Ageing is a non-reversible continuous process. With time, the skin gradually loses its elasticity resulting in crow’s feet, wrinkles and age spots. As one crosses the age of 30, skin becomes thinner and is unable to retain enough moisture to keep that glamorous glow. Skin ages much more faster where there has been sun exposure, leading to wrinkles. These especially include the face, neck, the backs of the hands, and the tops of the forearms. Wrinkles are the facial lines caused by ageing and effects of facial muscles. Wrinkles are a by-product of the aging process. With age, skin cells divide more slowly, and the inner layer, called the dermis, begins to thin. The network of elastin (the protein which causes skin to stretch) and collagen fibers (the major structural proteins in the skin), which support the outer layer, loosen and unravel, causing depressions on the surface. With aging, skin also loses its elasticity, is less able to retain moisture, oil-secreting glands are less efficient and the skin is slower to heal. All of these contribute to the development of wrinkles.

What causes wrinkles?

Over time, the dermis in our skin loses both collagen (protein) and elastin (fibres that provide elasticity to skin), so the skin gets thinner and has trouble getting enough moisture to the epidermis. The fat in the subcutaneous layer that gives skin a fleshy appearance also begins to disappear, the epidermis starts to sag, and wrinkles form.

Factors that promote formation of wrinkles include:

1. Smoking and alcoholism

2. Light skinned people, as they are more prone to sun damage.

3. Heredity

4. Clothing - the lesser the sun exposure, the lesser probability of wrinkling. (caps, long sleeves etc.)

5. Occupation – outdoor profession leads to early wrinkles

Treatment for Wrinkles:

1. Avoid excessive exposure to the sun. Too much exposure to sunrays can give you wrinkles, fine lines and sunspots. The UV rays in the sunlight give enhance the free radical action and lead to premature skin aging.

2. Drink lots of water and consume a healthy diet which is rich in antioxidants.Water is vital for skin healthand hydrates the skin. Diets rich in green leafy vegetables and Omega 3 rich fatty fish such as tuna, salmon are good for the skin health and very effective for wrinkle treatment.

3. Use best wrinkle creams or anti aging anti wrinkle moisturizers that contain natural ingredients that enhance the production of collagen and elastin in your body. These are the vital proteins in our body that give us a firm, supple, pliant and elastic skin.

Wrinkles on the face are an unsightly and irritating problem. They make our faces look much older than we'd like, and certainly older than we feel. The last decade has seen an incredible amount of research done on why skin ages, potential damage from the sun, how to prevent it, and how to improve the wrinkles and fine lines we already have. Dramatic improvements in laser technology and injectable fillers have helped tens of millions of Americans improve their skin. This website was created by some of the world's leading authorities on dermatology to give you insight into how to improve your skin and feel better about it.