How age, expression and sleep combine to shape facial wrinkles over time

Wrinkles have never been anyone’s cup of tea, whether they are smile lines, under-eye wrinkles or forehead creases.

These insecurities have fuelled the growth of countless cosmetic businesses, with both women and men going out of their way to buy heavily advertised products that claim to reduce or remove wrinkles, as well as anti-ageing products designed to prevent them from appearing.

However, we often forget that such skin changes occur naturally and can be caused by a variety of factors, including ageing.

Wrinkles are folds, ridges and creases that appear on the skin as a natural part of growing older. They tend to show up first on the face and on parts of the body frequently exposed to the sun, such as the neck, hands, arms and legs.

Wrinkles develop in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin. This layer is made up of elastin and collagen fibres. As we age, these fibres loosen, creating those pesky lines, folds and creases. At the same time, the skin loses its ability to retain moisture, which also contributes to the formation of wrinkles.

Intrinsic factors, or those beyond our control, include genetics and certain muscle movements. People with darker skin tend to experience less sun-related wrinkling than those with fairer complexions. Forehead lines, frown lines and crow’s feet are largely beyond our control, as they are caused by repeated muscle movements that are often subconscious. Over time, the facial muscles strengthen through repeated use, while the skin gradually loses elasticity, leading to the development of lines and creases.

Your face has fault lines, and every night you spend lying on them, you may be making them worse.

Dermatologists liken the face to the Earth’s crust, explaining that wrinkles develop along its fault lines as the skin ages.

Like the boundaries between tectonic plates, these fault lines are subjected to various pressures that can eventually result in permanent creases.

Sleep is not the only source of pressure on our facial fault lines. Some wrinkles are simply the result of the natural ageing process. As the skin becomes thinner and loses elasticity, the face begins to sag.

Other wrinkles, such as the smile lines around the mouth, are caused by facial expressions. Sleep wrinkles, however, occupy a category of their own because they are formed differently, through compression and stress placed on the face while sleeping.

It stands to reason that repeatedly sleeping on the same side might contribute to wrinkles on that side, although this has not been conclusively proven by scientific studies.

One study published in 2022, however, found that people’s upper eyelids tended to droop more on the side they preferred to sleep on.

The researchers found that individuals with a preferred sleeping side exhibited significantly lower upper-eyelid height on that side compared with the opposite side, indicating greater asymmetry. However, no significant differences were observed in lower-eyelid position, eyebrow placement or eyelid skin redundancy.

Brazilian researchers writing in the Journal of Dermatology recommend staying hydrated, as this helps keep skin cells plump and flexible while supporting the skin’s natural elasticity and smooth appearance.

When the skin contains sufficient moisture, it is less likely to appear dry or crepey, and fine lines tend to look softer because hydrated tissues are better able to resist folding and cracking.

The researchers also recommend sleeping on your back to help protect the skin from stretching and compression during the night.

By reducing the prolonged strain on facial tissues often associated with side sleeping, and by preventing sustained distortion of the face during sleep, back sleeping may help maintain smoother contours and support the skin’s natural resilience as it ages.

The researchers further suggest that getting a good night’s sleep,  without excessive tossing and turning that may aggravate facial pressure points, could also be beneficial.

That said, this is often easier said than done, particularly for people who naturally prefer sleeping on their side or those who wake up during the night to use the bathroom while trying to stay well hydrated.

Similarly, so-called anti-wrinkle pillows may prove uncomfortable for some people. Some designs resemble more of a science-fiction creation than a sleep aid, and their claimed benefits remain largely unproven.