Healthy & Beauté

 The skin on your lips is completely dry and chapped? You probably haven't thought of these three unusual causes!

Remember that commercial from the '00s where a woman puts on a yellow sweater - and the lint gets stuck to her lips?

That's a bit of an exaggeration, of course. Nevertheless, chapped lips - just like dry hands - are a minor but all the more annoying evil in winter. But how is it that lips crack in winter, even though we constantly care for them with all kinds of products?

Temperature differences dry out lips

We often first think of the reasons that are obvious - such as dry heating air indoors and sub-zero temperatures outside. After all, the thin skin on the lips has no horny layer.

Since it contains neither sweat nor sebaceous glands, it also lacks the protective oil film and is very vulnerable in winter. In addition, the skin on the face is completely exposed to the cold. Thus, lips crack quickly in winter.

But there are a few other causes that we rarely have on our radar.

Dry lips: No one thinks of these 3 unusual causes

1. vitamin deficiency leads to dry lips

Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, plays an important role in all metabolic processes in cells. It is found, among other things, in dairy products, fish, but also in vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, or spinach.

When we have a deficiency of this vitamin in the body, cracks form at the corners of the mouth and the oral mucosa is easily inflamed. 

The situation is similar with zinc. The trace element is involved in cell division - if it is lacking, the skin cells of the lips also cannot be replenished quickly enough and the lips become chapped.

2. perfumed lip balm harms the lips

Proper care of the lips is of course important in winter because as mentioned, the thin skin cracks very quickly due to temperature differences.

However, some lip care products can exacerbate the problem, because they contain too many fragrances, which additionally dry out the lips with sensitive skin.

Unfortunately, the only thing that helps here is to try them out. Some people are allergic to shea butter or beeswax, for example.

3. fungi can make lips chapped

Despite all home remedies, the lips are completely chapped and cracked over a long period of time, especially in the corners of the mouth? Then one should not shrink from it to go with the dermatologist on cause research.

Because it can be - attention, disgusting - that certain fungi on the lips gain the upper hand by wrong nutrition and dry the skin completely. However, a low-carbohydrate diet and an ointment from the dermatologist can quickly solve the problem.

Cold & lip care: This actually makes your lips chapped

You have chapped lips? Then it's probably because of that hygiene product you use every day.

your lips always chapped

On Reddit, a website where registered users can post and offer content, this question has been hotly debated. And the solution is much easier than you think. Because it's not the cold winter weather, the heating air, or the wrong lip care that's to blame for dry lips, but: your toothpaste.

This is why toothpaste makes lips chapped

Sodium dodecyl polysulfate, a substance that makes toothpaste foam really nicely, is said to cause dryness and chapping in lips. But natural ingredients like cinnamon or mint can also irritate the skin and cause lips to dry out. 

Reddit users, therefore, recommend their fellow sufferers to rather switch to toothpaste for sensitive teeth. This should curb the dryness a little.

So, you don't have to blame your favorite toothpaste or winter for sore lips. Better check the toothpaste tube quickly!

 Daily personal hygiene is a matter of course for most people. But how much care does the skin need? There is no patent remedy. The fact is, however, that every contact with water and cleansing agents removes moisture from the skin and weakens its acid mantle. 

The best tips for beautiful skin:

1. moisturizing cream for moist skin

Moist skin is swollen and more receptive than dry skin. It is therefore recommended to apply moisturizers in this state in upward and circular movements.

2. moisture for dry skin

Moisturizers such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid or synthetically produced urea channel water into dry skin and create moisture depots. Since very dry skin is not able to do this by itself, 

3. avoid red veins

Anyone who does not want to further stress-sensitive skin that tends to couperose (enlarged red veins) should avoid strong temperature drops. Danger zones here are sauna, solarium, and air-conditioned rooms. The consumption of nicotine, alcohol, and spicy food should also be limited.

4. steam makes the skin receptive

Heat and rising steam open the pores, make the skin more receptive, and allow the active ingredients to penetrate more easily. It is therefore recommended to combine the face mask with a full bath. Following the same principle, the skin can also be prepared for care with warm compresses. Simply place a terry cloth in hot water, wring it out well and lay it on the skin. Repeat the process several times.

Tip: Before applying the mask, do an exfoliation to optimize the absorption of the active ingredients.

5. pamper the neck area with oil wraps

From the age of 35 years on, something should be done regularly for the often-neglected neck area, as the skin there becomes slack and wrinkled particularly quickly. Oil wraps have proven to be effective: Mix three teaspoons of warmed oil (e.g. almond, avocado, sunflower, wheat germ, olive or burdock root oil) with the same amount of liquid honey and apply to the area between the chin and collarbone with a mask brush.

When the masque is ready, cover the area with a damp cotton cloth and wrap it in a soft terry cloth. Remove after half an hour.

6. refresh tired eyes

Pour 125 milliliters of boiling water over half a teaspoon of herbs from the pharmacy, such as eyebright, lime blossom or fennel, draw and let it cool down. Soak two absorbent cotton pads with the brew and squeeze them on the back of your hand before placing them on the closed eyelids for about 10 minutes. There are also ready-made eye pads that are already soaked with decongestant active ingredients.

7. ice cube massage for good blood circulation

It is best to enrich distilled water with a dash of lemon juice and freeze. For better blood circulation, for example in the legs, place the ice cubes on a washcloth and massage in circles. The cold shock causes the blood vessels to contract quickly. The lemon has an astringent effect.

8. cold against swelling

Babies' teething rings stored in the refrigerator and filled with gel allow swollen eyelids to recede to normal size. If necessary, a well-chilled towel can also help.

9. care for cracked lips

Wind, sun exposure, and lack of care dry out the skin of the lips. Lip care sticks or creams protect the lip skin and prevent the skin's own moisture from evaporating. Chronically dry lips should be treated with a care stick based on natural oil (for example castor, almond or jojoba oil) or a blob of honey. Colored lipsticks with lanolin often have the same effect.

10. remove blackheads in 2 phases

In order to avoid unattractive inflammation when squeezing out so-called blackheads, it is recommended to remove annoying sebum clots on the nose, forehead, and chin with so-called anti-comedone strips. These strips work according to the moistening, sticking, and pulling principle. In phase 1, the polymers in the strip bond with the blackheads. The blackheads are removed from the pore during peeling. The treated skin areas are rubbed with an antibacterial cloth in phase 2.

11. do not pluck and pull

To make skincare as gentle as possible and to improve the absorption of the active ingredients, the skin should be treated gently. Lightly work the skincare products into the forehead and cheek area with circular movements. Around the eye area, gently pat in with the fingertips of the middle fingers. In the neck area, always spread the skincare creams with the entire palm of the hand from top to bottom.

12. oxygen keeps you young

Anyone who regularly goes out into the fresh air pumps a lot of oxygen into their lungs: 95 percent via breathing, 5 percent via the skin. Creams containing oxygen can supply the active ingredient directly to the cells. The skin looks younger and fresher.

13. drink a lot

The body consists of over 70 percent of water. A lack of moisture quickly causes wrinkles, so it is recommended to drink 1.5 to 2 liters, preferably mineral water or unsweetened tea, throughout the day.

14. sleep well

If it were up to the skin, it should already be 8 hours of sleep per night. Instead of a cuddly down pillow, a firm, the flat pillow should be used. This keeps the cervical spine straight when lying down and wrinkles have no chance.

15. milk bath for smooth skin

A milk bath or whey bath relaxes makes beautiful and soothes dry, sensitive skin. The reason for this is the milk sugar, which is a great moisture binder and contains lots of vitamins, minerals, lactic acid, fat, and protein. All these ingredients are important for the regeneration and nutrition of the cells.

16. fruit acids for thick, large-pored skin

By using creams containing AHA and BHA (alpha and beta hydroxy acids), also known as fruit acid creams, the horny layer of the skin becomes thinner and at the same time cell renewal is accelerated. The result is a finer and smoother skin texture, the skin is better hydrated. Caution: Avoid sunbathing, as pigmentation disorders can occur.

17 Q 10 against free radicals

Aggressive oxygen molecules drive the skin aging process. With Q10, a coenzyme that is also produced by our body itself, the so-called "free radicals" can be neutralized. The coenzyme Q10 is used in many face creams and in capsules as a food supplement.

 Beautiful skin, a healthy complexion, and a fresh, natural look, who wouldn't want that? Here you will find many small tips and tricks to improve and preserve your appearance. Because a well-groomed appearance begins with skincare.

1. regular cleaning

The morning and evening cleansing not only removes creams and make-up, but also skin grease and sweat. The pores do not clog and bacteria cannot multiply.

2. cleansing milk instead of water

Water alone is not able to remove the oily mixture of sebum, cream and make-up from the skin. This requires lipophilic (fat-dissolving) substances, such as those contained in cleansing milk.

The cleansing milk is best massaged in with the fingertips or a sponge and left to work for a short time, then rinsed off with plenty of warm water.

3. facial tonic builds up

Facial toner helps to accelerate the rebuilding phase of the acid mantle, which normally takes 20 to 30 minutes after cleansing. In addition, facial toner removes the lime deposits of tap water and cleaning residues that can clog pores in the long run and thus cause impurities.

4. cleansing of mature skin

Water-in-oil emulsions are best suited for cleansing mature skin, as they preserve the skin's acid mantle. Cleansing creams enriched with valuable vegetable oils such as jojoba, soy or sweet almond are just as suitable.

5. soap only for robust, oily skin

Since soap belongs to the alkaline detergents and thus attacks the acid mantle, soap should only be used for very tough, rather oily skin. For all other skin types, regular soap should be avoided.

6. for sensitive or dry skin facial tonic without alcohol

In order not to put additional strain on the fat and moisture balance of sensitive or dry skin, no facial tonics with alcohol should be used, but only alcohol-free tonics or thermal water sprays. Redness, inflammation and itching are thus avoided.

7. fine-pored, rosy complexion through peeling

Horny scales make the skin look colorless and dull. An exfoliation adapted to the respective skin type removes these flakes of skin without irritating the skin and stimulates the blood circulation. Tiny synthetic beads or natural granules made of ground apricot kernels, bran, or sea sand act like ultra-fine sandpaper.

8. masks - fast beauticians

The effect of masks is immediately visible, which is why masks are also called the quick beautifiers of cosmetics. Masks with high moisture content allow the skin cells to swell up, making the skin plumper, fresher and smoother, reducing wrinkles.

There are special moisturizing masks with herbal extracts such as menthol, mint, camphor, etc. for stressed skin. They have a refreshing and cooling effect, redness and swelling disappear. Moisturizing masks with extracts of chamomile, balm, and hops soothe sensitive irritated skin.

9. night creams support regeneration

At night, the cell division rate is eight times higher than during the day, which means that the regeneration process is running at full speed. The slight swelling in the morning shows that the removal of lymphatic fluid and waste products does not function as well at night. Night creams with active ingredient complexes from the ginkgo, pro-vitamin E, amino acids from wheat proteins etc. support the regeneration of the skin.

10. observe limited shelf life of creams

Printed expiration dates apply to unopened jars and tubes. Opened creams should always be well sealed and preferably used within 3 months, especially if stored at room temperature.

The warmer the temperature, the faster the oils contained in the jars can become rancid or bacteria can form in the jar. This applies all the more to natural cosmetics. Self-stirred creams without preservatives should be used immediately or frozen.

11. vitamin C revitalizes the skin

Tired skin gets back into the swing with vitamin C. Contained in creams, it stimulates the formation of the skin's own collagen fibers and also stimulates cell metabolism.

12. tea tree oil against impurities

Tea tree oil (from Australia) in about five percent solution has a strong disinfecting effect and thus fights pimples. After two to three days at the latest, the improvement should become visible.

13. caution with extreme diets

Extreme fluctuations in body weight also affect the elastic fibers of the skin. Massages, sports and body care can prevent this. However, weight fluctuations of up to two kilos are harmless.

14. moisture for oily skin

Oily skin has an overproduction of sebum. It is therefore essential to ensure that the skin is supplied with a lot of moisture but no oil. Light hydrogels or an oil-free fluid especially for oily skin are well suited.

15. facial massage for better blood circulation

Excellent results can be achieved with only four grips, each applied for 20 seconds. A nutrient cream is very well suited to combine the application with a soothing massage.

Stroke with both palms of the hand broadly from the nose over the cheeks towards the ears.

Stroke the forehead with the index, middle, and ring finger in a fan shape starting at the root of the nose and moving towards the hairline.

Draw semicircles around the mouth with both middle and ring fingers.

Stroke in one stroke over the bridge of nose and eyebrows.

 The skin is the largest sensory organ in terms of area. It also performs a multitude of functions. Its most important task is to shield the body from external dangers. The skin succeeds in doing this by, for example, healing wounds from the inside or forming a thickened callus, for example when shoe pinch. Appropriate skin care can not only support the skin in its functions, but it can also prevent many diseases and injuries. Here you can find out exactly what you should pay attention to in skincare, how you can use it to influence the health and appearance of your skin, and what different types of skincare there are.

Why is skincare so important?

Supporting the protective function of the skin is only one goal of skincare. In addition, appropriate skincare can counteract the natural aging process. The skin begins to age from the age of 20. The connective tissue of the middle layer of skin, the so-called dermis, begins to give way. The result: the skin becomes flabbier and drier. Wrinkles also form. Effective skincare can slow down this process and make the skin look healthier.

To what extent can the appearance of the skin be influenced by skincare?

The aim of effective skincare is to make the skin look smoother. Ideally, even the previously lost elasticity of the skin will regain its former elasticity. There are several remedies available for this. Washing the face with clear water or applying creams to the skin are just two of them. Which active ingredients the creams contain and whether lotions and oils should be oily or moist depends on the nature of the skin.

What are the different ways of skincare?

Of course, there is not only one ideal way to care for the skin properly. It also depends on the type of skin you have. There are several different skin types, whose skincare methods are sometimes just as different. In everyday life, dry skin and sensitive skin are most common and will be discussed in more detail below.

The care of dry skin

Dry skin is primarily due to one's lifestyle and age. The skin is only rudimentarily able to accumulate moisture in the body, for example, due to excessive nicotine or alcohol consumption. As a result, the skin feels chapped and is sometimes covered with dandruff.

The best skincare for dry skin is to compensate for the loss of moisture. Perfume-free products, which contain many vitamins for this purpose, are considered particularly effective. These do not put additional strain on the skin. Increased drinking of clear water can also be supportive. Or the consumption of water-containing fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers. These also contain the trace element silicon, which strengthens the skin, hair, and nails.

The care of sensitive skin

Many people suffer from sensitive or delicate skin. Besides a hereditary disposition, this is also caused by environmental influences. Stress plays just as much a role as conditioned air, too much sunlight or an allergic reaction. The consequences are reddening of the skin, which sometimes itches. Sensitive, delicate skin is not as well protected from the outside as is normally the case, making it easier for pathogens to penetrate.

In the context of skincare for sensitive skin, you should make sure that the products used only contain ingredients that do not further impair the health of the skin. The good thing is that the care products for sensitive skin are labeled as such in the shops. This should put you on the safe side. By the way, many affected people also swear by water from thermal springs, which they use both for healing baths and for drinking.

Are there any general recommendations for skincare? Tips regardless of skin type

The bottom line is to create healthy conditions. Because if the body as a whole is doing well, this is also beneficial for the health of the skin and thus also supports its care.

Please note the following tips:

• Sufficient sleep supports skincare and makes the skin look fresher and healthier. An average of eight hours per night is ideal.
• If possible, only eat food that contains fresh ingredients and is not industrially produced.
• Avoid tobacco as well as alcohol or UV light.
• The German Society for Nutrition (DGE)1 recommends a daily fluid intake of 1.5 liters. Nothing is more important in terms of skincare than to supply the skin with sufficient fluid.
• Pay attention to a good work-life balance. This means not only working, but also doing sports, getting lots of exercise, and avoiding stress.
• Do not wash the skin too often, as this can disturb its balance. Once a day is quite sufficient.

You should also adapt your skincare to the season. For many, the skin is much drier in winter than in summer. In the cold season, less water reaches the epidermis because less sweat is produced. For this reason, skincare in winter should generally be a little more oily than in summer.

If you are unsure about the right skincare, you can get advice from a dermatologist, pharmacist or an experienced beautician.

Why are your lips dry?

The skin around the mouth is much more sensitive to environmental influences than the rest of the body. This is especially noticeable in winter. In this season many people have dry lips. The actual tenderest area of the face is then cracked, dull, and irritated. If you do not pull the emergency brake in time, you can even get sore lips. You can read here how dry lips develop and what you can do about it.

 

Lips are a borderline area

The skin surrounding the lips consists of three different areas. On the outer edge, it is very similar to the skin of the face. In this area, there are hair, sebaceous and sweat glands. Inside the mouth, however, the skin consists of oral mucosa with salivary glands. The transition zone between this inner and outer side is what is generally considered to be the lip.

The horny a layer of the lips is thin

Experts call the transition zone lip red because you can see the blood shimmering through. The reason for this is that the outermost layer of the skin, the horny layer, is very thin at this point. In addition, coloring pigments are missing in the skin of the lips. The lips are particularly sensitive because the cells of the horny layer hardly die and keratinize there. However, this is an essential process.

Dry lips: The cause is the missing self-protection

Together with sebum, the dead cells form a kit that shields the skin from the outside and makes it supple. Because sebaceous glands are hardly ever found in lip red, the lips lack this important fat layer. They generally dry out faster.

The other the reason why you get dry lips: there are no sweat glands to moisturize the lips. Cold and wind have such an easy job and if dry heating air is added in winter, brittle lips are pre-programmed.

Moistening with the tongue does not help

If you are familiar with this and are more likely to have dry or chapped lips, you may want to try moistening your lips with your tongue. But that only makes it worse. The saliva evaporates again and again and dries out the lips even more. This also reduces the already low-fat content of your lips.

Dry lips can become inflamed

The red of the lips then often shows deep cracks that itch and burn. The broken skin can be infected by bacteria and fungi quite easily. Lip inflammation is painful and can persist for months. To find out whether your lips are possibly inflamed, you should see your dermatologist. There are also other factors that can cause chapped lips, such as medication.

What to do against dry lips?

To prevent dry lips from becoming a problem in the first place, it is best to care for your lips consistently. Cream your mouth area regularly or use a lip care stick. Even if you already have chapped lips, this is the first step in therapy. Lipids containing fat and moisture moisten your lips and reduce dehydration. There is a variety of products with different ingredients.

Proven ingredients

The basis of the care products against dry lips is fats, oils, and waxes, to which caring additives are added. Camomile products, for example, have proven to be effective because they soothe the skin. Bisabolol is the main active ingredient of genuine camomile. Another proven helper against dry lips is dexpanthenol. This active ingredient keeps the lips moisturized. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect and heals wounds.

Also, think about sun protection

Pay attention not only to care substances but also to a sufficient light protection filter. The skin cells in the lip do not form melanin, i.e. no pigment dye. As a result, the lips lack their own sun protection, which is otherwise present in most skin areas. One gets a sunburn very quickly. This should be considered especially during skiing vacations, as the snow reflects the radiation and thus intensifies it. You should at least apply sun protection factor 30 here.

Household remedy against dry lips

If you don't want to go to the pharmacy to do something about your dry lips, you might find something in your own kitchen. Honey, avocado or olive oil are supposed to make dry lips tender again. However, this is not scientifically proven. Two tips that also counteract dry lips: Drink enough (at least 1.5 liters of water a day) and keep the air in your rooms moist.

pleats

Radiantly fresh, velvety smooth, and free of wrinkles - youthful skin is considered the ideal of beauty par excellence. But from the early 30s at the latest, the skin increasingly loses its elasticity and resilience. This is when the first wrinkles appear, which deepens with age. This natural aging process cannot be avoided. However, there is much that can be done to delay it and reduce the visible signs of aging. Read here how wrinkles develop, how to prevent them, and which anti-wrinkle products help. 

How wrinkles occur

With increasing years, the skin also ages the elastic fibers, skin fat, and connective tissue in the middle layer of the skin shrink. As a result, the skin's elasticity dwindles. The facial expression, gravity, UV radiation, and other influencing factors then leave their traces in the form of skin wrinkles. Exposed areas of the body such as the face, neck, décolleté, and hands are particularly affected.

pleat types

There are basically three types of facial wrinkles:

Orthostatic wrinkles, for example, the nasolabial fold between the nostril and the corner of the mouth, are caused by gravity

Mimic wrinkles like the frown line between the eyebrows or the thinking wrinkles on the forehead are caused by the movement of the facial muscles

Small superficial wrinkles around the mouth, cheeks, chin and forehead due to sun exposure and/or nicotine

Wrinkles inevitably appear with advancing age, every person is affected sooner or later. However, when and to what extent wrinkles form depends on a variety of influencing factors: On the one hand, the body's own processes play a role. On the one hand, the body's own processes play a role. However, according to current knowledge, environmental influences such as UV rays, nicotine, and alcohol are more decisive. These so-called extrinsic factors are said to be 90 percent responsible for the aging of the skin.

Natural skin aging

As you get older, structures and processes in the body change. As a result, the cells lose more and more of their ability to renew themselves over the course of a lifetime. Studies have shown, for example, that fibroblasts, which are important for the collagen production of the skin, have a limited lifespan. As we age, less collagen is therefore available, causing the skin to lose connective tissue and thus elasticity. Wrinkles can then dig into the skin more easily.

The hormone level, which changes over the years, also influences skin aging, especially in women. With the beginning of the menopause, the female estrogen level drops rapidly. This is accompanied by a decrease in the collagen content of the skin, by up to 30 percent in the first five years of menopause alone. In addition, during menopause, the body reduces the production of hyaluronic acid - a central body's own moisture binder. The interaction of reduced collagen and hyaluronic acid production makes the skin slack and wrinkles appear more easily.

Men do not notice hormone-related changes until much later, especially due to increasingly dry skin.

Last but not least, the specific immune defense becomes weaker with increasing age because the aging bone marrow and other organs involved produce fewer defense cells. This can also make itself felt on the skin through increased wrinkle formation.

Environmental skin aging

In addition to the body's own natural processes, environmental factors such as UV rays, nicotine and alcohol promote aging of the skin. Also, stress, lack of sleep, and vitamin are nutrition favor folds. All these factors promote the so-called free radicals. These are aggressive oxygen compounds that can cause serious cell damage.

UV rays can also directly disturb cell processes that are important for collagen production. UVA rays in particular penetrate deep into the lower layers of the skin and hinder collagen production there. Thus, the connective tissue depot, which is crucial for skin elasticity, disappears much faster in people who are regularly exposed to the sun with insufficient protection.

How you can prevent wrinkles

What helps against wrinkles? Individual lifestyle has been proven to have a great influence on when and to what extent wrinkles develop. You can therefore do a lot yourself to prevent wrinkles:

• Protect yourself from UV rays: Always use a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor or a day cream with UV protection.
• Do not smoke
• Drink little alcohol
• Sleep sufficiently, at least seven hours per night are recommended
• Drink plenty of water, so you also moisturize your skin
• Avoid stress, because even regular overstraining can cause the skin to age faster
• Eat well-balanced and vitamin-rich: The vitamins A, E, and C as well as Carotinoide and unsaturated fatty acids are considered as natural light protection because they promote the collagen production reduced by UV-RADIATION
• Thoroughly cleanse the skin regularly and care for it with a moisturizing cream.

How to get rid of wrinkles?

But even with an optimal lifestyle, they are there at some point: the wrinkles on the face. Then the question arises: What to do about wrinkles? It is a fact that the numerous anti-wrinkle creams available on the market do not have any visible effect, as a test conducted by Stiftung Warentest in 2015 shows. So you can confidently save the money for the sometimes expensive products.

Gentle and at the same time inexpensive help against the first wrinkles, on the other hand, are promised by proven household remedies against wrinkles.

Household remedies against wrinkles

Face and neck masks made from natural ingredients such as avocado, carrots, apple, honey, and almond oil temporarily leave the skin looking significantly fresher and smoother.

Avocado Mask

The pear-shaped fruit is rich in amino acids that stimulate collagen production. The contained vitamins A, C and E as well as valuable fats supply the skin with moisture.

For the mask, crush the flesh of half an avocado with a fork and mix with 2-3 tablespoons of cold-pressed high-quality olive oil. Gently apply to face, neck and décolleté and rinse off with lukewarm water after about 20 minutes.

Oil wraps are especially suitable for neck and décolleté. Soak a clean towel with a high-quality wheat germ or olive oil and place it on the neck and décolleté for 15 to 30 minutes.

A gentle massage of the face can also smooth wrinkles. For this purpose, the so-called cutting technique is used: Place the tips of both middle fingers below the wrinkle to be treated on the facial skin. Then move the fingertips quickly apart on the wrinkle and back together again according to the rhythm: open - closed - open - closed - open - closed. Repeat this exercise three times and then gently smooth out the treated skin.

By the way: You should refrain from facial exercises against wrinkles. Mimic smoothing exercises strengthen the facial muscles, but also deepen the disturbing wrinkles. 

Medical wrinkle treatment

If the wrinkles are more advanced, usually only medical treatment will help. In a classic facelift by an aesthetic plastic surgeon, the surgeon tightens the skin of the face under general anesthesia by removing excess skin and lifting sagging tissue.   

After the treatment, the face is significantly firmer and smoother. The art, however, lies in maintaining the natural facial expression and expressiveness of the face. Otherwise, there is a risk of mask-like, rigid facial features that can severely impair the patient's appearance. For this reason, the plastic surgeon should be extremely careful when choosing a cosmetic surgeon.

Minimally invasive methods, on the other hand, can do completely without a scalpel. Experts differentiate between methods that smooth wrinkles from the outside and methods that fill in wrinkles from the inside.

Minimally invasive forms of treatment are gentler than a facelift, but also have a less severe and permanent effect. Many dermatologists offer anti-wrinkle therapies as individual health services, so they have to be paid for privately.

External wrinkle treatment

Methods that remove wrinkles from the outside are particularly suitable for treating large areas of skin. Various methods are used for this purpose.

• Chemical peelings: In contrast to purely cosmetic peelings, these reach the deeper layers of the skin and can thus also remove more pronounced damage.
• Dermabrasion: Removal of the upper skin layers by mechanical abrasion with rotating diamond grinders or steel brushes
• Medical Needling: Unrolling the skin with a sterile roller equipped with tiny needles. The skin reacts by producing more collagen as part of its natural self-healing process.
• Laser wrinkles: Removing even deeper skin layers with laser light.
• Coblation: ablation of the upper layers of the skin using electromagnetic waves.
• Thermage: Heating of the collagen fibers responsible for the elasticity of the skin by radiofrequency waves. The collagen contracts, which lead to a tightening of the treated skin areas.

Wrinkle treatment from the inside

Individual deep wrinkles can be reduced by injecting special substances. Padding with so-called fillers lifts the wrinkles and makes them disappear. However, the effect is not permanent, as natural substances are usually used due to their better compatibility. These are broken down by the organism over time so that the treatment must be repeated at regular intervals, about every four to eight months.

Proven natural substances for the injection of wrinkles are

Hyaluronic acid: The water-clear, gel-like substance occurs naturally in the human body, especially in the connective tissue. The active ingredient binds moisture and stimulates the body's own production of elastic and collagen fibers. Injecting wrinkles with synthetically produced hyaluronic acid cushions the skin from the inside and thus makes the wrinkles disappear.

Collagen: A protein of connective tissue found in bones, teeth, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and skin. Collagen fibers are extremely strong. Collagen is usually extracted from bovine hides for the injection of wrinkles. An allergy test is carried out before the treatment.

Autologous fat: The body's own fat is taken from thighs or buttocks, processed, and injected under the wrinkles. The advantage of this method is its absolute tolerance. However, the treatment is quite complex. The autologous fat treatment is particularly suitable for deep wrinkles and for padding sunken facial areas. Small superficial wrinkles can be treated less well with this method.

Lactic acid: A substance that is also produced naturally in the body, but is synthetically produced for the injection of wrinkles. Lactic acid is particularly suitable as a volumizer for sunken skin areas and for padding individual deep wrinkles. Lactic acid works by stimulating collagen production at the injection site. The effect lasts for about one year.

Calcium hydroxylapatite: This substance, which is present in bones and teeth, has only recently been used for wrinkle treatment and is also produced synthetically for this purpose. It forms a kind of scaffold for the body's own cells and is suitable for correcting wrinkles and balancing tissue defects. According to initial studies, the treatment is effective for about two years.

Microspheres and plastic threads, for example, made of Goretex, are available as artificial fillers. They remain permanently in the body because the organism cannot absorb them. For this very reason, physicians advise against using these substances. Even after years, they can still trigger late effects such as noticeable and visible nodules in the tissue.   

For some years now, the wrinkle treatment par excellence has been botulinum toxin, better known as Botox. The anti-wrinkle active ingredient is particularly suitable for smoothing out expression lines. Botulinum toxin is a protein extracted from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The specialist injects the agent with a very fine needle directly under the skin of the affected area. After one to two weeks, the Botox begins to take effect: it paralyzes the local facial muscles, the wrinkles are smoothed out. The effect lasts about four months.