As we age, we begin to notice wrinkles and fine lines on our faces. While this is inevitable and will happen to everyone at some point, we do have some control over how quickly our faces age. Sun exposure is one very important factor; using sunscreen diligently on a daily basis will help prevent UV light from breaking down the collagen in the skin.
A very interesting study points to another factor that we can control. For years, aestheticians have been saying that we should pay attention to our sleep position. An article in the reputable scientific publication Aesthetic Surgery Journal demonstrates the truth of this statement.
Side or stomach sleeping leads to skin distortion
When sleeping on your side, one side of your face is pressed into the pillow. When you’re younger, any impressions in your skin that are left by this compression will disappear quickly, because of the skin’s elasticity. However, as we age, our skin naturally loses its elasticity. It can’t bounce back as quickly. The compression of the skin that happens during the night adds up; gradually, wrinkles form, which don’t disappear during the day.
In addition, the authors of this article note research showing that as people age, they change positions fewer times during the night. This translates to a longer period of time spent with the facial skin being compressed, which contributes to the problems that it causes. This means that, as you age, it becomes even more important to address sleep position.
Stomach sleeping causes similar problems to side sleeping. While sleeping on their stomachs, people either turn their heads to one side (and thus are in the same position as when side sleeping) or lie face down with only their forehead resting on the pillow (which will compress the skin of the forehead).
In terms of preventing facial aging, sleeping on one’s back is the optimal position. Although it may be difficult to change your habits if you’re used to side or stomach sleeping, it may make a difference in the rate of facial aging that you notice over the years.
Facial muscle movements also cause skin distortion
Along with skin distortion caused by sleep position, skin distortion caused by the movement of facial muscles is also an important factor in causing the signs of aging. Wrinkles caused by sleep position tend to occur vertically, while those caused by facial expressions tend to run more horizontally. (To see the difference, look in a mirror while pushing the side of your face with one hand, and then while making a variety of facial expressions. You will notice that different parts of your face are affected.)
Botox is an option to address the effects of facial muscle movements. However, Botox will not be helpful for addressing wrinkles caused by sleep position. In addition, the authors of the article note that compression during sleep can sometimes lead to deepening of wrinkles that were initially formed by muscle movements.
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Although factors like avoiding smoking, using sunscreen, and paying attention to your sleep position can help to slow facial aging, deep grooves and wrinkles will still tend to form over the years. If you’re bothered by these signs of facial aging, then you may want to consider dermal fillers. These substances (many of which are naturally found in the body, such as hyaluronic acid) are injected into the face in order to fill grooves and wrinkles, leading to a rejuvenation of the appearance.
This is a minimally invasive treatment that can generally be completed in an hour or less. If you’re considering dermal fillers or other options for facial rejuvenation, we invite you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Caniglia.
