Wrinkles

Wrinkles are defined as ridges or creases on a surface. But when these ridges or creases are on my face, I'm less than enthusiastic about it. Aging, of course, causes lines, but so do poor hydration, the sun and smoking. Each decade offers its own challenges.

Aging Through the Decades

20's - Fine lines start to appear in our 20's around our eyes and lips. Smiling, laughing, frowning, any repetitive movement is the catalyst for fine lines.

30's - Elastin and collagen begin to decline in our 30's. Our skin is less resilient and gravity begins to take a hold. We may begin to notice a few more lines.

40's - This is when most people actually notice that they have wrinkles. I know I did. The elasticity of our skin diminishes and our skin loses memory. The repetitive movements of 40 years causes these lines to be...permanent.

50's - By our 50's, the decrease in collagen and elastin coupled with gravity causes our skin and muscles to sag. In addition to wrinkles, we may notice that the tip of our nose droops and our ears start to elongate. Yikes - it doesn't sound very appealing.

Only 10% of the visible signs of aging are caused by these factors. I know that's good news to me. Prevention, of course, is the best medicine, but I'm way past that. I can, and do, practice preventative measures so that I won't age any more than I have to. But what can we do about the lines that are already there?

The most drastic is a face lift - plastic surgery. Hmmm, that's out. I don't like surgery that much. Besides, if it's not perfect, it looks like plastic surgery and that can make you look even older. Skin stretched too tight gives a woman (or man for that matter) an older appearance.

Many women swear by Botox. But that's expensive and I'm not convinced that it's all that healthy. What will the long term affects be? Using drugs injected into muscles to relax them works temporarily, but if the long term affects turn out to be detrimental, then what will these Botox ladies look like?

Personally, I like using anti-aging skin care products and cosmetics to mask my facial lines. Quality skin care will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and a quality foundation with anti-aging properties masks the rest. You can purchase quality anti-aging skin care and cosmetics at my Arbonne website. I've gone from looking in the mirror and groaning to not even noticing that I have smile lines. Now that is something to smile about.