Wrinkles, oh wrinkles. 😒

Indeed, they are like unwelcome guests crashing the aging gracefully party. But even if you’re embracing the journey, you still might not want every single frown line that’s been showing up on your face lately.

On the one hand, you earned those lines. They’re literal evidence of your hard-won wisdom and life experience! (And if you’re like us, you wouldn’t trade the things you know now for anything.)

But what if you're all about living in the present and want to enjoy it with a bit less evidence of time's passage?

There are lots of ways to reduce the appearance of your wrinkles, especially frown lines, with the precision of neurotoxin treatment.

Yet the ultimate weapon against wrinkles is to take care of your skin from the inside out — every day!​

Let’s dig into the six most common causes of wrinkles and how to create a lifestyle that supports your frown-line-free face.​ (These tips will help make the most of your tox results between visits to your injector. Memorize them!)

Click the links to skip around.

Clickable table of contents👇

Wrinkle Cause #1: Sun Exposure

Drumroll for the most obvious suspect in the Wrinkle Whodunit. Sun exposure takes center stage.

Why? Because the sun’s UV rays break down collagen and elastin — two key players that work together to keep your skin supple.

Collagen is a “scaffold protein” that lends skin structure and firmness. Think of it as a tiny ladder, holding up your skin so it appears plump and nourished. You might already know that your ability to produce collagen declines between 1% and 1.5% every year after about age 25.​

Elastin is another protein that works side-by-side with collagen. Instead of structure, though, elastin offers flexibility — and importantly, its “recoil” function allows the skin to snap back into place after being stretched.

Collagen and elastin work together to keep your skin smooth and firm. But the sun’s UV rays are Kryptonite for these proteins. The breakdown of these two proteins and others in the skin leads to sagging, fine lines, wrinkles and sun spots.

We’re preaching to the choir, we know. But this is why it’s crucial to wear SPF every single day AND reapply every two hours if you’re spending time in the sun. Add a hat and sunglasses for extra protection (or if you need an excuse to channel Julia Roberts’ signature look).

Wrinkle Cause #2: Smoking

Smokers, consider this a loving call-out. Not only is smoking bad for your lungs, it's also terrible for your skin.

When you smoke, you're essentially suffocating your skin, robbing it of oxygen and other vital nutrients. This can cause your blood vessels to narrow, which reduces blood flow to your skin and leads to a dull, lackluster complexion.

And that's not all! The repetitive motion of pursing your lips around a cigarette can also cause lines and wrinkles around your mouth, sooner than they might have developed otherwise.

You don’t need us to tell you all the benefits of quitting smoking. We know it’s not easy. But now you can add “brighter, more youthful skin with fewer fine lines and wrinkles” to your list of reasons to quit.

Wrinkle Cause #3: Dehydration

Remember learning in seventh grade that the human body is 60% water?

Turns out that water has a BIG effect on your skin — especially if you don’t drink enough. When your body is dehydrated, your skin can quickly get dry, dull and prone to wrinkles.

Why? Because water is essential to the maintenance of your skin cells’ structure and function. That includes the outermost layer of the skin, aka the epidermis, which protects against environmental damage and water loss.

But when your skin is dehydrated, the epidermis can become compromised. This can allow water to escape, leaving your skin looking dry and rough (especially delicate facial skin).

A compromised skin barrier can also lead to collagen and elastin loss. And you know that’s bad news, since we already talked about it up there in Cause #1! ⬆️

Luckily, keeping your skin hydrated is pretty simple. Just keep the rest of your body hydrated and your skin will follow suit. (By the way, scientists have debunked one-size-fits-all hydration guidance — including the famous “8 eight-ounce glasses per day” rule.)

Along with helping maintain your skin’s health and function, drinking water can help flush out natural waste products from your body (think things like urea, carbon dioxide, ammonia and lactic acid). By giving your body the water it needs to get rid of waste, you’re supporting your full-body health — which includes more vibrant-looking skin.

Pro tip: For even better hydration, try incorporating a moisturizer into your skincare routine that includes ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin or ceramides. These compounds can help attract and retain moisture.

Oh, and if you struggle with dry facial skin, try switching from a foaming cleanser to an oil-based cleanser or cleansing balm. Thank us later. 😇

Wrinkle Cause #4: Poor Diet

Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that old adage “Garbage in, garbage out” holds some truth. What you eat has a major impact on the health and appearance of your skin. That impact can be positive or negative.

A diet high in sugar, processed foods and unhealthy fats (in other words, all the yummy stuff) can lead to inflammation and damage to your skin’s sub-surface substances. Namely, our friends collagen and elastin. This inflammation can contribute to the development of wrinkles, fine lines and other signs of aging.

So how can you ward off wrinkles and grow your glow through nutrition? Eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of berries, leafy greens, avocados, nuts, seeds and fatty fish. (If you’re hearing echoes of your parents in your head, you’re not alone.)

These unprocessed foods are naturally packed with vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients that can help to support collagen and elastin production, fight inflammation and protect against environmental damage. You could also aim to up your intake of lean protein, since protein gives your body (and thus, your skin) the amino-acid building blocks it needs to create and maintain cells.

It might sound boring, but there’s a bonus: Improving your diet can also have a positive impact on your mood, energy and a whole lot more.

Wrinkle Cause #5: Repetitive Facial Expressions

We’ve all got plenty of reasons to frown. (And we’ve also got one surefire way to relax your frown lines.)

Repetitive facial expressions like frowning and squinting are a big part of the way we communicate with each other as humans. But by contracting the muscles in your face regularly, even subconsciously, these expressions ALSO contribute to the development of wrinkles.

You can also practice facial muscle relaxation on the daily. Aim to check in with yourself throughout the day and ask: Am I squinting? Am I frowning? Am I pursing my lips or scowling? Then raise your eyebrows, smile, give your neck a nice little roll and enjoy the release.

Think of this like a mini mindfulness practice that helps you relax both your face and your brain. ​Find more ways to stretch and relax that pretty face of yours right here.

Pro tip: If you spend a lot of time staring at a screen (and who doesn’t, these days?), set periodic reminders on your phone to take a break and do some simple facial stretches or massages. Love that for you.

Wrinkle Cause #6: Lack of Sleep

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Getting enough sleep is vital to your overall health and wellbeing. (Sleep-deprived parents everywhere are shocked right now.)

But did you know that sleep also plays a big part in healthy, vibrant-looking skin? When you don't get enough sleep, your skin can give you away. Dark circles, puffy eyes and fine lines are all common signs of sleep deprivation.

During sleep, your body gets busy with a few different processes that support collagen production. One of these processes involves the release of growth hormones, which stimulate the production of collagen and other proteins essential to healthy, youthful-looking skin. Plus, your body's cells work to repair and regenerate themselves while you sleep, which helps repair daily damage.

Lack of sleep, on the other hand, can lead to — you guessed it! — the breakdown of collagen and elastin. Ideally, you should log 7-9 hours of sleep every night to give your skin time to repair itself.

Look, we love a good late-night binge-watch as much as you. But next time you’re tempted to stay up late watching videos on your phone, remember that your skin would prefer you hit the hay.

Regardless of how you feel about your wrinkles, knowing more about your body, your environment and how both interact is always useful. We hope you learned something new from this blog!

Like we always say, wrinkles aren’t the enemy. You get to decide how you feel about them — and you can decide line by line.