That seems unfair enough, but do women also tend to wrinkle more easily? In some areas of this face, this seems to be the case. Let’s focus on wrinkles and lines around the mouth. Find out why women have more wrinkles around the mouth.
There are a couple of reasons why women can tend to have more wrinkles around the mouth.
First of all, it's not your imagination. While both men and women age (obviously), women have the added issue of the effects of perimenopause, full-blown menopause and post-menopause.
As women approach menopause, there are definite changes in the both the hair (color, texture, thickness), in addition to escalated aging of the skin. Menopause seems to make aging issues of the skin such as sagging, discoloration, hollowing out, thinning or crepey skin, and dryness more pronounced.
The biggest reason that menopause is such a key factor in getting more wrinkles is due to the loss of estrogen. There are other factors such as past and present exposure to the sun, and environmental aging factors such as exposure to pollutants, extreme temperatures and wind, plus lifestyle factors such as smoking, not drinking enough water and not keeping skin moisturized properly.
The decrease of estrogen thins out the skin (like the delicate skin under the eyes and around the mouth), allows more dead skin cells to appear
and remain on the skin's surface for a dull-looking complexion and escalates the effects of sagging skin due to decreased elasticity.
To sum it up, menopause can speed up the effects of aging to include –
Expedites the loss of collagen, which is the “framework” or support underneath the skin
Decrease in the ability to keep skin plumped out; giving it a “hollow” look
Thinning, crepey skin
Dry skin (which increases the likelihood of wrinkles all by itself)
Increased loss in the elasticity of skin (skin begins to sag)
Increased appearance of fine lines all over the face (forehead, eyes, mouth)
Unbalanced skin tone (blotches, age spots)
To add to the bad news, women have fewer sebaceous glands and blood vessels in the upper lip area than men. Fewer sebaceous glands means that less oil is produced to keep skin hydrated. Fewer blood vessels means less blood flow/circulation to the upper lip area.
The muscles in a woman’s upper lip area are located closer to the surface of the skin, so when they lose their elasticity and tone, it is more noticeable. Also when the muscles are used in the same motion repeatedly, like they are when making facial expressions, the muscles can be pulled tighter, which has the potential to result in more wrinkles.
These things only increase with age and menopause, due to the breakdown of collagen, decreased cell activity and overall elasticity of the skin.
The good news is that there are things you can do to turn these negatives into positives. Work the following solutions into your daily skincare routine -
Hydrate
Drink more water. Water can flush impurities from your cells, and promote better cell turnover. Water can keep the sebaceous glands working more effectively by flushing toxins away and preventing blocked glands (acne). Water can keep skin more plump-looking, as well.
Wear sunscreen
Keep your skin protected from harmful UVA and UVB rays. These rays attack the skin even on cloudy days. Wear plenty of sunscreen every time you go outdoors, and stay out of the direct sunlight as much as possible.
Increase antioxidants
Ramp up the levels of vitamins A, E, D3 and especially C to minimize free radical damage, which attacks your healthy cells. A vitamin C-based skin cream is an excellent choice to take care of aging skin.
Exfoliate
Gently exfoliate the skin a few times per week to keep skin clean and remove the build-up of dead skin cells that gang up on the surface of the skin, resulting in a dry, dull complexion.
Collagen cream
Using a topical cream to rebuild collagen fibers is another good choice to tone up sagging skin and help rebuild the skin's underlying frame.
Facial Firming Exercises
Another great option to increase blood flow, promote more efficient cell turnover, diminish fine lines and wrinkles, rebuild muscles and lift, firm and tone skin.
Now you know why women have more wrinkles around the mouth, and the potential for more wrinkles in general on the face as they age.
Take some action steps to balance out the effects of menopause and aging in general. By consistently taking good, proactive care of your skin, you can look great no matter what your age.
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