Why do wrinkles form? - 6 ways to help prevent them

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Wrinkles: why do we get them and
HOW CAN YOU TREAT THEM?

No matter how consistent you are with your skin care routine, certain things happen to your body over time. Wrinkles are perhaps one of the most obvious. Facial lines, crow's feet, laughter lines – they’re all an expression of your life that appear on your face over time.

Expansive blue sky with scattered soft white clouds and faint wispy cloud formations

Common Wrinkle Types
and Where They Appear

What exactly are wrinkles?

Wrinkles are creases, folds or ridges that appear in the skin as you mature. They look a bit like the lines in the palm of your hands. It might not be what you want to hear, but wrinkles are a completely natural part of the ageing process.

Are there different types of wrinkles?

Yes. While some people will experience fine lines, or more prominent creases around the delicate eye areas, others will get those vertical lines in between the brows.

Wrinkles are most commonly found on your face, neck and arms, but they can appear anywhere on your body.

Why Wrinkles Form

The 7 main types of
WRINKLES

Here are the 7 most common types of wrinkles on the face:

1
Forehead lines
Also known as forehead wrinkles, these are horizontal indentations that run across the top of your T-zone. They’re most noticeable when you make certain facial expressions, such as lifting your eyebrows.

2
Frown lines
Frown lines tend to develop between your eyebrows and create a shape that mimics the number eleven. Repeated facial expressions like frowning can cause these to become more prominent over time.

3
Bunny lines
These refer to the fine horizontal lines and tiny creases that appear on the bridge of your nose and either side when you wrinkle it, such as when you laugh or smile. These are an example of mimic wrinkles, which are among the first to appear due to repeated movements.

4
Crow's feet
This is the term given to those fine lines that radiate from the outer corners of your eyes. They resemble the feet of a crow, hence the name, but they’re also known as “smile lines” as they often form when you smile. The skin around your eyes is exceptionally thin, so these types of wrinkles can form fairly early.

5
Laughter lines
As the name suggests, these lines appear on parts of your face that crease when you laugh. Known as nasolabial folds, these creases extend from both sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth. They can become more prominent and permanent as you age, especially if you smoke or don’t protect your skin from the sun.

6
Lip lines
These small vertical wrinkles look slightly different for everyone but typically they form on both the lip and the skin above the upper lip. On the lips they often extend from one side of the mouth to the other.

7
Marionette lines
As your skin loses its tightness, jowls and folds such as marionette lines can develop. Also called melomental folds, these are long vertical lines that start at the corners of your mouth and continue down to your chin and jawline. They can cause your mouth to look downturned like a marionette doll, hence the name.

Are there different types of wrinkles?

What causes
WRINKLES?

While wrinkles are a natural sign of life and expression, adopting certain habits may help skin appear smoother, firmer, and more supported over time. Prevention focuses on supporting the skin’s natural structure, maintaining hydration, and reducing factors that can accelerate visible ageing.

6 Daily Habits That Support Smoother-Looking Skin:

Wrinkles, creases and lines start to develop as your skin becomes thinner, drier and loses its elasticity over time. As you age, your body's levels of Collagen and Elastin decrease. These are both proteins naturally found in the skin and they’re responsible for its firmness and elasticity.

Your facial expressions are a factor too. Smiling, laughing, frowning, squinting and other repeated facial expressions cause small muscle contractions which can lead to fine lines and wrinkles developing when you’re younger.

These lines can then deepen as you age and sometimes become a permanent feature on your face. This is largely because your skin springs back when you’re younger, but as older skin has less flexibility it loses its youthful bounce.

mature woman smiling with gentle wrinkles and graying hair.

Dynamic vs static
WRINKLES

The folds or creases that appear fall into two categories:

· Dynamic wrinkles – these are caused by expressing emotions or repeated facial movements. So for example, lip lines that may appear if you use a straw often.

· Static wrinkles – these come from a loss of elasticity and tend to deepen with age. Examples of these are lines at the corner of your mouth and on your neck.

Over time dynamic wrinkles can become static wrinkles. One example is when your cheeks lose plumpness and fine smile lines can turn into more prominent folds.

How to help prevent
WRINKLES

Unfortunately, you can’t stop the ageing process or change certain factors like genetics, which inevitably have a part to play in wrinkles. However, there are some lifestyle changes you can adopt to help prevent wrinkles and keep your skin looking more youthful for longer.

Smiling woman in a yellow top touching her cheek in bright sunlight against a blue background

Switch up your skincare

The range of NIVEA Anti-Ageing Creams & Products is specifically formulated to help prevent and minimise the appearance of wrinkles and nourish your skin. The range includes replenishing serums designed to build up your skin's own anti-wrinkle defence, innovative moisturisers with Collagen-boosting formulas, and firming eye creams that target this delicate area.

Your eyes can be especially prone to signs of ageing - check out our guide for our top 5 tips to help prevent eye wrinkles.

For men, there's a range specifically tailored to your unique skincare needs.

Dynamic wrinkles – these are caused by expressing emotions or repeated facial movements. So for example, lip lines that may appear if you use a straw often.

1. Protect your skin from the sun

Sun radiation damages your skin's Collagen, making it lose elasticity and drying it out, bearing in mind mature skin is naturally drier.

Too much sun exposure can prematurely age your skin. This is known as photoageing and differs from natural ageing, causing deep wrinkles along with tougher skin, freckles and skin discolouration.

Knowing how to protect your skin from sun damage is an easy step you can take to help prevent this, including adopting good sunscreen habits. One easy habit involves adding a moisturiser with SPF into your morning skincare routine so that you leave the house with a layer of protection.

Close-up of a seated woman's hand beside a stripe of white body lotion on her sunlit thigh

2. Quit smoking

Smoking is another culprit that causes rapid ageing. Healthy skin will constantly regenerate. However, smoking heavily reduces Collagen production, and less Collagen means more wrinkles. Increased facial lines around the mouth are tell-tale signs of smoking.

3. Diet and exercise

Unhealthy habits affect your skin's texture and can speed up the ageing process. Eating a healthy, balanced diet packed with Vitamin A and C and protein (poultry, fish, eggs and lean meats) is a good place to start. Add some regular daily exercise to boost circulation and reduce stress levels. Too much sugar and alcohol can damage Collagen and Elastin, so indulge in moderation.

4. Stay hydrated

Keeping your skin hydrated is always important. Be sure to drink enough water, and even try herbal teas which have antioxidants that can improve your skin in other ways. Avoid too much caffeine as this can slow down the rate your body makes Collagen.

5. Sleep well

Your skin always thanks you for getting the recommended 8 hours’ sleep a night – or as close as possible. But did you know that your sleep positions also have a bearing on wrinkles? Your skin can get creased if you sleep in the same position every night. Sleeping on your back or investing in silk pillowcases that cause less friction against your face can help with this.

Skincare routine to help
REDUCE THE APPEARANCE OF WRINKLES

Unfortunately, you can’t stop the ageing process or change certain factors like genetics, which inevitably have a part to play in wrinkles. However, there are some lifestyle changes you can adopt to help prevent wrinkles and keep your skin looking more youthful for longer.

1. Cleanser

While there’s no cure to get rid of wrinkles for good, following an anti-ageing skincare routine will help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines and give your skin a more youthful glow over time. As with any good skincare routine, cleansing and exfoliation are the best start:

Cleansers

2. Serum

To effectively target wrinkles, apply three pea-sized dots of an anti-ageing serum. Serums are typically lighter than creams and can penetrate deeper into the skin, helping the higher concentrations of active ingredients to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

3. Eye cream

Since the skin around your eye area doesn’t contain as much Collagen as the rest of your face, it’s more susceptible to dryness and wrinkling. To effectively reduce the appearance of wrinkles around your eyes it's important to use a targeted treatment that’s formulated specifically for this delicate area. For best results apply twice daily - both morning and evening.

4. Moisturise

Ageing skin is less able to protect itself from external damage, so choosing a really targeted moisturiser is even more important. Plus, moisturising has the added benefit of locking in any serums or treatments you’ve applied beforehand.

NIVEA offers a range of day and night creams, some of which are formulated with active ingredients such as Q10 and Hyaluronic Acid to target wrinkles effectively.

Moisturisers

Ingredients

NIVEA's Q10 range

Investing in quality products and adopting a good skin care regime will help keep your skin hydrated and firmer. With a huge array of skincare at NIVEA and easy-to-follow skincare tips, finding the perfect skincare routine for your skin should be simple. The NIVEA Q10 range is a great place to start your anti-wrinkle journey.

Discover NIVEA Q10

Ingredients

Why is Q10 good for wrinkles?

Your skin contains almost 80% Collagen, and nearly a third of the proteins in your body are produced by Collagen. Coenzyme Q10 can help stimulate the production of Collagen, which naturally slows with age. This boost in Collagen can help increase cell regeneration and retain skin elasticity.

Woman holding NIVEA Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Power SPF 15 day cream and Expert Dual Action Serum

Ingredients

Other ingredients that are
GOOD FOR WRINKLES

1
Retinol:
Like Q10 in this sense, Retinol can help stimulate Collagen production and exfoliate the skin for a firmer, plumper complexion.

2
Bakuchiol:
Similar to Retinol but slightly milder, Bakuchiol is a great natural alternative for anyone following a vegan lifestyle or living with skin sensitivities.

3
Jojoba oil:
Jojoba Oil is both moisturising and an antioxidant, so it may keep the skin hydrated and potentially help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, like other antioxidants.

4
Hyaluronic acid:
Hyaluronic Acid works by moisturising deep into the skin and may significantly improve the appearance of deeper wrinkles while improving firmness and elasticity.

A sign of a
FULL LIFE

Wrinkles of course don’t actually need treatment. They’re a painless, natural and beautiful sign of mature skin. You can choose to treat them if you don’t like the way they make your skin look or feel. Equally, you can embrace those laughter lines and eye crinkles for what they are – a reflection of a life expressed to the fullest.

Summary

Wrinkles are a natural part of the ageing process – as you age, your skin becomes thinner, drier, and loses its elasticity. The decrease in Collagen and Elastin levels in the skin contributes to the formation of wrinkles over time.

Different types of wrinkles exist: wrinkles can appear in various forms on different areas of the face. Common types include forehead lines, frown lines, crow's feet, laughter lines, lip lines, and marionette lines.

While you can’t stop the ageing process or alter genetics, lifestyle changes can help prevent wrinkles and maintain more youthful-looking skin. Tips include using anti-ageing skincare products, protecting your skin from sun damage, quitting smoking, eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep.

While there’s no permanent cure for wrinkles, following an anti-ageing skincare routine can help reduce their appearance and give your skin a more youthful glow. Particularly helpful ingredients include Q10, Hyaluronic Acid and Retinol, to name a few. However, it’s essential to remember that wrinkles are a natural and beautiful sign of a full life and don’t necessarily need treatment if you choose to embrace them.

FAQs

Yes, there can be differences between men's and women's anti-wrinkle creams. While the basic purpose of both creams is to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, some variations cater to specific skin needs based on gender.

Men's anti-wrinkle creams may have formulations tailored to their thicker and oilier skin. These creams often contain ingredients that address common concerns for men, such as reducing post-shaving irritation and soothing the skin. Additionally, some men's creams may have more subtle scents or be marketed with masculine packaging.