Call ’em laugh lines, battle blemishes or experience etchings.
Wrinkles are a natural and universal part of aging. These creases primarily form as the skin loses collagen and elastin, which provide structure, firmness and elasticity.
Certain habits can accelerate this process, making lines and grooves appear earlier and deeper. Blame genetics, hormones, dehydration, insufficient sleep, poor diets, stress and repeated facial expressions such as squinting, smiling or frowning.
“Stress has a lot to do with aging and reactive oxygen species,” Dr. Kseniya Kobets, director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care, told The Post.
“Someone who doesn’t have a healthy lifestyle and doesn’t eat healthy vegetables or fruits once in a while is also more likely to have less healthy skin.”
Kobets reveals three major ways she can tell if someone is more likely to develop smile souvenirs as they age.
Steady sun-worshipping
The sun is good for you — it helps your body make vitamin D for strong bones, enhances mood by boosting serotonin and regulates your body’s internal clock for better sleep.
But too many rays can be really bad for skin. Just ask New Jersey “tan mom” Patricia Krentcil.
Kobets worries about fair-skinned people who live in sun-soaked areas or participate in outdoor activities like hiking, biking, skiing or vacationing in the tropics.
“They are more prone to developing wrinkles and especially other issues like sun damage and, God forbid, precancerous lesions and skin cancers,” she explained.
UV rays generate free radicals that destroy collagen and elastin, damage DNA, trigger inflammation and speed up skin aging.
How much sun is OK is really dependent on your skin type and the daily UV index.
Everyone needs protection, including hats, sunglasses and SPF 30+ sunscreen, when the index reaches 3 or higher (moderate risk).
Rawdogging skincare
Sunscreen is the cornerstone of any good skincare regimen, which is key to fending off wrinkles.
“If someone doesn’t really have a consistent skin care routine, particularly one that includes daily sunscreen use, even if they’re not outdoors, they are more likely to develop wrinkles over time,” Kobets said.
Besides mineral sunscreen, which reflects and scatters UV rays, Kobets recommends topical and oral antioxidants.
That means consuming vitamin C, collagen and peptides, short amino acid chains that tell skin cells to pump out more collagen and elastin, and applying topical peptides and occasionally, a topical retinol.
“These are very important factors, not to mention wearing hats and staying in the shade, even if you are wearing sunscreen,” Kobets said.
Puffing pores
Baking in the sun is lousy for your skin, but smoking is often considered worse because it narrows blood vessels, breaks down collagen and elastin and amplifies sun damage.
Nicotine constricts blood vessels, limiting the flow of oxygen and essential nutrients to the skin.
“If the person is smoking — although there are a lot of genetic and environmental factors at play — they’re more likely to have thinner skin and wrinkles, especially around their mouth,” Kobets said.
That’s a nice way to describe “smoker’s face,” a phenomenon characterized by deep wrinkles around the eyes and lips from the smoker constantly drawing on cigarettes and repeatedly squinting to keep smoke out of their eyes.
Smokers also often suffer from sagging skin, a dull, yellowish-gray complexion and premature contours.
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