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I expect that most of you would say YES!

However, this is not going happen for all wrinkles because not all wrinkles are the same. The appearance of some wrinkles can be delayed, so it is important to understand what causes them and which type we might have to accept as our signature asset - like a one-of-a-kind artwork instead of a flaw.

 

 

 

Your Personality Lines Reflect Your Life Journey

 

These are a mixture of lines that define your character, mood, lifestyle and of course your genetic heritage. Because of this complex interplay of elements some of you will develop wrinkles sooner than others, and you might also wonder why some people never seem to have wrinkles without the use of botox or restylane. These are the life cards you were given, although it is possible to slow down the appearance of some wrinkles, so you can also choose to get to know your wrinkles and work with them in your favour.

 

Static vs Dynamic Wrinkles:

The 2 Major Types of Wrinkles

What Are Static Wrinkles?

 

Static Wrinkles are the hallmark facial lines that characterize your features, even when your face is at rest, reflecting the family inherited features, natural aging process and environmental influences, such as:

 

• Nasolabial folds: Extend from your nose to the corners of your mouth. They develop due to the loss of skin elasticity and the effects of gravity.
• Marionette lines: Located from the corners of your mouth to your chin, these result from a combination of collagen and elastin breakdown, as well as the gradual descent of facial tissues, also contributed to by gravity. These are commonly known as cheeks droop or jowls.
• Lateral cheek lines: They show up on the sides of your face, often a result of sun damage and the breakdown of collagen and elastin.
• Lines across the neck: Sun exposure, localized skin thinning as well as the fact the neck skin is poor in sebaceous glands, contributes to loss of skin structure that leads to the formation of these lines.

 

Although you will be able to manage some of the environmental exposure that will contribute to ageing, in the case of Static Wrinkles you are more at the mercy of your genetic heritage, unless you are able to embark on cometic surgery.  Alternatively, you can embrace and cherish these as the sculpted manifestation of the “hands of life”.

 

 

  

 

What Are Dynamic Wrinkles? 

 

Dynamic Wrinkles are a consequence of ongoing repetitive movements of facial muscles. Over time, the continuous use of these muscle fibers will lead to wear and tear of the collagen and elastic structure in the dermis which then fails to support the epidermis, becoming creased or folded to form a range of wrinkles from fine lines to deep wrinkles. These become part of your facial expression, defining who you are as a person and the journey you chose.

So, you do have some control of the Dynamic types of wrinkles because both your lifestyle and your environmental choices will affect whether fine lines and soft wrinkles become your assets or your liabilities. Bear in mind that sun exposure, smoking, alcohol and your genetic heritage will all still leave a footprint - and this time it won’t just be carbon! Clearly it is a no-brainer to protect your assets and minimize your liabilities.

 

Dynamic Wrinkles are evident when you laugh or frown, such as:

 

• Crow’s feet: These form around the out edge of the eyes when you laugh or squint.
• Forehead Lines: They are visible on your forehead, across the T-zone, as you raise your eyebrows, or you react with a surprised expression.
• Frown or Worry Lines: These are sometimes called “the 11 lines”, and they appear between the eyebrows, as you furrow your brows.
• Bunnies: These form over the bridge of the nose horizontally between the eyes.
• Smile or Laugh Lines: These are generated around your mouth or lips when you smile.
• Lip Lines: These form vertically mostly above the top lip but can extend around the perimeter of the mouth.

 

 

 

But Wrinkles Are Not Just Skin Deep  

 

This is something that does not get discussed as often as it should but it is one of the reasons why some dynamic wrinkles are deeper and more visible in some of us.

 

As you can see in the generic model of skin cross-section, below the skin layer comprising the epidermis on the surface and the dermis immediately below, there is a layer of fat cells. These are the Superficial and the Deep Adipose Tissues that are held together by a network of connective tissue fibers as well as ligaments that extend from the dermis to the muscle layer overlaying our skeleton. This network is known as the Retinacula Cutis, and also known as Hypdermis.

 

 

 

As we age there are changes in the density of the adipose tissue (fat cells), sometimes increases in thickness, but most often becomes thinner. It’s generally accepted that as maturing adults we lose or re-distribute about 10% of our subcutaneous fat each year. An analysis of the wrinkle distribution on our skin showed where the thickness of the adipose tissue decreases the retinacula cutis becomes more disorganized, leading to areas of collapse that coincided with where the deeper wrinkles are created.

 

Since collagen and elastin are a significant proportion of the proteins in the retinacula cutis, you can now understand the importance of using skincare products and consuming foods that are loaded with antioxidants to protect against the ravage of wear and tear in our lifestyle as well as maintenance repair.

 

 

What Story Do Your Wrinkles Tell About You?

 

Your exclusive set of lines carries the story of who you are, so this is your public ID card, it is what the rest of world sees you for which includes:

 

• The type of person you are.
• What emotions you show when you are resting.
• Your authenticity or sincerity.

 

 

An interesting study published in 2016 highlighted the perceptions by others of what our facial appearance reveals over time, and that this differs between men and women because women tend to smile more than men. The positive observation from this study was that the wrinkled faces were seen as more reflective of having more life experience.

 

What our faces reveal to others is an intensely studied topic especially in the age of AI, with a recent study showing that facial expressions have different meanings depending on the culture. An excellent BBC article in 2018 reports that our facial expressions do not reveal emotions - which has been extensively validated with scientific evidence.

This evidence emphasised the grave consequences of using emotion reading systems to make decisions in employment outcomes or student interviews, especially in a multicultural society. This is further validated in the findings of a 2024 publication that are aptly summarized in the title “Deep learning reveals what facial expressions mean to people in different cultures”.

 

Back to Wrinkles and Facial Expressions

 

What these studies show is that regardless of the correlations, we all use facial features to make decisions on what others are reveling to us. So, why not own our wrinkles, or re-program your thinking?

 

Crow’s feet & Bunnies

 

Crow’s feet can be perceived as an indicator of how genuine you are.

 

These “ruffled creases” we make around our eyes which express both positives and negatives are known as the Duchenne marker, and this is linked to how others perceive the intensity of our emotions. Since these develop over a lifetime, Crow’s feet are indicators of your authenticity, and the same goes for bunnies. So, these lines will eventually become more pronounced, though you can soften their manifestation depending on the choices you make to look after yourselves.

 

 

 

 

What Can You Do to Delay Deep Lived in Wrinkles and Radiate Wellbeing?

1. Protect & Repair

 

Although we couldn’t live without the sun, we also need to treat our exposure to it with some restraint, owing to the potential sun damage on our skin. However, since we are not moles being in the sun is very much a part of daily living!

 

So, grab your sunscreen with a reasonable SPF factor, of your choice. At Azurlis, we have created the Daily Moisturising Cream Gel – SPF10, and don’t be deceived by the low SPF factor.

 

Make sure that hats are a part of your everyday clothing and sporting apparel and put on those trendy sunglasses to protect against UV rays.

 

Also, be aware that exposure to cigarette smoke, pollution and stress are leading contributors to oxidative stress that is a triggering factor in many degenerative and chronic conditions, as well as ageing.

 

So, ensure that you have a healthy diet that includes Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, and beta carotene (converts to Vitamin A), commonly found in the foods listed below.

 

• Vitamin C - Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, kiwi fruit, strawberries, sweet melon, red or green bell peppers and broccoli.
• Vitamin E – Nuts such as almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts, as well as sunflower seeds, spinach and broccoli.
• Selenium – Seafood, tuna and salmon, eggs, brown rice and whole-wheat bread.
• Beta carotene - Carrots, sweet melon, apricots, mangos, sweet potatoes and kale.

 

 

To repair, and slow down the daily oxidative damage to your skin, chose moisturisers and serum products with vitamin C and vitamin E.  We at Azurlis have options within our Anti-Ageing Collection.

 

2. Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices, Sensibly

 

Of course, you don’t have to become a hermit or a monk abstaining from the treats you enjoy such as your favourite drink or food, but the secret is not to indulge in extreme consumption on an ongoing basis. So, party with a laugh not a death wish! I have highlighted these in a previous article, but as a brief reminder:

 

• Choose a healthy diet.
• Decrease your sugar intake, and remember that alcohol converts to sugar, that when in excess is stored in our liver, and high concentration of sugar lead to “stick” proteins that contribute to ageing.
• So… decrease alcohol consumption.
• Avoid smoking, your own or second hand.
• Give yourself plenty of rest.
• Reduce stress.
• Engage in exercise and sporting activities instead of video games.

 

 

3. Select the Right Products for Your Skin Type

 

Get to know your skin and identify the impact your daily activities have on your skin.  Know the foods you consume and what you are exposed to, both mentally and physically.

 

Since a diet loaded with superfoods can be time consuming to prepare, sometimes the ingredients are not seasonably available, as well as often not being affordable, select a few food items that are “little dynamos” of health, equivalent to those listed above.

 

 

For those of you that are “wrinkle-free”, identify the skincare products that include rosehip oil. 

This is a superb multi-functional ingredient that has moisturising, brightening, antioxidant, and collagen stimulating benefits, amongst so many others. This is a key ingredient in our Anti-Ageing Range.

 

Seek out products that include the elasticity-boosting and moisturising hyaluronic acid ingredient, that will help to plump-up fine lines and give your skin a wonderfully health glow.

 

Combine your protective daily moisturisers with the repairing serum products. At Azurlis we put together a set with a guide for the Absolute Essential Daily Skin Care Routine.

 

These products include the wonderful shea butter ingredient known for its smoothing and oxidative stress repair damage properties, rich in Vitamins A and E, great to soften fine lines and to slow down the creasing of the deeper wrinkles. Other ingredients in this set include hyaluronic acid, rosehip oil, apricot oil, calendula oil and kiwi fruit, which are excellent sources of Vitamins E and C.

 

 

  

In Summary... Wrinkles Are a Hallmark of Your Life!

 

You can’t stop expressing joy or other emotions just because you will develop lines and wrinkles. Live life with all the special moments that have led to your crazy laughs, your awful tears and your beautiful smiles that show the radiance of the person you are. This is your Trademark! Embrace it.