Find out how much you really know about anti-wrinkle skincare -“True or false” quiz-
Is your daily skincare routine based on misconceptions?
Is everything you know about skincare actually wrong?
Take our “true or false” quiz to find out right now!
Q1. Rubbing the skin while washing or cleansing your face causes wrinkles.
Q2. Fine lines can be reduced by moisturizing your skin.
Q3. If you have a habit of frowning, you’re more likely to get wrinkles.
Q4. Doing facial exercises to combat smile lines is pointless.
How many questions could you answer? Now let’s look at the right answers and the reasons behind them.
Q1. Rubbing the skin while washing or cleansing your face causes wrinkles.
A1. True
Rubbing damages the skin’s surface. This decreases the skin’s essential barrier function, making it more susceptible to stimuli and less able to retain moisture, which can lead to blotchiness and roughness. Meanwhile, stimulation of the dermis – the layer of skin below the surface – can increase the amount of reactive oxygen, or cause inflammation, disrupting the turnover of skin cells. This can lead to wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems. To avoid such problems, aging skin should be washed gently, without rubbing.
Q2. Fine lines can be reduced by moisturizing your skin.
A2. True
Fine lines are caused by dehydration of the epidermis – the skin’s outermost layer – or in other words, by dryness. Therefore, hydration is likely to improve their appearance. Fine lines are less noticeable when your skin is fully hydrated, such as when you’ve just had a bath or completed your daily skincare routine. The reason why fine lines become more noticeable as you get older is that your skin’s ability to retain moisture gradually decreases.
Fine lines are wrinkles in the epidermis, but, if left untreated, they eventually turn into deep wrinkles. These deep wrinkles are formed by creases in the dermis. Once the wrinkles have deepened, it gets harder to improve their appearance by hydration alone. When fine lines are still in their early stages, it’s important to use your daily skincare routine to replenish the nourishment your skin needs.
Q3. If you have a habit of frowning, you’re more likely to get wrinkles.
A3. True
When you frown or squint, wrinkles are formed between your eyebrows. The physical movement of your facial muscles causes habitual lines to form in your skin. These lines eventually turn into deeply-etched wrinkles. We call them “expression lines”. A fleeting frown may leave light wrinkles on your skin, but these can easily be reduced. However, once a frown becomes habitual, it is perpetuated by the uneven generation of collagen in the dermis. Bear in mind that if you continue habitually making facial expressions that cause wrinkles, the damage will accumulate and end up as permanent lines.
Q4. Doing facial exercises to combat smile lines is pointless.
A4. False
Smile lines are caused by the skin’s loss of suppleness, mainly due to the following age-related processes:
(1) weakening of the facial muscles
(2) decrease of the number of collagen fibers in the skin
(3) loss of skin elasticity and dwindling of the subcutaneous fat that supports the skin
Smile lines develop in the wrinkle-prone “seamlines” between facial muscles. The area around the mouth is particularly prone to loss of suppleness because of the large muscular movements it makes, which tend to decrease the amount of collagen in the dermis.
Smile lines can be treated with massage and facial exercises. These methods are likely to help strengthen the facial muscles and improve the distribution of subcutaneous fat, both of which support the skin. Although smile lines can’t be completely eliminated once they’ve appeared, it’s possible to slow down the deepening process. Realistically, you can only expect massage and exercise to reduce smile lines to the point where they look more like faint shadows around your mouth. It’s best to start treating smile lines as soon as they become a concern.
Wrinkles are the principal sign of aging skin. So, keep your skin looking youthful by following the correct skincare techniques.
