Sleep wrinkles can be a sign of aging skin. Wrinkling often starts to affect people in their mid-20s and continues from there. But there are ways to address the problem and rejuvenate your skin.
Adjust your sleeping position. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends sleeping on your back. If you sleep with your head on the pillow in the same position every night, sleep lines can develop and eventually become permanent. Woman tend to sleep on their sides, so they most likely see these lines on the chin and cheeks. Men tend to see the lines on their foreheads, because they frequently sleep with their faces pressed down on the pillow.
Get enough sleep, about seven to eight hours a night. Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a Connecticut dermatologist and author, says when you don’t sleep enough, the body produces an excess of the hormone cortisol, which breaks down skin cells. When you do get enough rest, your body will produce the human growth hormone, which stimulates growth and cell production. This production allows your skin to remain thick and wrinkle less.
To do away with sleep wrinkles, moisturize your face often, perhaps using an eye cream. As you age, your body does not produce as much collagen, and you don’t produce new skin cells as quickly. Exfoliate to get rid of dead skin.
Begin a diet rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients and anti-oxidants such as vitamin C. Dr. Perricone, has developed a three-day diet aimed at reducing sleep wrinkles. It involves eating salmon, a dark green salad with olive oil and lemon juice, a mix of berries and cantaloupe. Eat it twice a day for three days. The foods are anti-inflammatory to help nourish the skin. The fish has a nutrient called dimethylethanolamine, which can decrease sagging and wrinkling. Also drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day.
Try topical lotions that contain anti-oxidants. You can get a lotion that has the same nutrient that salmon has-DMAE. Dr. Perricone also recommends lotions with alpha-lipoic acid and vitamin C ester.