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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffWrinkles are caused by a combination of factors — some you can control, others you can't:
- Age. As you get older, your skin naturally thins and becomes less elastic and more fragile. Decreased production of natural oils makes your skin drier and appear more wrinkled. Fat in the deeper layers of your skin, which gives the skin a plump appearance, starts to lessen. This causes loose, saggy skin and more pronounced lines and crevices.
- Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Ultraviolet radiation markedly speeds up the natural aging process and is the primary cause of early wrinkling. Exposure to UV light breaks down your skin's connective tissue — collagen and elastin fibers, which lie in the deeper layer of skin (dermis). Without the supportive connective tissue, your skin loses its strength and flexibility. As a result, skin begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely.
- Smoking. Smoking can accelerate the normal aging process of your skin, contributing to wrinkles. This may be due to changes in the blood supply to your skin.
- Repeated facial expressions. Facial movements and expressions, such as squinting or smiling, lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Each time you use a facial muscle, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin. And as skin ages, it loses its flexibility and is no longer able to spring back in place. These grooves then become permanent features on your face.
References
- McCullough JL, et al. Prevention and treatment of skin aging. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2006;1067:323.
- Renova (tretinoin cream). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2002/21108s1lbl.pdf. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Rabe JH, et al. Photoaging: Mechanisms and repair. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2006;55:1.
- Soft tissue fillers. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/SoftTissueFillers.htm. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Kafi R, et al. Improvement of naturally aged skin with vitamin A (retinol). Archives of Dermatology. 2007;143:606.
- Facial skin rejuvenation. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/cosmetic_facial.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Helfrich YR, et al. Overview of skin aging and photoaging. Dermatology Nursing. 2008;20:177.
- Mature skin. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/MatureSkin.htm. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Baumann L. Cosmetics and skin care in dermatology. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3007166&searchStr=xerosis. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Freiman A, et al. Cutaneous effects of smoking. Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. 2004;8:415.
- Physician's guide to cosmetic surgery: Facial surgery and skin care surgical procedures. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/medical_professionals/publications/Physicians-Guide-to-Cosmetic-Surgery-Facial-Surgery.cfm#. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Rados C. Science meets beauty: Using medicine to improve appearances. FDA Consumer Magazine. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/204_beauty.html. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Just M, et al. Effect of smoking on skin elastic fibres: Morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis. British Journal of Dermatology. 2007;156:85.
