones can help, too.

Neglecting your eyesight

Laughing, frowning, smiling, and grimacing are all natural ways to express yourself, but over time, these facial activities form wrinkles, lines, and deep creases. While we don’t recommend smiling less, there may be an expression you’re making every day that you can and should eliminate — squinting.

If you’re straining to read or see your computer screen clearly, it may be time for a vision check with your optometrist. Correcting your eyesight can prevent wrinkles.

Getting rid of wrinkles

If any of these habits (or just the passage of time) have left you with more than a few wrinkles, we can help you get rid of them. Depending on the cause, severity, accompanying skin problems, and your aesthetic goals, we may recommend:

• Chemical peels, customized to your skin type and need to lift away wrinkles
• Forever Young BBL™ (BroadBand Light), which uses pulsed light energy to trigger collagen production and cell renewal
• Fractora®, which uses radiofrequency energy to tighten loose, wrinkly skin

You have control over many of the culprits that cause wrinkles. Do your best to eliminate them, and when wrinkles crop up, you can trust our team at Gago Wellness to whisk them away and give you younger-looking skin. We’re ready when you are — just call us in Brighton, Michigan at 810-315-6863, or use our online tool to request a new consult today.