The Truth About Wrinkles and Why It’s So Hard To Fight Them

We have all been locked down for 12 months now, and most of us feel like we’ve aged 12 years in that time.

It doesn’t help that a lot of people are really starting to literally see their faces in a new light, as countless people are working from home and logging onto Zoom for video calls every day. They’re seeing their face from the never-flattering lower angle of a laptop’s webcam and wondering when did I start looking this old?

This has sent a new wave of people onto Google to look up plastic surgery in Toronto and the rest of the world. It has actually created a bit of a mini-boom for the plastic surgery industry called The Zoom Boom. It’s an incredibly fitting name because people are really starting to zoom in on their wrinkles and other signs of aging.

People are tired of wrinkle creams and anti-aging cosmetics that don’t get the job done. They’re looking for real answers to a very real problem.

The Causes of Wrinkles

Wrinkles are a deeply unfortunate part of the aging process. In simple terms, your body produces less collagen and elastin for your skin as you age. These are the two proteins that allow your skin to stay firm, yet plump enough to bounce back.

How quickly will you lose them? Everyone is different, but data points to the average person producing 1% less collagen per year after the age of 20. They say it’s all downhill after your 20s. That doesn’t have to be the case, but this certainly doesn’t help.

But, what causes wrinkles to show up on some faces faster than others? There are a number of factors involved.

1. Sun Damage

You want a nice healthy tan, but you also need to keep in mind that too much sun can cause your skin to age prematurely. You need to always remain very mindful of the sun as you age, and know that exposure to its ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause wrinkles, particularly when your skin is older and has less collagen.

Experts will recommend that you take your sun exposure seriously and always spring for a quality and high SPF sunscreen (SPF 15 -30 plus) and find the shade wherever possible.

2. Pollution

The term city miles takes on a whole new meaning here.

If there is a lot of pollution in your city’s air, there is also a lot of pollution touching your skin. As a matter of fact, a study by the Journal of Investigative Dermatology revealed that women in urban cities had more wrinkles than women living in rural areas over a 24-year period. They also had 20% more pigment spots on their foreheads and cheeks.

Fortunately, our city has done a lot to fight airborne pollution over the years. Many of us remember how bad things were in 1988 when the smog index hit a disgusting range between 80-90. However, after taking serious measures to clean up the air, we got it down to the 50s in 2005 and saw our first smog-free summer in 2014.

3. Sleep

Get your beauty sleep, people!

If you can’t convince yourself to turn in early and turn off Netflix, you should know that fatigue causes wrinkles!

You probably already knew that a lack of sleep can make your face look puffy the next day, and you will start to see bags under your eyes. Prolonged periods of inadequate sleep can also make those bags deeper, darker, and more pronounced. And as your body ages, you lose the ability to get rid of those bags, even if you do start sleeping more.

At the same time, not getting enough sleep has a negative impact on the pH levels in your skin and hurts your cells’ ability to remain properly hydrated.

4. Hydration

Like the lack of sleep, if you’re not getting enough water, you’re going to run into a whole host of health problems. Dehydrated skin looks… well… dehydrated. Your skin needs water to maintain its elasticity and youthful glow.

How much water should you be getting? You may have heard the 8-glasses-a-day-standard thrown around pretty regularly. However, according to The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the proper numbers are:

•   About 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) of fluids a day for men
•   About 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) of fluids a day for women

But not everyone is getting that much. Data shows that the average American consumes about 3.18 litres, or 13.4 cups.

Cigarettes and Alcohol

Hard living can lead to a hard appearance.

There is no health benefit to smoking cigarettes—only drawbacks. But it can be particularly bad for your face. Smoking can hurt your face’s ability to get enough blood, which can lead to wrinkles or other signs of aging. In fact, research has revealed that the average smoker looks about a year and a half older than the average non-smoker.

Meanwhile, prolonged alcohol usage is also not good for your skin. As anyone with a hangover will tell you, alcohol dehydrates your body, which can hurt your skin in all the ways we described above. At the same time, alcohol also prevents you from getting the restful sleep you need.

Stress

They say that you wear your stress on your face and there is so much truth in that.

Let’s start by revisiting our last 3 categories. When you’re stressed, you’re more likely to:

•   Struggle with your sleep patterns
•   Fail to drink enough water, but…
•   Drink more alcohol and smoke cigarettes as a way of coping

You’re also most likely going to spend a lot more time squinting and frowning. Both expressions can lead to wrinkles, particularly as you age and your body is not producing as much collagen or elastin.

How to Fight Wrinkles

Now that we’ve covered all the negatives, we will explore the positives. Fortunately, there are a number of effective ways to reduce aging in the face and take a few years off of your appearance.

Here are some of our most popular facial procedures.

Facelift

Despite the growth of the non-surgical facial procedure market, the traditional facelift is still immensely popular and one of the most impactful ways to fight wrinkles in the face.

In fact, the facelift may actually be more popular than ever. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s (AAFPRS) annual survey revealed that 69% of surveyed surgeons said they have seen an increase in the demand for facelifts during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Overall, 70% said they saw an increase in overall business, and 90% of those respondents said that their increase was 10% or higher. Interestingly enough, over 80% attributed their spike in business to the Zoom Boom.

The facelift is for people that are tired of anti-aging masks or creams, and want something that actually works. They are pretty sure they want a facelift, but they may not know what kind.

Our clinic currently offers 3 different types of facelift procedures:

Full Facelift

Of course, wrinkles are only one of the ways aging impacts your face. You could also be dealing with:

•   Unwanted extra volume or a lack of volume
•   Sagging turkey neck skin or double chin
•   Deep and dark bags under your eyes

A facelift is a comprehensive way to address all of these issues, while giving you a tighter and more youthful appearance.

Our team’s Dr. Bell has elevated the facelift to an art form, and knows how to create restorative, yet natural-looking results. He knows how to completely avoid the overdone or overstretched look that has become associated with bad facelifts. He knows how to simply make you look like the best version of yourself.

You don’t want people that haven’t seen you in a while to wonder if you’ve had a facelift. You want them to wonder what your secret is. Is it a new cleanse or cardio circuit?

Mid Facelift

If most of your wrinkles and sagging show up in your mid-face area, the mid facelift can actually give you a more targeted treatment.

This procedure focuses on the unwanted signs of aging in the nose and eye area. This could include:

•   Wrinkles
•   Deep furrows
•   Crows feet
•   Bags or puffiness under the eyes

This would give you more precise attention to these areas than a traditional facelift.

Mini Facelift

This procedure is very popular among people in their 30s and 40s. They are looking to stay ahead of the aging process with some prejuvenative treatments to keep their youthful glow, or they aren’t quite seeing enough wrinkles or sagging for a full-blown facelift just yet.

It involves a very small incision and a very short scar, and it can take years off of your face.

A Lunchtime Facelift

This is essentially a nonsurgical mini-facelift. It can give you immediate results with no downtime, and can be done in about an hour (hence the name).

The procedure involves Botox treatments treating the frown lines in the forehead area, while dermal fillers are used to treat the lower face. We also use a unique combination of laser procedures to remove bumps, age spots, and scars.

The Cost of a Facelift in Canada

There is no universal flat rate for facelifts. Your price will be impacted by a number of factors such as the size of your market, the type of facelift you get, and the amount of experience your surgeon has. So how much does a Toronto facelift procedure cost compare to the rest of the major markets?

Our prices start at $14,999 for a procedure from a world-class and internationally-known surgeon. We also offer procedure financing options to make things even more affordable.

Other ‘Lifts’ and Wrinkle Solutions

The facelift is a remarkably effective way to fight wrinkles in the facial area, but it’s not the ideal solution for everyone.

Our clinic offers a number of other procedures that may be a better fit for your specific goals. They are more targeted to a specific area, yet more affordable, so they may be exactly what you need.

Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)

This procedure really locks into the upper face and brow area for both men and women.

It can address wrinkles, deep furrows, frown lines, and any other forms of unevenness. Your surgeon will skillfully treat the areas on your brow, forehead, and eyebrows.

This is a very popular procedure with people that are struggling with sagging or hooded upper eyelids that can make you look far older than you are, or perpetually tired.

Neck Lift (Chin Lift)

Extra fat or skin in the lower jaw and chin area is one of the most popular complaints that people come to us with. This has been a particularly prevalent issue during these work-from-home days and more people are hating the way they look on video calls.

A neck lift can:

•   Tighten and lift loose or sagging skin
•   Give you a more defined chin and jawline area
•   Tighten lax neck muscles
•   Remove unwanted fat

Our team’s esteemed Dr. Thomas Bell has been recognized as one of Toronto’s premier neck surgeons. At the same time, his meticulous approach and personal level of care have created some of the best neck lift outcomes in the city.

Are You Tired of Wrinkles?

Our incredibly skilled surgeons have helped countless people just like you. Dr. Bell is one of Canada’s most sought-after and in-demand facial surgeons because of his incredible outcomes and his uniquely personalized level of care.

If you’re ready to see what’s possible, we’re ready to show it to you. Book a consultation today with one of our experts to see how attainable that looking 10 years younger can truly be.