Wrinkled skin is a tell-tale sign of Aging and Poor Nourishment!
Medhya Herbals
Anybody can develop wrinkles on the skin, as it is caused by Aging or Premature Aging, if nothing else. If you are, or are over, 35 years of age, it is quite likely that you may have started noticing little folds on your skin, particularly around your facial contours. The chances are especially higher if you are a woman, most particularly if you have borne children.
An unfortunate fact about our current society is that a man with wrinkles is respected for it, while a woman with wrinkles is considered to be old! Well, our society and its beliefs have a long way to go in many areas. So, you should not care about it!
But, what you should definitely be concerned about your wrinkling skin. Not only it indicates premature aging in many cases. In fact, aging shows first and foremost on your skin! A wrinkled skin also indicates under nourishment or poor nourishment to be precise.
What is a Skin Wrinkle?
A wrinkle is a fold, a ridge or a crease in an otherwise smooth surface, which in this case, is the skin. The following symptoms of wrinkles can be observed were it is present:
- Lines and creases in the skin;
- Deep crevices;
- Furrows noticeable around eyes, mouth and neck.
Ayurveda And Wrinkling
As we’ve established, wrinkles appear with age generally. Wrinkling is caused by extrinsic aging factors. We are going to consider these factors better as we continue. But from an Ayurvedic perspective, as we advance in age, the Vata Dosha becomes more dominant, and this triggers off various reactions that lead to the various traits seen in the elderly, some of which lead to wrinkling, like dryness of skin, for example, as will be seen shortly.
Wrinkle lines can also be used to diagnose conditions in Ayurvedic Medicine. For example, verticals lines on your upper lip are caused by problems with the reproductive organs.
Factors That Cause Wrinkles To Develop Or Show Up
If you are going to tackle wrinkling effectively, then the underlying causative factors must be understood. If a knot is to be loosened, then we must first understand how it is tied up.
So, to get to the point, what are the causes of wrinkles and wrinkling?
1. Sun Exposure
It is unlikely that you will see any article on skin conditions that will not make mention of this. Overexposure to sun causes a lot of damage, and in this case, what happens is that the ultraviolet rays from the sun speed up the aging process. They do this by breaking down the collagen that holds the skin cells strongly together. As a result, the skin loses its strength and flexibility, and as a result, it begins to sag.
2. Smoking
The mere fact that the nicotine present in smokes can cause cancer of the lungs and send one to an early grave should be enough to make one stay off of it. But that’s not even all it does. Smoking causes about the same effect on the collagen as the ultraviolet rays from the sun does, and thus also accelerates aging. Smoking is not only when you hold the stick of smoke, but also from secondary inhalation.
3. Facial Expressions
- If you set your face in a particular expression, the muscles of the face are the ones that help you hold up that expression. These muscles also pull the skin along with them, and then the skin takes the form that you can see. Now, when the face is constantly set in a particular expression, the muscles and skin adapt, the skin loses it’s flexibility, and thus it remains fixed in that position, and it is unable to return. You can usually tell someone who smiles a lot from one who frowns a lot by the wrinkles on their faces.
4. Advanced Glycation End Products(AGEs)
When sugar is taken, it is processed and broken down through a process known as glycation. These AGEs serve to break down the collagen, just like the ultraviolet rays from the sun and the smoking would. This also accelerates aging.
5. Immersion in Water
This only causes temporary wrinkling. If you have had your hands, for example, immersed in water for a long time, when you bring them out, you will notice wrinkles on the pads of the digits. This is because the skin cells absorb excess water, some of them become more swollen than the others, causing wrinkles. However, this disappears within a short while as the water content of the cells get regulated and is restored to normal by homeostasis.
6. Habitual Sleeping Positions
If you consistently sleep on your face, pressing your face into your pillow, then note that this practice can cause you to develop wrinkles faster. As your face is scrunched up against the pillow and it squeezes the skin on your face, very much the reaction that causes your face to wrinkle due to repeated facial expressions will also lead to wrinkling for you here. Learn to sleep right.
Others are:
- Extrinsic aging factors.
- Microscars.
- Aging.
The Role Of Aging In Wrinkling
Aging is getting a special section of its own because of the important role it plays in the appearance of wrinkles. Wrinkles are, after all, signs of aging. So what happens?
- As one advances in age, a lifetime of energy spent and accumulation of inflammation causes fine lines and damaged texture of the skin.
- The systems of the body slow down, so the natural skin care factory of the body is not able to perform as well as it should. This means that less collagen is produced, less elastin is produced, and the skin no longer gets enough sebum(lubricating oil) from the sebaceous glands.
- Another thing that happens with these slowed down body systems is that the digestive system is also slowed down. As a result, the colon is blocked more often, as in constipation, and constipation causes dehydration.
- The body loses about 35% of its anti-oxidizing vitamin reservoir.
- At younger ages of about 25, the skin turnover(i.e. complete replacement of the surface layer of the skin) takes places in twenty-eight day cycles, which ensures that the skin looks fresh. At advanced ages of about 70 however, skin turnover is in ninety-day cycles. What this translates to is that the one skin layer that a 25-year old will use in one month and get a new replacement is what a 75-year old will use for three months without a replacement!
All these result in dehydration, dullness and weakness of skin, which then show up as wrinkles and loss of skin tone.
Preventing And Curing Wrinkled Skin
Conventional medicine and the dermatologists have many methods that they prescribe to take care of wrinkles. They do work, and they yield results, but how well do those results endure?
- Botox injection could be used to fill in the wrinkles. It temporarily paralyzes the facial muscles so it does not pull the skin. However, once the effects wear off, the wrinkles return.
- Photofacials might take care of superficial lines, but they won’t reach the really deep wrinkles.
- Wrinkle fillers.
- Chemical peels.
- Dermabrasion
- Laser resurfacing
The downside is that they can cause immune reactions, collagen clumps, infections, etc.
Holistic Approach To Clearing Wrinkles With Ayurveda
Medhya Herbals presents you with remedies that you can easily make for yourself at home to take care of wrinkles.
- Anti-wrinkle oil blend: You can make your anti-wrinkle oil blend with: 10 drops each of
- Neroli essential oil;
- lavender essential oil;
- frankincense essential oil;
- lemon essential oil;
- carrot seed essential oil;
- rosehip seed essential oil; and
- 2 tablespoons sweet almond oil.
Mix all ingredients in an amber colored bottle. Cover with the cap and shake vigorously.
Apply a few drops to your face and neck each night after cleansing your skin.
2. Natural Botox face mask with Banana: This facial mask is beneficial for skin tightening. Banana will relax the skin so it will be softer and more beautiful. Bananas are rich in nutrients and they are great for soothing wrinkles. Surprisingly, this highly effective remedy is very easy to make. All you need is 1 ripe banana.
Mash up your banana; gently apply mashed banana to the face, neck, and
Then, rinse it off with warm water after 15 minutes.
Then, wash your face with cold water.
The No-Wrinkles Lifestyle
To live a wrinkle-free life, practice the following:
- Shun sleeping facedown, it causes wrinkles to appear. Rather sleep on your back.
- Wash face regularly, but do not over-wash. Over-washing can cause excess water to be drawn out of the skin, leaving you dehydrated.
- Spend less time with screens.
- Do not squint, if necessary, get eyeglasses.
- Apply anti-wrinkle oil. You can make yours as directed above.
- Practice Rasayana(rejuvenation) to slow down aging.
- Avoid over-exposure to sun.
The No-Wrinkles Diet
- Eat food that will pacify the Vata Dosha.
- Drink sufficient water.
- Take diets rich in antioxidants like berries, grapes, kidney beans, etc.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables, particularly ones rich in antioxidants.
- Reduce intake of sugar.
Remember, your body is a microcosm of the universe, and like the universe, it was made to self-regulate, to take care of itself.
