Know Your Lines: The 3 Types Of Wrinkles

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Wrinkles affect us all as we age. But did you know that there are different types of wrinkles? In fact, wrinkles can be divided into three classifications: dynamic wrinkles, static wrinkles and wrinkle folds.

When it comes to treating wrinkles, it’s important to know exactly what type of wrinkle you’re dealing with. Certain treatments are better suited to certain wrinkles. Below are three three types of wrinkles and the best types of treatment for each.

Dynamic wrinkles

Everyone has dynamic wrinkles. These are the wrinkles that show up when we make facial expressions. Such wrinkles are only temporary and go away as soon as we stop making a facial expression.

As we get into our thirties, many of us may notice that dynamic wrinkles become more numerous and more pronounced. Fortunately, they’re usually still temporary at this point. However, by the time you reach your forties, such wrinkles may turn into permanent (static) wrinkles if you don’t take precautions.

Some examples of dynamic wrinkles include:

• Forehead lines (often forming when we raise our eyebrows)
• Crow’s feet (found around the corners of the eyes when we squint)
• Frown lines (two lines between the eyebrows that appear when we frown)
• Laugh lines (two lines from the corner of the nose to the corner of the mouth that form when we smile and laugh)

Dynamic wrinkles can be treated with Botox injections. These injections paralyse the nerves in a certain area to prevent wrinkles from forming (although it’s important to note that they are only temporary – usually lasting about 6 months). Only a qualified professional at a clinic or med spa can carry out these injections. Is there a med spa near me that does Botox? You can usually find this out online.

Using moisturiser every day – particularly if you have dry skin – may also help to reduce the appearance of dynamic wrinkles by keeping skin supple. It could also stop them turning into static wrinkles. You can compare the best moisturisers for different skin types online.

Static wrinkles

Dynamic wrinkles often turn into static wrinkles over time. They may start off as fine lines and gradually turn into deep furrows. They become more common as we get older because our skin stops producing as much collagen and therefore loses its elasticity.

While collagen loss is a natural part of ageing, certain bad habits can cause our skin to prematurely produce less collagen and may speed up static wrinkle formation. Such bad habits include:

• Too much sun exposure without sun cream/using tanning beds
• Smoking (both the chemicals and the smoke can damage our skin)
• Not drinking enough water/consuming lots of alcohol regularly
• Not consuming enough vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids
• Not getting enough sleep

Fixing these bad habits may delay static wrinkles. Smoking and sun exposure are among the two worst bad habits when it comes to ageing the skin and are the ones you should address first if you want to delay wrinkles.

It’s worth noting that reducing stress in your life may also help, as stress interferes with collagen production. Reducing unnecessary facial expressions (such as squinting regularly because you’re not wearing your glasses) may also prevent certain wrinkles forming.

Static wrinkles can form all across the body, but are most noticeable on the face. A few common types of static wrinkles include:

• Lip wrinkles (often caused by smoking)
• Forehead furrows (forehead lines that become permanent)
• Static laugh lines (wrinkles from the corner of the nose to the corner of the mouth that become permanent)
• Static crow’s feet (wrinkles around the corner of the eyes that become permanent – often due to excessive squinting)

There are many treatment options for static wrinkles, although many of these treatments only work on fine lines. The cheapest and simplest solution is retinol cream, which when applied daily can reverse very fine lines. You can buy retinol creams in many stores and online.

Procedures like microdermabrasion, laser resurfacing and chemical peels can meanwhile get rid of slightly deeper fine lines, but not deep furrows. They work by removing the top layer of skin to remove creases. These treatments are typically carried out at clinics and med spas by qualified professionals.

Static wrinkles cannot be treated with Botox injections. Instead, filler injections are the best temporary injectable option. This involves injecting natural minerals into the skin to fill out the area. In doing so, fine line wrinkles can be removed, and even some deeper wrinkles. As with Botox, you can not carry out this procedure at home and must use a qualified professional. You look up dermal filler clinics online.

Certain surgeries can also be undertaken to reduce wrinkles. This often involves stretching out the skin through a form of face lift. Such procedures can even tackle deeper wrinkles (for example, brow lifts can often help get rid of deeper wrinkles on the forehead). This is the most expensive solution, but it has long-lasting and effective results. Just make sure to always use a reputable clinic and surgeon to reduce the risk of complications.

Wrinkle folds

Some wrinkles are not caused by expressions, but by gravity. Our skin naturally sags and droops after years of standing and sitting upright, and as a result folds in the skin form.

Both weight gain and weight loss can increase the prominence of wrinkle folds. Weight gain can make our face heavier and cause it to sag more heavily – especially around the jaw. Weight loss can meanwhile lead to the development of excess skin which can result in folds. Generally, the people who experience the most pronounced wrinkle folds are those that gain a lot of weight throughout their life and then lose it all in old age.

Our sleeping position may also affect the development of wrinkle folds. Sleeping face down can scrunch up the face and may lead to permanent wrinkles forming over time. These sleep lines can appear anywhere depending on how we sleep (most often on the cheek or forehead).

When it comes to regular wrinkle folds, there are a few common examples. These include:

• Nasiolabial folds (these are laugh line wrinkles leading from the corner of the nose to the mouth that turn into folds)
• Turkey neck (a term sometimes used for the wrinkles that can form on one’s neck)
• Tear troughs (permanent ‘eye bag’ wrinkles that form under the eyes)
• Marionette lines (wrinkles that lead from the corners of the mouth down to the chin)

How do you treat wrinkle folds? Because these are some of the most pronounced wrinkles, many regular treatments used on static wrinkles will have little effect. Fortunately, however there are still some treatment solutions available.

Filler injections can be used to fill out certain folds – especially if you haven’t got a loss of fat on your face. Tear troughs may be possible to fill out if you have quite hollow eye sockets, while marionette lines can also often be filled out. Dermal fillers are only temporary and must be carried out by a qualified professional.

Surgery can also be used to reduce folds by pulling skin back around certain parts of the face. For example, a neck lift can be used to remove wrinkle folds around the neck. This is the most expensive option, but will have a more lasting impact than fillers. As with surgery for static lines, always make sure to do your research when choosing a clinic and surgeon so that you get the best results (you don’t want there to be any unnecessary complications).