What causes wrinkles?
There is a range of factors that contribute to wrinkle formation that are important to understand; because altering these factors can prevent and reduce the signs of skin aging.
Simply put: the principle causes of wrinkle formation are sun damage, free radical damage and inflammation set up in the skin from poor dietary measures, stress and skin irritants.
1. Sun Damage and wrinkle formation.
Ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) contained in sunlight are the principal cause of wrinkles and other changes of aging to the skin. These harmful rays:
Cumulatively over years this damage leads to wrinkle formation, discolouration of the skin, poor skin texture and formation of skin cancers.
2. Free radicals and wrinkles.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that are produced by our body cells every day as an integral part of providing energy for their survival.
Once formed, these unstable molecules set of a cascade of destruction, called ‘free radical damage’: potentially damaging vital cell structures and triggering an inflammatory response. Exposure to sunlight, cigarette smoke and pollution speed up free-radical formation.
Free radical damage is a major contributor to wrinkle formation as well as cancer, heart and degenerative diseases. The reason we do not all die very quickly is because of anti-oxidants.
Anti-oxidants are a diverse group of substances (produced in the body and found in foods we eat) that block free radical damage. In this web site and in the full ‘keep you younger’ series I repeatedly refer to the anti-aging, anti-wrinkle and UV protection benefits of anti-oxidants.
3. Sugar causes wrinkles.
As well as contributing to diabetes, heart disease and a host of degenerative diseases SUGAR, and other high GI carbohydrates are major contributors to wrinkle formation.
To be used as fuel in the body, these carbohydrates are broken down to glucose. Glucose in excess in the body binds to proteins- a process known as glycalation. These glycalated proteins thus form bridges between themselves, so instead of smaller flexible proteins you have stiff inflexible structures, causing hardening of the arteries, and you guessed it wrinkles.
Excess sugar=glycalation=wrinkles
4. Stress and wrinkles.
Stress in the body both physical and emotional cause changes to our hormonal systems that have a negative impact on aging by increasing inflammation at a cellular level.
Originally the hormone changes were a physiologic response to stress. However, in modern times, where we are all subjected to enormous amounts of psychic stress, it is no longer physiologic and means we are exposed to prolonged periods of elevated hormones, which cause inflammation, damage and premature aging.
5. Skin Irritants/inflammation and wrinkle formation.
It is well recognised that repeated small insults on the skin in the way of physical trauma, skin diseases and chemical trauma cause inflammation. Imperfect healing of this trauma accumulates to increase aging of the skin and wrinkle formation.
What you may find surprising is that many of the supposed skin CARE products actually contain ingredients that are known skin irritants. Alcohol, fragrances and essential oils added for fragrant qualities such as menthol, eucalyptus and citrus oils are all highly irritating for the skin.
Like sun damage, the impact of these may not be immediately visible, although some people develop instant breakouts, or allergy reactions, many people have a micro inflammation that may slowly and cumulatively over time increase aging of the skin.
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