Wrinkles… it’s a love-hate thing, right? On one hand, they’re proof of smiling, winking and laughing our way through life, but on the other, they’re a sign of ageing – and naturally, we want to keep our skin looking healthy and youthful for as long as possible.
Enter our comprehensive wrinkle explainer, covering everything from why they occur, to the reasons some areas on our face show wrinkles before others. Scroll on!
Skin Ageing In A Nutshell
Ageing is a fact of life – it’s a biological process that affects our entire body, and the skin is no different.
So it follows that a big part of skin ageing is inevitable. This is known as intrinsic ageing, and happens as cellular activity slows, resulting in the breakdown of collagen and elastin.
And then there’s extrinsic ageing, or the type that’s triggered by external factors like smoking, pollution, injury and UV exposure. These factors contribute to cellular damage, often causing our skin to age at an accelerated rate. Not ideal.
Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors lead to the visible signs of ageing we’re all familiar with: sagging, fine lines, wrinkles, coarse skin texture, pigmentation (including sun spots) and dullness.
What Causes Fine Lines And Wrinkles?
Fine lines and wrinkles are caused by two key factors: repeated facial movements, and the loss of collagen and elastin.
Repeated facial movements, like smiling, frowning or squinting, cause the underlying muscles to contract, creating creases in the skin's surface. Over time, these repetitive motions can lead to the development of dynamic wrinkles, which are lines that appear when the face is moving. As the skin ages and loses its elasticity, these dynamic wrinkles can become more prominent and eventually form static wrinkles, which are visible even when the face is at rest.
Collagen and elastin are proteins that act like an internal scaffold, giving our skin its structure. Collagen provides support, keeping things firm and plump, while elastin contributes to the skin's elasticity, allowing it to stretch and bounce back to its original shape.
But as we age, these proteins break down, partly as a result of natural causes, but largely due to UV damage. The rate at which collagen and elastin are produced also slows, causing our skin to lose that internal framework. This leads to loss of volume, sagging and wrinkles.
Where Do Wrinkles First Show Up?
It probably won’t come as a surprise to hear that the areas on our face that ‘age’ the quickest are those that are expressive, delicate, or exposed to the sun.
It varies from person to person, but most of us will notice surface wrinkles around our eyes initially. Smiling and squinting play a role here, and because the skin is thinner, it’s much more impressionable.
The neck is another wrinkle-prone area. Again, the skin is thin, plus we tend to move our heads a lot, notably looking at our phones or computer screens – ahem.
Areas like the forehead, lips, hands, chest and around the mouth tend to follow.
A Note On Under-Eye Wrinkles
Under-eye wrinkles make their presence known early on as a result of the fragility of the skin coupled with constant facial expressions and fluid retention. The area around the entire eye contour also has less fat padding, and produces low levels of oil, making it susceptible to creases and crinkles.
Sleep, hydration, sun protection and a great eye treatment product are your best lines of defence in this case. More on treatment below.
Skincare For Wrinkles: What Actually Works
This hero formula speeds up cell turnover, firming the look of wrinkles and fine lines.
Expert Reset Skin-Firming Peptide Serum
Boosted with our clinically backed Firma-Peptide Complex, this treatment serum stimulates collagen and elastin production to reduce the looks of lines.
Expert Reveal Retinol Face Oil
If you prefer your Retinol with a side of nourishment, our Expert Retinol Oil is the formula for you. It boosts cell turnover while replenishing skin lipid levels.
Vitamin C is a must for collagen synthesis. Bonus: it brightens and boosts radiance.
Expert Revive Smoothing Eye Treatment
This under-eye cream was made to firm fine lines and prevent them from forming thanks to the power of Marine Algae and Kakadu Plum. It’s quickly absorbed, too.
Rich and nourishing, this cream can be used on the eye contour and the neck to firm and smooth. It’s rich in Peptides and Marine Collagen for a youthful appearance.
Interested in more skin ageing fast facts? We’ve got an anti-ageing game plan you’ll probably love right here.