You At Your Best

bY KAren rice YOu At YOur best Getting older brings about many physical and emotional changes. Wrinkles, unfortunately, come with the territory. The effort to fight and mask those telltale signs adds up to hundreds of billions of dollars being spent each year on anti-aging and anti-wrinkling treatments. Zion Market Research says the global anti-aging market is expected to reach $216.52 billion in 2021. Although medical procedures and products sold at drug stores and by cosmetics retailers have their benefits, there may be some other ways to preserve one's face and appearance. As skin ages, its natural tendency is to become less elastic. However, other factors also contribute to the formation of wrinkles. Understanding the main culprits behind wrinkles can help people combat them more effectively. • Exposure to UV light: The Mayo Clinic says that ultraviolet radiation speeds up the natural aging process and is the primary cause of early wrinkling. UV from the sun can break down the supportive connective tissue in the skin, which includes collagen and elastin fibers. Using sunscreen and staying out of the sun as much as possible can help. • Exposure to pollution: Pollution can cause free radical damage that contributes to wrinkling, advises Maral Skelsey, M.D., director of the Dermatologic Surgery Center of Washington. Other data indicates those who live in urban settings have more wrinkles and age spots than those who live in rural areas. Washing off skin contaminants from the air each day may be beneficial. • Smoking: The contaminants in cigarette smoke can damage the skin, promoting wrinkles, states the skincare company Nivea. Also, dragging on a cigarette purses the lips and can form deep wrinkles around this area of the face. • Poor diet and stress: Stress and eating unhealthy foods, such as a diet high in sugar, may contribute to premature aging of the skin. According to Kristina Goldenberg, MD, board-certified dermatologist of Goldenberg Dermatology, after sugar is ingested it goes through a process called glycation, which involves binding to different proteins in the body. These proteins include collagen and elastin. By binding to these building blocks of the skin, sugar weakens collagen and elastin and will lead to an appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Stress can increase cortisol levels that affect the skin's ability to stay hydrated and elastic. And, just as it is possible to tone the body, one also can tone the muscles in the face. Brands like Face Yoga and FaceXercise promote facial exercises that reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines without the need for more invasive procedures. Proponents of Face Yoga, which is a series of exercises performed most days of the week for about 20 minutes a day, say it will tone underlying muscles and help improve blood circulation. Fans attest that the movements also may encourage the production of collagen, which is the protein that keeps skin elastic and gives it its plump feeling. The face contains 57 muscles that can be worked gently to see results. A new Northwestern Medicine study published in JAMA Dermatology is the first scientific study to test the premise of facial exercise and its effects on appearance. The study found that a daily or alternate-day 30-minute facial exercise program sustained over 20 weeks improved the facial appearance of middle-aged women, resulting in a younger appearance with fuller upper and lower cheeks. The idea is that building muscle volume can counter the effects of age-related fat thinning and skin loosening in the face. People may want to focus on movements that will strengthen facial muscles. Doris Day, M.D., author of the book "Skinfluence," says to try a facial movement where you look like you're going to laugh or smile but don't actually follow through. This raises eyebrows and targets those muscles and the ones by the ears that pull the skin back. Adopting a neutral face at rest is helpful as it helps prevent wrinkled brow and lines from frowning. The jury is still out as to the efficacy of facial exercise for wrinkle reduction. But there's no doubt that a healthy diet, use of sunscreen, resolving to stay hydrated, and avoiding stress and other wrinkle triggers can contribute to your overall health. And there's nothing like a healthy glow to help you put your best face forward. Putting your Best fAce forwArd How prevention and "exercise" can help keep wrinkles at bay 8 | YOu At YOur best | YOuAtYOurbest.nWAOnline.cOm OctOber - WOmen's HeAltH | sundAY, sePtember 26, 2021

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