How to Prevent Wrinkles

Medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Last Updated: March 12, 2023 Approved

As we age our skin loses moisture and elasticity, making it prone to wrinkles. Dermatologists have many tools for tackling those little lines that mark the passage of time. They include prescription creams, chemical peels, and Botox. But perhaps the best option is to protect your skin just as it is.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Preventing Wrinkles Daily

1
Use a creamy, oil-free face wash to hydrate skin and whisk away impurities. Skin is much more flexible when it is moisturized, allowing it to move and slide freely across your face without damage. This sort of damage will compound itself over your lifetime, leading to wrinkles, if you don't take proper care of your skin now.
- Use lukewarm water, not cold or hot, to protect your skin
Use your fingers to work the wash into your face. Get around the eyes and forehead as well, using the tips of your fingers to work up a nice, gentle lather.
Don't rub or scrub with a towel, as this will irritate your skin and lead to redness. Your wash has removed a lot of the dead skin, oil, and dirt, so scrubbing now is just hurting the new, younger skin underneath.
4
Mix up or apply a collagen mask to prevent wrinkles and firm up your skin. Firm, flexible skin is the enemy of wrinkles. Masks are a way to soak your skin in collagen (a naturally occurring human protein) as well as essential anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals. Let the mask rest for 15 minutes to absorb into your skin.^{[1]
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- Some modern masks come in pre-soaked pads, which you can simply stick to your face instead of mixing up and painting on a traditional wet mask.
- When done, pat in any remaining mask essence (sold with the pads) lightly onto your face.
5
Apply an anti-wrinkle cream around wrinkle-prone areas. Most of these are very concentrated, so you only need a pea-sized amount. Focus on your outer eyes, forehead, chin, and around your mouth. Pat the cream onto your face instead of rubbing it on.
- If you have some extra cream, don't forget about your neck -- this is one of the wrinkle spots many people forget.
6
Pat in some eye concentrate to prevent wrinkles in the most common areas. Crows feet, the wrinkles right around the eyes, are the most common and quickest wrinkles you'll develop. Using some eye concentrate around the eyes targets these wrinkles specifically.
- Make sure you get a cream that is paraben-free, as these chemicals may hurt your skin over time.^{[2]
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7
Apply an anti-wrinkly moisturizing body lotion to your body, especially your upper chest and neckline. Your body skin needs protection too, and many of the same principles used to prevent wrinkles on your face can be applied to your body, too. A daily full-body moisturizing, focusing on frequently exposed areas like the arms, legs, and upper chest, will help fight body wrinkles.
- Look for moisturizing creams that aren't oil-based, which can leave you feeling greasy.
- Again, search for natural, paraben-free products for the best results.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Protecting Yourself Against Wrinkles

1
Protect your skin from the sun. As you get older, the genes that control inflammation, the production and strength of collagen, and your skin's ability to retain water begin encourage the formation of wrinkles. A study found that aged skin that hadn't been exposed to the sun had about 3,800 genetic mutations while skin that had been exposed to the sun had around 10,000 mutations in the same genes!^{[3]
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Research source} If the risk of skin cancer isn't enough to get you to wear sunblock and wide-brimmed hats, let vanity persuade you.
- The sun provides vital Vitamin D, so make sure you're taking a supplement if you're worried about Vitamin D levels. This is a much safer way to get the vitamin than sunbathing.^{[4]
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When UV rays are absorbed by your skin, they create free radicals, which are volatile molecules. Those free radicals can latch onto your DNA and cause the mutations that cause wrinkles. Antioxidants help your body defend against free radicals.^{[5]
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Research source} Combat wrinkles by eating foods and drinking beverages that contain antioxidants (pomegranates, açai, blueberries, green tea) and using creams or moisturizers that contain them.
3
Massage your face with Omega-3. Oils containing long chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (your basic Omega-3s) work wonders in promoting intracellular repair. Examples of omega-3 oils are almond oil, egg oil and milk cream. Fish oils also contain omega-3, and can often be taken as gel pills.^{[6]
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- Salmon and other cold-water fish are excellent sources of Omega-3s.^{[7]
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4
Splash cold water on your face. Splashing cold water on your face first thing in the morning stimulates micro-circulation and regenerates dermal membrane. Preferably, fill your mouth with water while you splash so as to stretch the facial skin.
- Hit your skin with cool or cold water for 15 seconds after showering -- this closes up pores and helps your skin dry naturally. Big, warm pores allow oils out.
Wearing sunglasses protect the delicate skin around your eyes from the sun, but it'll also help prevent squinting, which directly contributes to wrinkling.^{[8]
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These may eventually turn into wrinkles. Moreover, sleeping on your back or left side is better for your spinal health as well.^{[9]
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Stop smoking. Heavy smokers are almost 5 times more likely to show excessive wrinkling than nonsmokers. Smoking can damage collagen, and the squinting and lip pursing that comes with smoking directly create wrinkles over time.^{[8]
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More animated expressions mean more creases, and creases eventually become wrinkles.^{[8]
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Research source} It might be difficult, but try to do away with frowning, eyebrow raising, and squinting. Don't stop smiling or laughing, however. A genuine smile causes crow's feet around your eyes^{[10]
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Elkman, P., Friesen, W. V., and O'Sullivan, M. (1988). "Smiles when lying". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, pp. 414–420} but the power of sincere joy against wrinkles may be stronger than the effects of not smiling at all.
In a study of female identical twins (i.e. people with the same genes), researchers found that divorced women looked older than their married or widowed twins, and women on antidepressants looked older than their twins who weren't.^{[11]
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Research source} It's unclear whether the antidepressants or the depression itself causes increased aging, but these findings imply that being in a happy relationship and having an optimistic, laid back approach to life might prevent wrinkles. At the very least, being happy will help you not care so much about the wrinkles.
10
Don't blame it on your genes. It's true that some people age more gracefully than others. And while scientists are beginning to gain a deeper understanding of how genetics can influence the aging process, they're also discovering how much your lifestyle choices can affect your genes. Your genes only govern 30% of how you age; the other 70% is up to you.^{[12]
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- No one can completely prevent wrinkles. They are a natural part of aging. But you can help control how severe they are.^{[13]
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Prescription retinoic acid can minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Wrinkles arising solely from excessive muscular contractions, such as forehead horizontal lines or crows' feet, should be injected with botulinum toxin. Deep wrinkles may need filler injections.

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Expert Q&A

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Question

Does facial yoga help in reducing wrinkles?

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.

Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

Expert Answer

Yes, facial yoga is very beneficial for preventing wrinkles as it helps to bring more circulation, release tension, help with lymphatic drainage all of which help to prevent excessive wrinkling.

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Tips

If you have sleep apnea or otherwise can't sleep on your back, try silk or satin pillowcases; those tend to be softer on the facial skin than cotton.

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Don't forget to attend other areas of your body and not just your face.

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Make sure to drink water. It keeps the skin hydrated.

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Warnings

Nothing can completely prevent wrinkles -- steer clear from miracle cures like facial peels, which can cause considerable skin damage.

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