Fine Lines and Wrinkles: The Best Ways TO Turn Back Time
Photodamage, the breakdown of collagen and elastin, and increasingly sluggish cell turnover are all factors that lead to fine lines and wrinkles that starts in your 20s and begin to appear in your 30s and 40s.
Whether you are just beginning to see signs of aging or are actively addressing, here’s everything you need to know to give your skin an advantage for healthier, smoother, plumped-up skin.
First, before diving into what will help, we need to review what is causing the signs of aging: wrinkles, loss of volume & dull skin:
Changes in Cell Function
As we age, collagen and elastin in the skin begin to break down, causing the skin to lose firmness and elasticity. Additionally, cell metabolism slows, so the skin doesn’t regenerate as quickly.
Pollution
If you live in a city or are regularly exposed to high levels of pollution, your skin can experience damage. Exhaust, fumes, and smoke create free radicals that can cause damage that leads to visible signs of aging.
Lifestyle
Things like alcohol, stress, lack of sleep take a toll on skin health. Alcohol dehydrates the skin and depletes the skin of vitamin A, the synthesizing agent for collagen. The stress hormone cortisol elevates inflammation, which breaks down collagen. Sleep is the body’s repair system. Too little, and your skin’s natural defenses are depleted.
UV Exposure
Sun damage is the most common cause of fine lines and wrinkles. UV initiates a cascade of free radical damage in the skin that degrades collagen leading to fine lines and wrinkles. It’s also responsible for the dark spots that begin to appear in your forties.
How Can You Reduce the Appearance of Wrinkles & increase Skin Volume/Fullness?
Support Two Key Players both Directly and Indirectly
Collagen – the most abundant protein in your body and for your skin, it’s essential for your skin’s firmness & elasticity.
Elastin - provides skin with the ability to snap back.
Both collagen and elastin are found in the lower layer of skin called the dermis however just supporting the dermal layer alone limits transformation. So, what do you need to do?.
2. Address All Layers of the Skin - Not Just the Dermis
Youthful & healthy skin has a good thick epidermis with a very thin top layer, called the stratum corneum, along with a thick dermal layer (the dermis) that contains loads of fibroblasts that are constantly making new collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid that give skin its youthful smooth, firm, hydrated and plump skin.
To support the dermal layer you need to support the top layer of skin, the epidermis, in addition to the dermal layer.
To give you an example, we have loads of clients that start with us who have been using a very strong prescription strength Retin-A that support the dermis only. They are not seeing the results. In fact often, they come in flakey, red and irritated.. With a simple adjustment and dialing down the retinoid to allow for support of all the layers of the skin and a synergy of actives, clients start to see skin transformation.
Combination Therapy
Exfoliate
A build-up of dead skin cells has the effect of making fine lines and wrinkles more visible because the added layer of cellular debris literally makes creases deeper. With age, skin is more likely to become dehydrated, which increases the build-up of dead cells. Regular exfoliation will keep skin free of cellular debris and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Additionally, exfoliation stimulates cell renewal to bring new, fresh cells to the surface, making skin look brighter and more radiant.
Exfoliation can come in the form of a physical scrub or chemical exfoliation with AHA’s.
A combination of both will bring the best results. We use specialized AHA’s, to thin the starateum corneum and reveal smoother skin such as Vivant’s Mandelic 8% Serum with Mandelic Acid or Vivant Vitamin C & E Serum with Lactic Acid. A mild physical scrub 2-3 times per week is also a helpful addition, Vivant Mandelic Scrub or Sorella Apothecary Poppy Seed Mask are good options. and both contain an AHA as well.
Use Vitamin A
Vitamin A accelerates cell turnover and encourages the proliferation of new fibroblasts, the cells that make up the collagen and elastin fibers that are the scaffolding of skin structure. As a cell-regenerator, vitamin A boosts collagen production, enhances elastin production, and thickens the dermis to plump the skin’s surface and fill in fine lines and wrinkles. Not all vitamin A is the same, however. vitamin A propionate is closest in molecular size to Retin-A. without the irritation. We like vitamin A propionate, a type of retinoid, for dermal support to generate new cells in the dermis and pouf out the skin in the dermis with new collagen, elastin and hyaluronic. It packs a punch without the irritation of strong retinoids. Vitamin A Propionate can be found in Skin Theory’s Easy A Serum and Vivant’s Derma Renew.
Incorporate Lipophilic & Water-Based Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential co-factor in the synthesis of collagen. It’s also a powerful antioxidant to protect against environmental stressors. When paired with vitamin E, its powers are magnified.
Vitamin C can be a water-based formula that supports the epidermis or lipid-based that support the dermis. During the daytime and for epidermal support, Vivant’s Pure C + E Serum helps shield skin and prevent skin damage, while stimulating cell regeneration and promoting elasticity with Lactic Acid.
For dermal support, lipophilic vitamin c, tetrahexldexl, is amazing at bringing back a youthful glow. It can be found in Truth Treatment Systems Transdermal C Balm. We have clients use this at night so they wake with plump and glow skin. We also will have clients use Transdermal C Serum in the AM and Tizo SPF40 products which both contain tetrahexldexl..
Load Up on Peptides
Collagen and elastin decrease as you age, causing the skin to sag and lines to form. To reverse this, load up on small-chain peptides that communicate with the cells and support collagen and elastin formation. They put the plumpness back by boosting your skin’s ability to produce natural collagen and elastin. In studies, topical use of peptides resulted in a significant decrease in the number and average depth of wrinkles. We like clients to use a peptide-rich firming and lifting serum during the daytime along with adding peptides to your moisturizer. This will increase elasticity, decrease fine lines and wrinkles, and protect against future signs of aging. We like Rhonda Allison’s Amino Peptide Moisturizer and Vivant’s Rejuv Rx Peptide Serum.
Include Humectants and Hydrating Ingredients
Hyaluronic Acrid is found in the dermis and hold 1,000 times its weight in water. It keeps are skin plump, full and hydrated. It is important to Hydrate and nourish the skin with ingredients that support hydration. Moisturizers occlude but are often lacking in hydrators and humectants. Look for ingredients such as honey, hyaluronic acid and glycerin to nourish, hydrate and plump the skin. We like Rhonda Allison’s Pumpkin Pro Collagen Lotion (Toner), Truth Treatments Honey Hyaluronic Cleanser and Hyaluronic Mineral Hydrator Serum.
If you would like individualized help and a custom routine based on your unique circumstances, book a 1st Time facial where we build in a consultation at no charge to help you help your skin. 🥰