No doubt most Americans have been experiencing more stress in their lives due to the economic situation. It has been estimated that over 14 million Americans are out of jobs, creating stress both for the individual and their families. If this is not enough, consider the fact that 28 million Americans are i jobs they don’t like. This huge problem has impacted our lives in so many ways that we have difficulty hiding our emotions. In fact, we are smiling less, becoming angry more, and in general, frowning more. So what effect does all this frowning have on our looks?

Can Frowning Cause Wrinkles?
Is it really an “old wives’ tale” that frowning causes wrinkles, so smile more? Atlanta graphic artist Brittany Misra said her grandmother told her exactly that…so she tries to put on a happy face as much as possible. Brittany’s grandmother may have a good point according to Seattle facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sam Naficy, who reports, “Facial expressions have a lot to do with the formation of dynamic wrinkles – those wrinkles we see when we frown, smile, squint etc. When the muscle under your skin is causing your skin to form and fold in the same way continuously over time, then naturally, a line or wrinkle will appear. This also has a lot to do with age and older skin does not have the framework to maintain form the same way younger skin does. Therefore, age and repeated expression work in concert to create lines and wrinkles.”

According to Wikipedia, wrinkles are a result of a fold, ridge, or crease in the skin and can be caused by habitual facial expressions as well as sun damage, smoking and poor hydration. In addition, well known Atlanta dermatologist Dr. Harold Brody states, “For sure, stress makes some people frown more and etches more wrinkles into the area between the eyes. This may purse the mouth more during stress and generate upper lip wrinkles.”

If you have any doubt that wrinkling is a serious problem, consider that it has been estimated that Americans will spend an estimated $17 billion this year for cosmetic products that have medicinal or drug-like benefits. Although these gels, creams, and serums may well mask or temporarily remove some or even all the wrinkling, Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jordana Gilman adds, “The deep smile lines appear for several reasons. One, as we age and lose collagen and soft tissue, the face gets flatter and sags with gravity. This sagging and loss of volume emphasizes the lines that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth. The fat pads that give the ‘apple’ of the cheek soften and sag. Fine lines also appear around the mouth and lips from years of repetitive movements.” To reduce these lines, Dr. Gilman uses injectable fillers. Other treatments consist of chemical peels or surgical intervention.

Can Facial Expressions Age Looks?
Famed author and lecturer Dr. Paul Ekman (paulekman.com), an expert on reading what is behind facial expressions, states that some people are prompted to get plastic surgery due to wrinkles that form around parts of their face giving a perceived appearance of anger. He asserts that smiling more does make a difference. He says, “The mark that it is a genuine smile, not a social or false smile, is the activation of the outer parts of the muscle that orbits the eye. Experiments verify that it is only when this muscle is active in addition to the muscle that produces the smile that enjoyment is felt.” Dr. Brody weighs in on the effects of smiling by agreeing that “smiling more,” whether genuine or not, produces fewer wrinkles between the eyes; however, more crinkles around the crow’s feet can appear. Also, squinting from the sun makes a difference too. Blue-eyed people admit more light and are more sun sensitive and squint more than brown-eyed people. Squinting may be more incriminating in crow’s feet than a few little extra smiles.

Wrinkles Can Occur Just by Sleeping
Did you know that wrinkles can occur by sleeping on your side or stomach? When sleeping in the side position, you risk getting lines on your chin and cheeks. When sleeping on your stomach, you risk getting wrinkles between the eyebrows. The optimum sleeping position is on your back. Dr. Brody also believes that dynamic wrinkles from movement etch wrinkles in some people’s skin, including their sleep skin-crushing habits for side sleepers.

Genetics Do Play a Role
You can thank Mom and Dad for the skin that you have. Dr. Brody says that genetics plays a large role in both facial lines and wrinkles. “The major factor is skeletal resorption of the orbital area around the eyes and around the mouth in hereditarily predisposed individuals, producing wrinkles early on everywhere…the upper lip, the crow’s feet, the glabella (around eyes) and the cheeks. This is a major factor that is now treated by fillers which treat wrinkles more effectively than just lifting, peeling or resurfacing, using botulinum toxin or filling only the upper skin. Dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons can now treat hereditary predisposition better than ever."

Probably the most frequent request I get from patients is how to create a younger looking smile. So I typically ask new patients to bring in photographs of how they looked when they were younger. One recent patient told me she had received numerous injections of Botox and I noticed her restricted facial expression. But when I looked at her photo that showed her smile before the Botox injections, I was shocked at how the injections had altered her previously beautiful face. So there is the potential problem of improper or overuse of the muscle paralyzing injectable. And a friendly reminder: too much injectable filler in the lips may hide your upper teeth which also can make you look older.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DR. GOLDSTEIN, VISIT WWW.GOLDSTEINGARBER.COM.

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