Wrinkles can be defined as static - present when the face is at rest and not moving - or dynamic - present when the face moves eg when we smile, frown etc. Dynamic wrinkles are cause by muscle movements which push the skin in a certain direction causing it to wrinkle. They are normal and will occur even in children. With time, however, dynamic wrinkles can become static due to the same repeated movement over years. This is why wrinkles are often more prevalent in areas of the skin where there is a lot of movement - around the mouth, eyes, forehead etc.

 

With age, we naturally lose collagen and elastin form the dermal skin layer, so skin becomes less flexible and also loses strength. The speed at which this happens is partly down to genetic factors, but external factors also play a part. Smoking, for example, decreases collagen and also causes repeated puckering of the mouth, so the skin generally becomes poorer quality but this is more evident around the mouth due to the repeated puckering and results in the typical appearance of smokers’ lines. UVA from sunlight is another example: it damages collagen fibres and leads to abnormal elastin production , so again the skin becomes less bouncy, less elastic and wrinkles form more easily. It can also cause pigmentation which gives the skin an uneven appearance.

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