Debunking the Wrinkle Myth: Why Waxing Does Not Cause the Wrinkles on Your Face

February 04, 2020

If you are reaching your 30's, you might be worried that your waxing routine will make your skin saggy and wrinkly. After all, if waxing involves some skin tugging and pulling, it might be logical to think that constantly doing it could cause some damage. Well, we are here to tell you that you have nothing to worry about! There are a number of factors that will cause your face's skin to wrinkle, but waxing is definitely not one of them. When done properly, following proper care with pre-depilatories and post-depilatories, waxing should not cause fine lines. Let's have a more in-depth look at this matter and learn about other factors that do contribute to wrinkling.

Skin and Waxing

You may have heard that waxing removes the superficial layer of skin and panicked a little. You don't have to! The outermost layer of skin contains dead skin cells, and it's naturally the most resistant layer since it is the first line of defense against the environment. This layer does not have blood vessels or other vital structures that could get damaged by the pulling from waxing such as connective tissue or muscle, which provide support to the skin. When these structures are compromised (because of the natural aging process, collagen breakdown or muscle atrophy, for example), wrinkles do appear.

The topmost layer of skin is constantly being renewed, and it's what gets removed when waxing, so your body will promptly replace those skin cells. If anything, waxing has an exfoliating effect.

What Really Causes Wrinkles

There are other causes to wrinkles and fine lines and they have nothing to do with waxing, not even when done regularly. Let's take a look.

• Dietary habits: These are very important, both for our body's health and our appearance. Eating the right food will make your skin healthier and in turn, less prone to wrinkling. According to Dr. Rozina Ali, we need to eat certain foods to help the body produce the necessary substances to keep our skin feeling and looking healthy and to fight the effects of free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin's collagen-producing cells, leading to wrinkles. According to the same source, scientists have discovered that eating certain foods can help fight free radicals. For example, bright colored foods are rich in antioxidants. The color is indicative of this feature, which helps prevent oxidative stress and in turn, premature aging. Eating Omega-3-rich foods, e.g. oily fish, also helps prevent wrinkles and fine lines. Some of the fish recommended to increase your intake of this fatty acid are mackerel and salmon. Other Omega-3-rich foods are flaxseed oil, soybeans, spinach, and walnuts.
  
  
• Sun exposure and extreme weather can make your skin more prone to wrinkling. UV radiation creates free radicals, which damage elastin and collagen fibers. These two provide support and structure to the skin, so when they are reduced or damaged, wrinkles and sagginess appears.
  
  To avoid the harsh effects of the weather, you should always wear sunscreen when carrying out prolonged outdoor activities, even when you spend long hours in your car. A broad-spectrum sunscreen that provides protection against both UVB and UVA rays is recommended for these cases.
  
  
• Genetics also play an important role in this matter. In general, fair skin tends to age more rapidly than dark skin, mainly because it is more susceptible to sun exposure, but also because it tends to dry out more easily.
  
  
• Hormone loss. The endocrine system is pretty much the human body's manager. Hormones control many processes, from growth to reproduction to, of course, aging. As such, hormone loss causes changes in our entire body, including our skin. For example, according to an article published in the International Dermal Institute website, "Estrogens can increase glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), such as Hyaluronic Acid, to maintain fluid balance and structural integrity. They can also increase collagen production in the skin, where they maintain epidermal thickness and allow skin to remain plump, hydrated, and wrinkle-free." So, the lack of this hormone can affect skin thickness and moisture and prompt the formation of fine lines. Around the time of menopause, women's estrogen production drops, contributing to skin aging.
  
  
• Repetitive facial expressions. It is not uncommon to see young people with marked lines on their faces. These lines are formed due to the facial expressions we most commonly make. Some people are prone to frowning, some people smile a lot, and people with sight problems tend to squint. These repetitive movements leave tiny marks on your face. As your skin ages, it loses its elasticity and these marks become permanent.
  
  
• Smoking. Nicotine reduces blood flow to the skin, thus reducing the amount of nutrients and oxygen that reach your skin, accelerating the aging process. Smoke also helps break down collagen, prompting the aging process.
  
  
• Finally, the most obvious reason for wrinkles to appear is chronological aging. The three most common signs of chronological aging on the skin are fine lines and wrinkles, loss of volume, loss of radiance, dryness, and a less effective skin barrier function (the skin might be more delicate and prone to infections, for instance). All of these external signs of aging are the result of internal changes in the skin: loss of hyaluronic acid, slower cell turnover, less production of natural oils, collagen breakdown (1% by each year after the age of 25), elastin breakdown, reduced micro-circulation and oxygen transport to the topmost layers of skin, and a reduction in the lipid sub-layers.

All these reasons should assure you that waxing is not listed in any of the proven causes for premature aging. However, as we said before, it should be done with the right technique to minimize any harmful effect. Below, we will leave you some tips to identify if your esthetician is doing right by you.

• When waxing delicate areas of the face, it is preferable to use hard wax. This type of wax is gentler than strip wax as it does not adhere to the skin itself, only to hair.
  
• When waxing any part of the body, skin should be held taut, both during wax application and removal to cleanly wax the hair and prevent repeating the application on the same area.
  
• To keep the structure underneath, leave the skin undamaged, and prevent the skin from being pulled upwards, wax removal should be done parallel to and in close proximity to the skin.
  
• One more thing to keep in mind is the quality of the product. Your waxing specialist should use top quality products to assure the job is done properly and to avoid any complications that poor quality materials may cause, such as skin irritation. If possible, request that all waxing is done with only professional waxes (formulated for sensitive skin). We love Finewax Cerapiel with Cotton Oil because it is gentle to the skin and provides effective waxing every time.

Now you can rest assured that your waxing appointments are not doing any damage to your skin. All the contrary; they're acting as an exfoliant, ridding you of unwanted hair, and decreasing the coarseness of that hair in the long run. Waxing is better yet with the guidance of an expert and professional products. Why don't you contact us at Beauty Image? We have the widest range of waxes and waxing accessories for flawless results. Call TOLL FREE 888-513-8815 or fill out the contact form; we'll be happy to help you. Also, subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest news about us right in your inbox.

If you found this article helpful then let us know in the comments section below. Likewise, feel free to share it using the share options below. Want us to cover another topic of your interest pertaining to hair removal products? If so, then like us and follow us on social media, and post to any of our social media profiles the topic you'd like us to discuss: Facebook @BeautyImageUSA, Twitter @BeautyImageUSA and Instagram @beautyimageusa