And before you can identify the type of wrinkle you’re dealing with (we have a full explainer here, if you’re curious), it’s important to understand what causes each set of lines to take up their permanent residence. Ahead, find our guide to what causes wrinkles: Some are unavoidable, you’ll see, but others are within your control, to an extent. The modern “tech neck” is also a product of movement—specifically, bending your neck down. “We get horizontal lines in the neck due to the bending of the neck to look down,” says board-certified dermatologist Jeremy Fenton, M.D., of Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC and Long Beach, New York. “People are noting more of this now that we spend more time looking down at our screens. You can get the deep lines that are horizontal and run across the front of the neck from the bending, or flexion, of the neck.” While the exact age this process starts differs for everyone, collagen production starts to dip in most people’s bodies from the time they’re in their late teens or early 20s and decreases about 1% a year3 after that. And once people hit menopause, they experience a 30% drop in collagen4 in the first five years, with a 2% dip every year after that. See, the oxidative stress from UV rays damages the underlying elastic structure in the skin and causes fine, tissue-like creases, resulting in a leathery, crepey appearance. (You may come across more scientific terms, like elastotic wrinkles or atrophic wrinkles, since they form due to the breakdown of your skin’s elastic structure.) In fact, smoking is a “big one” for collagen damage, board-certified dermatologist Gary Goldenberg, M.D., once told us: “Smoking decreases the amount of oxygen delivered to tissues. Therefore, tissue cannot regenerate and is more likely to become damaged and die,” he explains. One study on twins found that those who smoked had more wrinkles, crow’s feet, and facial lines than their nonsmoking counterparts. It’s a concept called “compression wrinkles,” and it occurs from constant pressure on the delicate area from, say, sleeping on your stomach with the side of your face smashed into the pillow. Find our favorite antioxidant-rich beauty supplements here. In addition to these ingredients, it can also be helpful to support your body’s natural collagen production with hydrolyzed collagen supplements. In fact, studies have shown that taking collagen peptides will support skin elasticity and hydration levels and promote youthful texture2. Of course, not all collagen supplements are created equal, so see here for a list of high-quality collagen supplements to choose from. Point being: Focusing on hydration is a key part of your skin’s longevity and health. You can find our full guide to hydrating the skin here, but allow us to call out ceramides, aloe, and hyaluronic acid as some of our favorite skin-plumping ingredients. You can also try face yoga, where you intentionally isolate and tone your face muscles for tighter, more toned skin. One 2018 study even found that the daily exercise could reduce signs of facial aging10, with improvements especially in upper and lower cheek fullness.
