Editor’s note: This is Part I of a two-part series about wrinkles.
At the beginning of last month’s column, I alluded to an alarming trend I’ve encountered among younger members here at NC – an irrational fear of getting wrinkles. “Freaking me out” is the phrase used by one 20-something member in a posting made earlier this year, and it was echoed by several other 20- and 30-something members.
My overly facetious response was that they consider dying now to avoid aging altogether.
Let’s be blunt – we are living longer, and wrinkles and grey hair go hand-in-hand with age. There is almost no way to avoid them if you plan to be around to see your great-grandchildren finish high school.
At the same time, it certainly seems that looking your age – especially for those over 40 – has become taboo (“The New York Times,” March 1, 2007″>. One of the best examples of this involves the MAC Cosmetics “Icon” collections. This year’s face of the collection is Raquel Welch, who turned 66 last September – the same age as my mother. In the photographs accompanying the cosmetics displays, Welch was so airbrushed to line-free perfection, she looks younger than my 46 years. This is hardly the action one would expect from a company that promotes itself as being for “All Ages, All Races, All Sexes.”
The North American cult of youth worship has grown as scientific, and medical advances not only allow us to live longer but to live healthier. Those same scientific and medical advances also allow us to hide the signs of our age; but should we erase every physical trace of our years?
I understand wanting to look good – I’m just as vain (if not more so”> than the next person. Every three to four weeks, out comes the dye to touch up the grey that grows out, as I am exceedingly attached to my red hair. And I often boast about how much younger I look than all my years. But, despite my talking about it for almost a decade, I still have not had treatments to stop me from crinkling my forehead.
So, other than getting your entire face injected with Botox to prevent movement of any muscle at all, what can you do to minimize wrinkling as you age?
Let’s start at the basics of skin. As I outlined in my November 2006 column, our skin is comprised of three layers: the epidermis, the dermis (where collagen and elastin are stored”> and subcutaneous fat tissue. As we get older, the epidemeris becomes thinner, and the fibrous bonds between the collagen and elastin break down, allowing the skin to sag and wrinkle. The rate at which your skin ages is hereditary and also related to ethnicity; the paler you are, the more your skin will show the signs of aging.
After heredity, wrinkle formation is dependent on two things – sun exposure and muscle movement. Assuming you want to show a full range of emotions on your face, you have more control over the first than the second. If you are seriously interested in avoiding every possible wrinkle at all costs, see the above quip about having your entire face injected with Botox.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the single best anti-wrinkle cream on the market is sunscreen.
If you don’t want to believe me, ask any dermatologist — even those with their own lines of high-priced anti-aging products. Dr. Patricia Wexler (associate clinical professor of dermatology, Mount Sinai Hospital School of Medicine, New York”> elicited groans from the audience during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show several years ago when she told them that the best anti-wrinkle cream available is sunscreen.
When the longer UVA rays of the sun hit your skin, they stimulate abnormal production of elastin. In this case, it’s too much of a good thing. The excess elastin produces enzymes that break down collagen and the bonds between regular elastin and collagen. Over time, this is what causes wrinkles; especially those fine lines that every skin-care company on the planet promises their product will reduce “in appearance.”
Broad-spectrum sunscreens create a physical barrier between UVA rays and your skin. Look for products with avobenzone (Parsol”>, ecamsule (Mexoryl”>, or zinc or titanium oxide. Try Anthelios SX, Coppertone Spectra, or Hawaiian Tropic Broad Spectrum Lotion.
Protecting your skin goes beyond sunscreen. Skin-cancer rates are rising because people have been lulled into a false sense of security when they use the products – often incorrectly – and they don’t take other steps that can prevent burning and tanning.
Long, loose clothing made of tightly-woven cloth in shades of blue absorb light more effectively than any white t-shirt. I carry a parasol in the summer months and never go anywhere without my over-sized “Jackie Kennedy” glasses – even on cloudy days.
Next month, I’ll discuss treatment options – from potions to face lifts.
