As the skin ages, it naturally loses elasticity and firmness, causing sagging and the appearance of lines. External factors like sun damage and smoking can also cause the skin’s connective tissue to breakdown.
Wrinkles can be reduced or removed by increasing the collagen production below the skin, by procedures that prevent the movement that causes the wrinkle, or by filling the wrinkle. Resurfacing the skin with laser treatments, the use of radio frequency devices, chemical peels, and injectable treatments like Botox and Juvederm, are all ways to soften and remove the formation of wrinkles. Additionally, taking preventive measures such as wearing sunscreen and the use of medical grade skin care products will help prevent and repair damage.
Wrinkles tend to appear where the muscles underneath the skin make the same repeated motion. For example, every time you smile, a groove forms beneath the skin. Overtime, the groove isn’t able to bounce back the way it used to, leaving an indentation. We tend to notice the wrinkles on our face and neck more, but wrinkles can appear anywhere on the body.
For most of us, collagen starts to decrease in our teens, but we typically don’t start to see fine lines and wrinkles until our mid to late twenties.