What Causes Wrinkles? Our Deep Dive, Backed By Dermatologists

As you grow older, your skin develops creases and folds—this is a simple fact of life, and it's a natural part of aging. However, while they're ultimately inevitable, a few factors can cause those creases to crop up earlier than you'd like, and each fine line has its delicate differences. 

Laughing, smiling, frowning—these expressions can all leave their mark. Now, it's not necessarily the movement that's the problem—creases and lines are part of a well-functioning face—but as you lose vital skin components like collagen (more on that in a moment), your skin isn't as able to bounce back from these movements.

"Over time, these lines will deepen and etch into the skin, similar to the way folding paper will leave a crease," says board-certified dermatologist Cynthia Bailey, M.D., founder of Dr. Bailey Skin Care.

A little science jargon for you: The skin is made up of three layers—the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis (the deep, subcutaneous fatty tissue). The dermis contains fibroblasts, which are cells that produce elastin and collagen.

But as we age, those fibroblasts naturally produce less collagen1, which means the structure of your dermis suffers, resulting in visible signs of aging2—like sagging, fine lines, and sallowness. 

While the exact age this process starts differs for everyone, collagen production starts to dip in most people's bodies from the time they're in their late teens or early 20s and decreases about 1% a year3 after that.

"Up to 80% of the signs of skin aging5—including thinning and loss of elasticity—are due to UV damage," Bailey adds. One study even observed collagen under UV light and found that there was a "significant decrease" in collagen structure afterward6.

Aside from UV rays, other environmental aggressors can cause free radical damage and lead to wrinkles over time—think pollution, cold air, smoke, etc. 

In fact, smoking is a "big one" for collagen damage, board-certified dermatologist Gary Goldenberg, M.D., once told us: "Smoking decreases the amount of oxygen delivered to tissues. Therefore, tissue cannot regenerate and is more likely to become damaged and die," he explains.

You know when you wake up with pillow lines etched across your face and chest? Well, as you grow older and your collagen levels start to decline, you may notice those lines stick around. Says Bailey, "They will deepen over time with repetition as skin thins and elasticity wains with both age and sun damage."   

"Sleeping on your back will definitely slow the rate of progression of lines," says Idriss, especially on your chest and neck. Of course, it's a tad unrealistic to control your sleeping position at all times, so don't fret too much if you wake up on your stomach or side most mornings.

Antioxidants help buffer the skin against photoaging by both absorbing UV rays and helping neutralize UV-induced oxidative stress7.

Vitamin C, niacinamide, and CoQ10—all of these ingredients are beloved for neutralizing free radicals in cells that lead to skin aging, and you can find them in topical skin care products or in supplement form.

When choosing a beauty supplement, you might want to look out for astaxanthin in particular, as consuming the carotenoid has been shown to reduce wrinkles in as little as six weeks.

Topical skin care ingredients can help stimulate collagen renewal on a cellular level: Retinoids, for example, have been scientifically shown to increase collagen production in the skin8; glycolic acid has been shown to increase collagen production9 and trigger a restorative healing response in the skin; and vitamin C ​​plays a vital role in the collagen synthesis process and stabilizes the collagen you already have.

In addition to these ingredients, it can also be helpful to support your body's natural collagen production with hydrolyzed collagen supplements. In fact, studies have shown that taking collagen peptides will support skin elasticity and hydration levels and promote youthful texture2.

Keeping the skin well moisturized is vital for its long-term health, and improper hydration can lead to premature aging. Without a hydrated, well-functioning barrier, your skin isn't as protected from external aggressors (which, as we've noted, can cause free radical damage and premature wrinkles). 

"Of course live your life to the fullest, but if you are at home, resting the muscles on your face helps, especially when throughout the day the mouth is in constant motion," aesthetic registered nurse Neethi Masur, R.N., at SKINNEY MedSpa once shared with mbg.

We're certainly not going to deter you from laughing or expressing, but you can consider how you're resting your face when you're not actively engaging—for example, do you keep your neck bent down, even when you aren't peering at your phone screen?