Static Wrinkles – Causes and How To Get Rid of Static Wrinkles?

As we age, our body undergoes many different changes. And because the skin is the largest organ of all, the most apparent and earliest signs of aging are often seen on it.

Aside from gray hairs, pesky wrinkles are the most common aging signs. They appear on the face, neck, hands, and other parts of the body.

There are two major types of wrinkles: dynamic and static wrinkles^[1].

Dynamic wrinkles are those made when we make facial expressions while static wrinkles are more permanent and are still visible when the face is relaxed or at rest.

Although there are many factors at play contributing to the formation of static wrinkles and lines.

However, the good this is that there are also many different ways to treat and prevent them.

Read on to find out more about static wrinkles in the next sections of this article!

What are Static Wrinkles?

Again, the two types of wrinkles or rhytids^[2], are static and dynamic.

Dynamic wrinkles show up when the facial muscles contract when we frown, smile, squint, laugh or grimace.

In younger people, all wrinkles only show up when the muscles tighten the skin to express emotion.

Examples of these are:

• Worry lines or forehead wrinkle.
• Crow’s feet or periorbital lines around the eyes.
• Occasional glabellar creases on the inner corners of the brows on top of the nose.
• Bunny lines on the nose bridge.

These dynamic wrinkles often become permanent static wrinkles over many years of repetitive facial muscle contraction and with the loss of the skin’s ability to return to its natural state and shape.

This loss of elasticity is due to the breaking down of the skin’s supportive structure as you grow older.

This is aggravated by the thinning of the skin due to the aging effects of sun damage.

Therefore, your skin fails to completely return to its normal state after expressing emotion, leaving lines known as static lines wrinkles.

So, in a sense, all the factors that cause static wrinkles mainly revolve around aging.

When dynamic lines persist even after the muscle tension is relieved, they are now considered static wrinkles.

Examples of static wrinkles include:

• Frown line or marionette lines on the sides of the mouth.
• Perioral lines or smile lines and wrinkles on the upper lip.
• Static wrinkles under eyes.
• Nasolabial folds.
• Glabellar lines or vertical wrinkles between the eyebrows.
• Dimples at the corners of the mouth.

Related: How to Reduce Skin Wrinkles with a Natural Way?

Causes of Static Wrinkles:

So, we have established that static wrinkles develop from dynamic lines because of the decline in our skin’s quality as we grow older.

Also, static lines appear in places where the contraction of causes ridges or depressions in the skin. They can also appear on the cleavage and neck.

The factors that lead to this involve one’s age, skin type, skin hydration, and genetics. More specific causes include:

• Overexposure to the sun which dries the skin and causes it to lose its natural elasticity. While the sun stimulates vitamin D production, prolonged exposure damages the skin due to harmful UV rays that elicit free radical damage. Free radicals are oxygen molecules that destroy the protein collagen, which provides elasticity to the skin.
• Dehydration because of not drinking enough water. Prevent static wrinkles by drinking at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day.
• Diet. Inability to get sufficient essential nutrients, especially fats, for skin health and hydration from your diet is one of the main causes of wrinkles.
• Smoking cigarettes and alcohol consumption. A healthy lifestyle is very important. Nicotine in cigarettes and alcohol constrict the blood vessels on the skin, so less oxygen and nutrient are delivered to maintain healthy cells and elasticity.
• Exposure of the skin to harsh environmental conditions and strong detergents or chemicals.
• Collagen degradation due to elevated cortisol levels in the body. According to nutritional biochemist Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., who is also the author of Cortisol Control and the Beauty Connection, cortisol is the primary stress hormone and “enemy of collagen”.
• Sleeping on your side or your face.
• Losing too much weight or facial volume.

How to Get Rid of Static Wrinkles?

The different methods and procedures to reduce or remove static wrinkles include:

• Exfoliation:

  Exfoliation Removes Dead Cells – Image/Shutterstock

  Regular exfoliation helps remove layers of dead skin cells. This improves the skin’s tone, texture, and hydration levels while also stimulating skin cell renewal.

• Anti-Wrinkle Retinoid Creams:

  Static wrinkles can be diminished and kept at bay by trying to maintain the skin’s moisture and suppleness.

  This can be done by using creams designed to penetrate deep into the skin layers and stimulate collagen production.

  Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A that are common ingredients in creams, moisturizers, and serums.

  Many dermatologists believe that these work best in eliminating fine lines and wrinkles.

  Initially, these products may cause peeling and redness especially on sensitive skin but later reveal better skin.

  However, after turning 40, even the best deep wrinkle cream can only do so much to hide wrinkles due to the loss of the skin’s elasticity and volume.

• Chemical Peels:

  Chemical Peels Removes Outermost Layers – Image/Shutterstock

  Alpha hydroxy, phenol, and hydroxy peels are just a few types of chemical peels available today.

  They all use a chemical solution to remove the outermost layer of cells, similar to exfoliation.

  However, the new skin that emerges after healing is much smoother and wrinkle-free.

  Chemical peels are best applied and performed by dermatologists, but some milder options can be used at home.

• Peptides:

  These are protein-based compounds used in topical anti-aging formulas.

  However, these are rarely used in skincare because they are difficult to formulate properly, costly, and due to limited sources.

  Peptides signal skin cells and provide the raw materials for collagen production, a process known to reduce and prevent wrinkles.

• Botox Pre-Treatment:

  Botox Prevents Facial Muscle Contractions – Image/Shutterstock

  Botox pre-treatments prevent facial muscle contractions from further deepening the folds on the skin.

  However, while dynamic wrinkles respond greatly to Botox treatments, static wrinkles do not.

  Multiple Botox treatments will only soften the lines on static wrinkles forehead and prevent more lines from forming. These need to be repeated every few months.

• Dermal Fillers:

  The best static wrinkles treatments are hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm, Perlane, and Restylane.

  These are injected to fill in the lines and make them look less deep. This method works best for filling frown lines.

  Bovine or porcine collagen dermal fillers and other synthetic human collagen fillers work the same way.

• Fat Transfers:

  Fat Transfer – Image/Shutterstock

  In procedures like this, your fat is removed from one or several areas of your body and then injected into places where extra plumpness is desired.

  This is a great alternative for fillers because it poses fewer chances of your skin rejecting the filler since it comes from your own body.

  It is also more permanent wrinkle treatment although the procedure may still need to be repeated after several months to a year.

• Laser Treatments:

  Laser therapy and treatment tightens and firms up the skin, making wrinkles less visible.

  Treatments like Fraxel or Genesis also stimulate collagen production to elicit tightening effects and reduce wrinkles several weeks after the procedure.

• Face Lifts:

  Face Lifts – Image/Shutterstock

  A facelift can include brow lifts and forehead lifts to remove excess skin, stretch it, and smoothen out the skin surface.

  This is a more invasive procedure with more lasting results.

• Alpha Hydroxy Acids or AHA’s:

  These are carboxylic acids like glycolic acid from sugarcane, lactic acid from milk, and citric acid from citrus fruits.

  These exfoliate the skin naturally, reduce discoloration, and improve skin volume by thickening the dermis.

How to Prevent Wrinkles?

Here are tips to prevent the appearance and worsening of wrinkles:

• Sleep on your back to avoid pillow creases. If you unknowingly turned on your side or face and noticed wrinkles when you wake up, wash your face with lukewarm water.
• Then, apply moisturizer to erase fine lines, massaging in outward circles for a few minutes. Use satin pillowcases and sheets to avoid face folds.
• Avoid static eye wrinkles by wearing sunglasses or reading glasses. This will prevent you from squinting or frowning to shield your eyes.
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet composed of a lot of antioxidant-rich foods such as blueberries, cranberries, turmeric, pecans, dark chocolate, and artichokes.
• Eat green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits that are also rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. This helps get rid of free radicals that damage the skin.
• Use sunscreen daily to protect your skin from sun damage. One of the most common myths about wrinkles is that you only need sunscreen during a day at the beach.
• Apply sunscreen even when spending the day indoors or during cloudy and rainy days, because UV rays can penetrate through clouds.
• If you have to stay under the sun for long hours, wear long sleeves, a hat, and sunglasses even after you have applied sunscreen.
• Drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration wrinkles.
• Exercise regularly. The skin also benefits from exercise through increased circulation.
• When your blood is flowing, more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the skin cells, keeping them happy and healthy.

FAQ’s:

Que: Does retinol help static wrinkles?

Ans: Yes, it stimulates collagen to help the skin resist wrinkling.

Que: How do you smooth static wrinkles?

Ans: Dermal Fillers like Juvederm can be used to smooth out these static wrinkles.

Que: Does Botox work on static wrinkles?

Ans: Yes, it can reduce the appearance of static wrinkles.

Que: Can static wrinkles go away?

Ans: They have a bad reputation because of their strong visibility and because they never go away.

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Conclusion:

Thankfully, there are many various treatments available today to diminish or prevent static wrinkles. Many studies are also finding new ways how to avoid wrinkles in general through simple skincare routines.

Follow these tips or explore the treatment procedures to help you stay younger-looking and wrinkle-free for more years to come!