Nobody wants wrinkles. In fact, not all wrinkles appear due to aging. Various factors are involved. Because of this, it’s important to know what the different types of wrinkles are to implement the most effective treatment.
Despite their possible causes, wrinkles all show the same way on the skin and can be unsightly, especially when they appear early. In this article, we’ll classify wrinkles according to the factors associated with their appearance.
Read on to learn more!
What are wrinkles?
Wrinkles are folds of the skin that develop by the constant contraction of the facial muscles. Aging shows them even more because of the alterations that happen in the skin layers.
The epidermis becomes thinner and elasticity and collagen decreases, which provide hydration and firmness. The deepest layer of the skin (hypodermis) loses its amount of fatty tissue as time goes on.
Different Types of Wrinkles
Clinically, wrinkles can be deep or superficial. The latter disappear when the skin is stretched, which differentiates them from the deep ones, which don’t move when trying to stretch the skin. They’re all expressed in the same way, but they vary in the way they’re created.
Let’s look at the main types of wrinkles below.
1. Static wrinkles
These are formed because collagen, tissue, and elasticity naturally lose volume. You don’t need to make facial expressions to see them, as they’re already marked on the skin thanks to the same repetitive movements of facial muscles.
2. Dynamic wrinkles
These are expression wrinkles. We create these by frowning, squinting, and smiling. Therefore, they’re caused by muscle activity. They tend to appear from the age of 30, when some people use preventive treatment by applying botulinum toxin.
The most popular dynamic wrinkles are:
- “Crow’s feet” which are noticeable when smiling or even when the face is resting.
- The horizontal wrinkles on the forehead.
- The vertical ones from frowning.
3. Gravitational wrinkles
Gravitational wrinkles appear as a result of the aging process. They’re usually noticeable around the age of 40. Aging manifests itself in the reduction of adipose tissue, vascular degeneration, and bone atrophy.
These are marked by several factors:
- Dehydration is accentuated.
- The skin becomes more rough and dry.
- The dermis loses light and tone.
Over time, the face ages even more due to the decrease in elastin and collagen in the skin. Expression wrinkles are accentuated and the skin droops because of gravity. Likewise, the loss of the adipose layer highlights certain bone areas of the face and accentuates the signs of aging.
The most common of these are seen in:
- The neck
- The sides of the chin
- In front of your ears
4. Mixed wrinkles
These happen because of several factors, such as aging, excess sun exposure, gravity, and facial movements. These are the grooves that run from the ends of the mouth to the sides of the base of the nose; and also the vertical wrinkles at the front of the neck.
5. Sleep wrinkles
Sleep also affects premature aging. They differ from dynamics in their shape. These lines appear vertically on the neckline, face, and neck. These typically appear from the age of 30, when the natural production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid in the body decreases.
Richard Glogau’s classification for the different types of wrinkles
There is another system to differentiate the types of wrinkles. It’s elaborated by skin expert Richard Glogau. It pleases wrinkles into four categories according to the degree of photoaging of the skin.
- TYPE I: No wrinkles: This is often found in patients between 20 and 30 years of age, characterized by mild photoaging, moderate pigment changes, no keratosis, and minimal wrinkles. No makeup needed to cover them.
- TYPE II: Expression wrinkles: These appear between the ages of 30 and 40. There’s moderate photoaging, in which lentigos and keratosis are present (but not visible). Expression wrinkles appear especially around the eyes when smiling. Sometimes you need makeup to cover them.
- TYPE III. Resting wrinkles: From 50 to 60 years, these show up with advanced photoaging, remarkable dischromies, telangiectasias, visible keratosis, and marked wrinkles, even if you don’t make expressions. Makeup doesn’t cover them completely.
- TYPE IV: Wrinkles only: In people over 60 years of age, these show up with severe photoaging, yellowish-gray skin color, premalignant lesions, and wrinkles on the whole face. You can’t wear makeup for these because it cracks and breaks.
What to remember about the different types of wrinkles
Not all types of wrinkles are because of aging. Some appear much earlier, either by unprotected exposure to the sun or by facial expressions. Adopting healthy living habits and a beauty routine is crucial to slowing their appearance.
