FOREHEAD SKIN WRINKLES AND THEIR RISK FACTORS

FOREHEAD SKIN WRINKLES AND THEIR RISK FACTORS

Sagging jowls start to form when your cheeks and chin lose their elastin and collagen. The process is gradual and insidious, which means you might notice their appearance before you have a chance to engage in preventative methods.

Unfortunately, gravity isn’t on your side during this process. The older you get, the more your skin starts dropping downwards. The appearance of jowls becomes particularly apparent around the mouth, as the skin falls downwards.

What are Jowls

Aside from collagen and elastin failing to form, your genes might play a role. If you’ve noticed that older members of your family have strong ones, there’s a chance you’ll develop them too. Although you can’t change your genetics, you can make some simple lifestyle modifications to achieve jowls less noticeable. Making such alterations also slows down their appearance, giving you the chance to stay looking younger for longer. There are many reasons why the skin on the jowls might lose its elasticity:

Ageing

As we get older, our skin starts losing significant amounts of collagen and elastin. These are two proteins crucial for keeping the skin taut and firm.

When the amount of these proteins starts to decrease, the skin begins giving in to gravity and begins dropping downwards.

This is most prominent at and around the lower jaw, as visible pouches of skin and flesh start forming.

The laxity of the skin due to ageing can also cause the tissues in the cheeks and around cheekbones to weaken and drop down. This contributes to a more prominent development of jowls, as they are significantly heavier and more pronounced.

GENETICS

A significant percentage of the population has a genetic predisposition to the jowls. These are people who tend to develop visible jowls at an early age, and whose face otherwise doesn’t have any significant signs of ageing or other damage.

If your parents or close family members have or have had jowls, you are more likely to develop them yourself.

SUN DAMAGE

UV rays are great for a lot of things. They help your body manufacture Vitamin D, which in turn helps your bones use calcium to get stronger. On the aesthetic side of things, you’ll get a tan. At the same time, too much UV exposure breaks down your collagen and elastin, leading to skin that sags.

UV exposure doesn’t just affect your jowls. It’ll cause any area of your face to form wrinkles. So, make sure you use sunscreen, avoid staying outside during hot periods and never turn to a tanning bed for your healthy glow.

Causes of jowls

SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT LOSS

While low and medium intensity weight loss won’t do any damage to your skin whatsoever, extreme weight loss can have a hugely negative impact.

During the process of gaining weight, your skin stretches out naturally to accommodate extra fat. When you lose that weight, your skin remains stretched out and saggy, and all of the fat and flesh it was holding disappears.

If you’re planning to lose weight, avoid crash dieting and try a slow weight loss plan instead. By doing so, you’ll reduce the risk of sagging jowls.

SMOKING

Smoking is the enemy of healthy skin and can cause a myriad of different skin conditions and damages.

Cigarettes contain nicotine, along with dozens of other harmful chemicals that narrow the blood vessels in your skin and slow down your blood circulation. Nicotine is directly responsible for dehydrating the skin and depleting its collagen levels.

Also when you smoke, you reduce blood flow to the skin. You also reduce your collagen and elastin content. As a result, your skin loses many of the properties it needs to remain supple. If you’re struggling to quit, approach your GP for smoking cessation advice.

SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR PHONE AND COMPUTER

Many of us are permanently attached to our phones. At the same time, most professionals use a computer at some stage or another. Or, you might use one at home for recreational purposes.

While this may seem a little odd, the movements you make to read the text on your screen cause your neck to lose its elasticity. As a result, your jowls receive less support from below, causing them to look saggier.