While being safe and not breaking any laws…Close your eyes and touch whatever surface is in front of you. How does it feel? Rough? Smooth? Abrasive? Now, if your hands are clean touch your skin. How does it feel? Maybe different than you remember. Our skin changes as we age and the difference in texture can be alarmingly noticeable. Not only can you feel vertical lines and wrinkles, they’re also generally the deepest and most pronounced indicators of aging skin. If that’s not enough, vertical lines can even distort your facial expressions! This article won’t eliminate your wrinkles but will help you better understand the causes of vertical lines and how they can be reduced.
What is a vertical wrinkle?
Vertical lines and wrinkles are visible folds in the skin that run north to south ⇵. Horizontal lines run east to west ⇆ and are normally caused by repeated facial expressions. Unfortunately, laughter and smiling can increase horizontal lines. Most people associate these smile lines with happy emotions but expressing happy emotions can make horizontal lines become very noticeable. Vertical Lines run north to south and are much more pronounced. People tend to strongly associate vertical lines with looking sad, tired or angry.
Read more: frown lines and furrowed brows
Can vertical wrinkles be caused by the environment?
Life choices and your environment are one of the leading causes of vertical lines. The most common environmental factors to consider are sun exposure, pollution, stress and smoking. It is impossible to completely eliminate exposure to your surroundings but we recommend:
- A good skincare regimen that includes applying UVA + UVB protection daily.
- A strong source of antioxidants in both your diet and your skincare to help push back against free radical damage and pollution.
- Limiting your stress, sleeping well and taking time to exercise and pamper yourself.
- Keeping clear of smoke because it can increase the visible signs of aging on your skin. Smoking causes internal and external damage to your body.
- Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Use any moisturizer and drink plenty of water!
Read more: vertical lip lines
Can your skin be lazy?
We hope not because skin has to keep working hard to maintain its natural shape! Your skin doesn’t exactly get lazy but as we age skin tends to lose its elasticity and firmness as our cell renewal rate starts to decline. People that spend long hours in the sun may see early signs of aging sooner than those that use SPF protection and have a consistent skincare routine. Remember our skin is continually exposed to pollutants. Luckily, you can help your skin stay in shape with active ingredients that are specifically targeted to give it a boost.