What Is Causing Wrinkles?

The formation of a wrinkle occurs when the lower levels of the skin are broken down and a depression created. It is believed that wrinkles are caused by aging and this is indeed true to a reasonable extent. However, the aging process is largely natural but then there are quite a number of other causes responsible for the wrinkles seen on the faces of most people. Generally, the causes of wrinkles can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic factors are mainly hereditary whereas extrinsic factors are basically influenced by the environment and involve acts like smoking, dehydration, and sun damage.

Heredity

Heredity is more of a permanent cause, because there is little that one can do to change the genetic make up of the body. Such causes are associated with the family characteristics and are always passed down the family members. If there is a certain skin problem in the family, it is then possible that all if not most of the family members will develop the very complications inherent deep in the family. A good example is to imagine the skin of your mother or father. There are high chances that the skin composition will be the same as one of the parents completely or partially. It therefore follows that if there is any problem of the face that the parent is prone to, then the children may also develop the same problem at some point.

Smoking

The smoking act damages the skin around the lips and leads to very deep winkles with time. The tricky part about smoking is that normally the victim does not get to notice the deeper effects until they begin to become severe. Blood supply is reduced by smoking, consequently decreasing the level of skin nourishment.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a condition where there is less water in the body. Since the skin depends so much on water for perfect functioning, the lack of it implies that some skin functions like sweating will not be realized to the best. In addition, the skin lacks the necessary moisture to give it a vibrant, fresh appearance. This state of the skin leads to the development of wrinkles.

Natural Aging

As the years add up and time moves on, the body mechanisms are affected naturally such that they are not as active as they used to be at the very young age. For instance, the oil and sweat glands shrink both in number and size. The skin's ability to retain moisture is also affected thus leading to dryness. These effects are felt by the outer layer (epidermis) and the inner layer (dermis). Since the inner layer is responsible for production of collagen, the effects hinder its ability hence leading to a reduction in the amount of collagen produced and the wearing out of elastin fibres which are responsible for elasticity. The fat cells found deeper below the dermis are also weakened, taking away the beaming of youth. The final result is a dull, weak wrinkled skin with so many lines.

Exposure to the sun

This is a major cause of wrinkles that often goes unnoticed since it is just natural. The Ultra Violet (UV) rays break down elastin fibres and collagen which are the main structural support in the skin. The gradual breakdown of these important skin components causes serious wrinkling in the long run.