Wrinkles in Time
Blondes may have more fun, but according to scientific research, they are more prone to wrinkles, than their darker haired contemporaries.
It is impossible to prevent getting wrinkles but there is plenty you can do to reduce the amount of them, and lessen their appearance.
Let’s start with diet. several medical journals and articles have proven that diets rich in omega-6 fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, found in sunflower and safflower oils, as well as many nuts, is linked to less drying and thinning of the skin, which causes wrinkles. Other omega-6 heavy hitters, include flax seed, fish and olive oils.
Vitamin C as we all know, is excellent for the skin and studies show that those who had a diet containing vitamin C have less wrinkles, than those who were lacking it in their diet. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that has been linked to the production of collagen, the key to skin elasticity.
Vitamin A as well, is a dermo-friend, which can be found in many fruits and vegetables.
Proper hydration is the most obvious ally to less wrinkled and healthy appearing skin.
So, start reading labels and seeking out foods that are rich in anti-oxidants, and vitamins A and C, and incorporate these into your diet, as well as increasing your daily intake of water, will help limit the amount of wrinkling.
Besides diet, there are many cosmetic treatments to help minimize wrinkling and improve the appearance of your skin.
Wrinkles fall into 2 categories-fine surface lines and deep furrows. The fine line wrinkles are the more shallow of the two, and the easiest to address without surgery. Needless to say, always consult a physician before attempting any of these procedures.
A glycolic peel, which is the most innocuous of all treatments, can make a very slight difference in the appearance of fine line wrinkles. Peels using salicylic and trichloroacetic acids can penetrate deeper, but come with a greater chance of side effects such as changes in skin coloration.
Microdermabrasion is a sanding of the surface of the skin, using silica or aluminum crystals.
Dermabrasion in comparison, is an actual surgical procedure, usually applied with a sander like mechanism, and used with general anesthesia. The effects of dermobrasion can be significant.
Laser resurfacing is a procedure similar to dermobrasion, but utilizes laser for more precision and reliability. Newer technology has resulted in other lasering treatments, such as Fractional resurfacing, and Non-ablative laser resurfacing.
Botox is a familiar treatment for wrinkles, that works by using botulinum toxin to paralyze the muscle in the forehead that produce the deep furrow lines, as well as other wrinkle prone sights on the face.
The newest introduction to the war on wrinkles are fillers, like Restylane and Juvederm. they do exactly what they say, they are injected to plump up the wrinkles, and can last six months or longer.
Needless to say, smoking is a major contributor to wrinkles, and quitting is the only way around that one.
Lastly, cover up. The sun is the biggest cause of wrinkles. So load up on a moisture rich skin cream, that has an SPF of at least 30. A moisturizer with alpha hydroxy will also help protect your skin from wrinkles.
Sleeping on your side, believe it or not, is also linked to wrinkles, so flip over and try to sleep face up. If you’re a devout side sleeper like myself, than invest in a satin pillowcase, to help the skin move more freely as you slumber, and dream of smooth skin (hey, visualization can’t hurt either).
The Author:
Mike is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A guide to vegetable gardening for the rest of us, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and where ever gardening books are sold. He can be reached at his website: AveragePersonGardening.com where you can sign up for his free newsletter and he will send you a pack of vegetable seeds to get your home vegetable garden started.
