Kayla Young
We all associate wrinkles with getting older, but how does it happen? Although this is not something you are supposed to have to worry about until you actually start getting well into your adult years, it’s actually not uncommon for teenagers to start developing wrinkles on their foreheads.
In this article, we are going to answer the question – why do I have wrinkles on my forehead at 15? – as well as look at possible causes, and take a look at some things you can do to minimize or even reverse them, as well as prevent you from getting more… at least for a few years, anyway.
Contents
Your Skin And Wrinkles
Wrinkles develop because our skin becomes thinner and less elastic as we age. Wrinkles tend to appear on parts of the body that receive most sun exposure, such as the face and neck, back of the hands, and arms.
Wrinkles are a natural part of growing older, and they affect everyone eventually.
Collagen and elastin are two very important proteins in our skin that keep it strong and flexible. Unfortunately, the older you get, the less collagen and elastin are produced.
Not only does your skin start to lose its elasticity and become thinner, it also becomes less resistant to damage, dehydration, and toxins — all of which can speed up the wrinkling process.
The production of collagen and elastin doesn’t start slowing down until you reach the age of 20. So, if you are under the age of 20, then it’s unlikely that insufficient collagen and elastin are what’s causing wrinkles on your forehead.
Why Do I have Wrinkles on My Forehead at 15?
If you are still in your teenage years, then you are surely asking yourself: if my skin should still be producing loads of collagen and elastin, why do I have forehead wrinkles at 15?
Collagen and elastin play an important role in the formation of wrinkles as we get older. But there are other factors that affect your skin that can lead to premature wrinkles.
Here are some possible causes of premature wrinkling. See if any of these ring a bell.
Identifying what’s causing the premature wrinkles on your forehead is the first step to figuring out how to address it.
1. Prolonged Exposure To UV Light
UV rays from the sun is the most common cause of premature wrinkles. Using tanning beds also puts you on the fast track for pre-mature wrinkling.
2. Excessive Stress
Being a teenager comes with its stressors… school, parents, peer pressure, trying to live up to crazy ideals portrayed in the media, not to mention newly developing hormones. Your teenage years are the time where you start becoming your own person and trying to figure out who that is.
So, yeah, it’s stressful.
When you are extremely stressed or in a constant state of stress, your levels of cortisol increase. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands when the body experiences stress and has been found to increase all signs of premature aging in the body, including the development of premature skin wrinkles.
3. Sleep Deprivation
Being deprived of sleep can affect the way you look, far beyond just “looking tired”. Not getting enough sleep actually impacts how your body repairs damaged collagen molecules.
Not enough collagen = wrinkles!
4. Sleeping Position
If you are getting enough sleep and are convinced that sleep deprivation is not your issue, then take a look at how you are sleeping.
Is your face squished into the pillow? If you tend to sleep in the same position all the time, then just the fact that you’re sleeping in that position for 6-8 hours at a time with your skin bunched up, can produce wrinkles.
5. Too Much Sugar
In our love-hate relationship with sugar and our constant battle with maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding diabetes, it’s forever the devil’s advocate, sitting on our shoulder whispering: “Go on… have another cupcake – you know you want to. I taste SO good!”
Besides too much sugar being bad for your health in general, it also stimulates a chemical process in your body between the sugar and proteins or lipids, called glycation. Glycation affects protein function, which weakens the skin’s elasticity, resulting in wrinkles and other signs of premature skin aging.
There are countless benefits to limiting sugar.
6. Dry Skin
A lack of moisture can cause the skin cells to shrivel up, increasing the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
7. Smoking and exposure to smoking
Hopefully if you are still a young teenager, you haven’t picked up this habit. And if not, this is another reason never to start: tobacco smoke not only causes deterioration of collagen in your skin, it also impedes the production of new collagen.
If you are living in an environment where other people are smoking, this can have the same effects.
Can Forehead Wrinkles Go Away?
You’ll be relieved to know that teenage wrinkles can usually be addressed with simple lifestyle changes. We’re going to look at a few things you can do to help minimize and maybe even reverse wrinkles on your forehead.
While you can’t prevent aging, you can prevent the signs of aging… well at least postpone them for a while.
If you’ve come here on your search about what to do about premature wrinkles on your forehead as a teenager, then you are actually lucky. Most people don’t start taking care of their skin or understanding how their lifestyle can affect their skin until they start showing signs of legit aging, usually when they are a lot older.
By then, most people have to come to terms with the fact that anything they do will only “minimize” the signs of aging.
They’re diving into the laser treatments, costly botox sessions, collagen creams, etc.
Whereas if you are in your teenage years, then it’s quite possible for you to reverse premature wrinkling. That’s because your elastin and collagen production is still in full swing.
Not only that, but you are educating yourself now to be able to make the lifestyle changes that will keep you looking younger longer while those changes will make the most difference.
1a. Wear sunscreen & Use A Face Moisturizer with SPF
Okay so it’s no secret that you should be wearing sunscreen if you are planning to be outside for an extended period of time. That’s particularly true in the middle of summer with a high UV-index, when you’re in shorts and a t-shirt.
But you need to get into the habit of using a face moisturizer with SPF all the time. It does not take baking hours in the sun for it to do damage.
1b. Do Not Tan In The Sun & Do Not Use Tanning Beds
If you are looking to get a tan, there are options that are much safer (i.e. don’t cause cancer) options that won’t damage your skin and cause early signs of aging. Try a sunless self tanner.
All the tan, with none of the UV!
2. Relax
If you tend to get over-stressed in situations or find yourself in a general constant state of stress, you need to work on reducing your stress levels. This will in turn reduce your cortisol levels.
Find yourself an outlet. Whether it be yoga, drawing, meditation, exercise, or listening to music, cooking, etc., find something to do that you like that takes your mind off everything else.
3. Get Some Sleep
We mentioned above how not getting enough sleep actually impacts how your body repairs damaged collagen molecules. You want those babies firing on all cylinders to maintain the strength and flexibility in your skin.
The recommended amount of sleep for 13-18-year-olds is 8 to 10 hours a night.
4. Change Your Sleeping Position
If you tend to sleep with your face pressed against the pillow, in the same way, every night, it can cause compression wrinkling. Over time, this compression leaves your skin weaker in some places than others, and a wrinkle forms. You can prevent compression wrinkles by sleeping on your back.
5. Limit Your Sugar Intake
No one’s saying you can’t have any sugar, just limit your intake. Opt for water or sugar-free beverages instead of soft drinks. Read labels. Ingredients are listed in the order of the most to least amount of the ingredient contained in the product.
If sugar or high fructose corn syrup is listed among the first few ingredients, then you know it contains a lot of sugar. Choose other options.
6. Drink more water
When you are properly hydrated, so is your skin. Using a face moisturizer (with SPF), like we mentioned above will also go a long way to keeping your skin from drying out (and protecting you from the sun).
7. Stop Smoking or Don’t Start
If you started smoking, then you probably know how hard it is to quit. You are just going to have to trust in the fact that it will be easier for you to quit now than down the road when your health is declining and you’ve been smoking for the last 10 years.
There are a million reasons you shouldn’t start smoking that far outweigh “all the cool kids are doing it” or “my parents made me angry – I’ll show them!” For one, those kids are not cool, and two, they’ll be way less cool when they’re all wrinkly with emphysema in a few years.
And there is no sense in turning to a coping mechanism that is far more detrimental to your health (wrinkles aside) than what you are trying to cope with. Whether it’s your parents or kids at school or anything else that you’re having a hard time dealing with, just know it will eventually pass.
You’re not going to be a teenager forever, so don’t sabotage your health for the rest of your life over something that you’ll look back on in a few years to realize it wasn’t worth it. That, and you’ll have less wrinkles if you never start.
8. Avoid Repetitive Facial Expressions
As far as facial expressions go, if we’re talking about wrinkles on the forehead, it’s less likely due to facial expressions, unless you are regularly making the “stress furrowed brow face”, but more likely due to squinting.
If you find yourself squinting a lot, get your eyes checked. You may need glasses or contacts. Wearing sunglasses will help you prevent squinting from the sun.
A Few More Tips To Minimize Wrinkles
Get Into A Skin Care Routine
There is no shortage of skin care products available. and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what you should be using in what order. As a teenager, there are only two things you really need to do – 1.wash your face at night and, 2. Use a moisturizer with SPF in the morning.
It’s really important to wash all of the accumulated dirt and debris your face has collected throughout the day, as well as remove any makeup you may have applied, before going to bed.
This will help you maintain clear, healthy skin and will help prevent early signs of aging.
Use Coconut Oil
Apply coconut oil to your forehead wrinkles. Coconut oil is a natural emollient, which means it provides moisture and naturally plumps the skin, filling in the gaps, to make your skin smooth.
Increase Your Antioxidant Intake
Your skin is your largest organ and because it’s exposed to our outside environment, it goes through more oxidative stress than all of your other organs. Antioxidants help fight the damage that oxidative stress does to your cells.
Oxidative stress can damage cells, proteins, and DNA, which contributes to aging.
You don’t have to go run out and buy skin care products with antioxidants, you can boost your antioxidant intake just by eating the right foods. Look for foods high in Vitamins A, C & E. Plant-based foods are the best sources of antioxidants, like vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and even cocoa.
Not only are fruits, vegetables and whole grains high in antioxidants, they also tend to be high in fiber, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and good sources of vitamins and minerals.
