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3 Factors That Accentuate Fine Lines & Wrinkles + What To Do About It

Hannah Frye
Author:
October 18, 2024
Hannah Frye
Beauty & Health Editor
By Hannah Frye
Beauty & Health Editor
Hannah Frye is the Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including beauty, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously worked for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.
Beauty Shot of Woman in Her 50s
Image by georgijevic / iStock
October 18, 2024

Everyone will get wrinkles at some point in their life, but it seems like certain people truly hold out until the last minute to show years on their face. While genetics play a huge role in your rate of skin aging, what else contributes to the speed at which your wrinkles show?

To come, three reasons your skin has a strong grip on your fine lines and wrinkles, and how to encourage smoother, tighter skin. 

1.

Skin dehydration

Dry skin will leave your wrinkles way more pronounced. If you think about it, a dry complexion tends to look deflated, less elastic, and thin. (Think of a dry, rough sponge compared to one filled with water.) 

Moisturized skin, on the other hand, will appear plump and radiant. And if you use strategic topicals and skin supplements, you may even see the fine lines disappear altogether. 

If you don’t have super dewy skin naturally (not many people do) don’t fret—just look for targeted hydrators wherever you can.

"This is where ingredients like hyaluronic acid are useful," board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D., previously told mbg, since the beloved humectant pulls moisture from the air into the upper layer of your skin, which keeps skin cells hydrated and your complexion supple and bouncy.

HA is found in plenty of hydrating serums and moisturizers, but it's also a popular ingredient in skin supplements. Ingesting it this way is particularly important, as your internal hyaluronic acid bank begins to dwindle with age.

In fact, one study found that people who took 120 milligrams of hyaluronic acid a day for eight to 12 weeks experienced better skin aging1 (fewer wrinkles and more supple skin) compared with those who took a placebo. See here for our favorite hyaluronic acid supplements to shop.

2.

Sun damage

Overexposing your skin to the sun without protection is a recipe for wrinkles. While I’ll never preach avoiding the sun entirely, I must inform you that 80% of visible signs of skin aging can be attributed to UV damage2

Even if you're doing everything else right (sticking with your skin care routine, eating healthy, drinking loads of water, and so on), your skin will still suffer from accelerated aging if you don’t quit unsafe sun habits. 

Mitigating this extra risk doesn’t have to be complicated—simply wear SPF everyday, reapply every two hours when you’re spending time in the sun, and wear a hat if you plan on being outside all day. 

3.

Free radical damage

Lastly, your skin may be exposed to too many free radicals without a buffer. Free radicals come from plenty of different sources, including pollution, UV rays, stress, and more. While you can’t necessarily eliminate the triggers, you can boost your skin’s resilience to them. 

How? By incorporating antioxidants into your routine. Vitamin C serums are probably the most popular way to do so, but they’re certainly not the only recommended method. 

Keep an eye out for antioxidants in every step of your routine, from serums to moisturizers and even SPF formulas. In addition, ingest your antioxidants for an even bigger boost—think vitamin C supplements, lots of fruits and vegetables—and try to nail down ways to reduce stress in your daily life

The takeaway

Many factors contribute to the accentuation of fine lines and wrinkles, including dehydrated skin, sun damage, and free radicals. For more on fine lines and wrinkles (including how the two are slightly different), check out this story

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