Science Questions

Why do we get wrinkles?

If our skin is always regenerating, why do we get wrinkles? Nikki

It’s probably because your skin’s regenerating as you have cells in the top layer of your skin or epidermis that are constantly multiplying to replace the skin that dies but the bit that holds the structure of your skin at a lower level is called the dermis and that contains a molecule called elastin which breaks down as you get older. You also lose the fat in the lower layers of your skin. So although the top layer of your skin is regenerating it’s the bottom layer that’s going saggy and makes you wrinkly.

And if you smoke, the chemicals in cigarette smoke also encourage that break-down to accelerate which is why people tend to get a lot of wrinkles around their mouth if they smoke. A good way to anti-age yourself is to stop smoking and stop going on sunbeds as well.

November 2007