Fine Lines & Wrinkles:
Causes, Treatments, & Top Ingredients

Q. What causes fine lines and wrinkles?

• Repeated facial expressions
• Sun damage and free radicals
• Dry and dehydrated skin
• Loss of collagen with age
• Gravity
• Smoking
• Sleeping habits
• Hormonal aging and menopause

Q. How do you prevent fine lines and wrinkles?

• Use a physical or chemical exfoliant weekly
• Invest in AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) and retinoids
• Fight free radicals with vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (tocopherol) serums daily
• Hydrate with humectants (i.e. hyaluronic acid) daily
• Seal in moisture with emulsions, lotions, creams, or oils daily
• Wear sunscreen every day
• Healthy habits: diet, exercise, and sleep
• Be consistent with your skin care - all skin care products and ingredients that target fine lines and wrinkles do not work overnight

Q. Are wrinkles reversible? Can wrinkles be reversed?

No. Unfortunately, science has yet to discover a single ingredient that can permanently reverse the aging process. Topical and professional treatments can temporarily minimize the appearance of wrinkles, but they cannot make them completely disappear. This is why it’s very important to adopt an anti-aging skin care routine at an early age in order to prevent an accelerated aging process.

Q. At what age do wrinkles start appearing?

It is very common for fine lines and wrinkles to start appearing in your late 20s. This is when your skin begins to become more dry, opening you up to fine lines around the eyes and mouth. We HIGHLY recommend starting your anti-aging skin care routine in your early 20s to protect your skin and fight against future daily damage that causes fine lines and wrinkles overtime.

Q. Why does skin start to sag as we age?

Elastin fibers are the mini rubber bands that keep skin tight to the body. As we age, the elastin fibers stretch out and start to lose snappiness from repeated facial movements and gravity weighing the skin down. Sun damage can also damage the elastin fibers causing saggy skin.

Q. Does dry skin age faster than oily skin?

There is no straight answer to this question. Oily skin can appear more youthful than dry skin because oily skin is usually thicker than dry skin, but thicker skin can develop deeper looking facial expression wrinkles. On the other hand, oily skin has more protection against dehydration than dry skin, and dehydrated skin is more prone to inflammation which can trigger/accelerate fine line and wrinkle development. Dry skin also emphasizes the appearance of existing fine lines and wrinkles compared to hydrated skin. But to level the playing field, both dry skin and oily skin are equally subject to sun damage. No matter what your skin type, the key to healthy skin is to develop the right skin care routine that works for you and your concerns.

Q. Does dry skin cause fine lines and wrinkles?

Dry skin does not cause fine lines and wrinkles but dry, dehydrated skin does tend to develop fine lines and wrinkles earlier than healthy, hydrated skin. This is true for a number of reasons. When your skin is dry, facial expressions are harsher on your skin's elastic fibers and your elastin fibers crease easier rather than bouncing back into place. Dehydrated skin is also more prone to inflammation, and inflammation is linked to the development and intensification of fine lines and wrinkles. Finally, other anti-aging products, treatments, and serums won’t work as well if your skin is dry. In some scenarios, certain products will be too harsh and will actually do more damage than good if your skin isn't properly hydrated. For these reasons, properly hydrating your skin twice a day is essential to preventing fine lines and wrinkles. And that goes for everyone! Even oily skin types.

Q. What can I do for my wrinkles around my mouth?

Wrinkles around the mouth (officially known as perioral rhytids and sometimes called "smoker's lines") form from repeated facial expressions like smiling, frowning, and pursing of the lips (don't take too many duckface selfies). Like treating all other types of facial wrinkles, a skin care regimen with antioxidants, AHAs, peptides, and lipids can help soften around the mouth wrinkles, but this particular area can be harder to treat (we express ourselves a lot with our mouths). There are filler injection options (common filler is Restylane), but to be honest, fillers are temporary fixes and the mouth wrinkles can come back after the procedure. We recommend caring for this area with a consistent skin care routine that will also benefit other fine line/wrinkle areas on your face.

Q. Can facial exercises help soften fine lines and wrinkles?

Technically, yes, but realistically, no. It's hard to isolate the exact facial muscles that need tightening and strengthening without also making the facial expressions that deepen existing expression lines and wrinkles. Micro-current treatments can target facial muscles that need "working out" and can lift the face without activating facial muscles that cause expression wrinkles. We recommend a consistent skin care routine above all else to care for your fine lines and wrinkles.

Q. What wrinkles does Botox work on?

Botox is a commonly used injection that works best on dynamic expression wrinkles because it temporarily paralyzes your facial muscles. Post Botox, the facial muscles you chose to target will not be able to move or contract, resulting in softening of existing fine lines and wrinkles caused by repeated facial expressions and prevention of further deepening of fine lines and wrinkles.

Q. How do I know if I need a chemical peel?

Chemical peels should only be done if fine lines and wrinkles or hyperpigmentation are moderate to severe. Consult your esthetician, dermatologist, or plastic surgeon on in home products to use before jumping to chemical peels.

Q. What is the best antioxidant to use to fight free radical skin damage?

There isn't one antioxidant that reigns supreme because there are many types of free radicals. The short answer is a mixture of different types of antioxidants is the best way to treat free radical damage. To dive a little deeper, when a free radical steals an electron from another cell, the cell that has been robbed now wants a replacement electron and has turned into a free radical itself. The catch is the new free radical may not necessarily be the exact same type of free radical that robbed it in the first place. For example, a free radical oxygen could steal from a lipid cell, and the oxygen cell is now satisfied with it's stolen electron, but now the lipid cell has turned into a free radical that wants to steal an electron from another atom. Because of the variety of types of free radicals and their chain reactions, having a diverse mixture of antioxidants is your best bet.

Q. How do you know if an antioxidant product has expired or gone bad?

You don't want to use any antioxidants if the product has already oxidized in the package. There will be no skin care benefit. If the product starts looking darker or turns brown, it has gone bad. Store your antioxidants in cool, dark places (no direct sunlight) to prolong the shelf-life. Often times, antioxidants will be formulated into serums with other ingredients to help prevent premature oxidation.

Q. What should I look for in an AHA product? How do I choose an AHA product?

There are many AHA products on the market, but here are a few guidelines:

• If you have dry skin, go for an AHA cream or lotion.
• If you have oily skin, go for an AHA gel.
• AHA serums can be used on all skin types.
• There are AHA cleansers and scrubs, but AHA products that you rinse off are not as effective as products that absorb into the skin.
• Use a product with 8-10% AHA concentration (it can be a combination of multiple types of alpha hydroxy acids). Anything over 10% can cause aggressive peeling, but if you want to go stronger than 10%, consult your dermatologist first and possibly think about a peel procedure as another option.
• Use a product with a pH level around 3.5. Anything more acidic (lower pH) may be too strong and can cause unwanted inflammation.
• When using ANY type of AHA product, wear sunscreen. The fresh skin the AHAs expose is weaker and more prone to UV damage. We cannot hammer on this enough!

Q. Can I mix alpha hydroxy acids, antioxidants, lipid products, peptides, moisturizers, and sunscreens?

Yes! We recommend using a combination of all ingredient types to best address existing fine lines and wrinkles. They all work in different ways to treat the same problem. You don't have to use all products at the same time. For example, you could use peptides and antioxidants morning and night, but only use AHAs at night. Whatever routine you craft, remember it's best to attack the fine lines and wrinkles from all angles!