What are wrinkles?

Wrinkles are one of the first signs of ageing. They appear on the surface of the skin and are characterised by a sinking line caused by the loss of elasticity and tone of the skin, due to the passing of the years or other genetic or environmental factors. The elimination of the signs of ageing is an issue that affects a growing number of people and that is why there are more and more treatment methods offered by aesthetic medicine specialists and plastic surgeons.

What causes wrinkles?

Wrinkles are caused by a combination of factors, some of which are controllable and uncontrollable:

Ageing 

Due to the passage of time, the skin loses elasticity and becomes more fragile. The loss of the ability to produce some substances with moisturising function causes the skin to dry and wrinkle, while the decrease in subcutaneous fat accentuates the laxity of the skin, highlighting more wrinkles.

UV exposure 

UV rays from the sun or tanning beds accelerate the skin's ageing process by damaging connective tissues. This leads to difficulties in the skin being supported, leading to the early formation of wrinkles.

Facial gesturing 

The constant movement of the superficial facial muscles causes a slow deterioration of the skin in those specific areas, resulting in wrinkles, such as frown lines, smile lines, or crow’s feet around the eyes.

Tobacco and alcohol 

These influence blood flow to the skin cells, thus promoting early wrinkle formation and skin ageing.

How can the appearance of wrinkles be improved?

Today there are many treatments in the field of medicine and cosmetic surgery that aim to improve the appearance of wrinkles. The most used are:

• Botox
• Hyaluronic acid treatments
• Blepharoplasty
• Facelift
• Cosmetic laser peeling therapies