5 Types of Wrinkles and How to Tackle Each One

Expression wrinkles

What they look like: Sometimes called frown, smile or laugh lines, these tend to be either light on the skin or deeply etched into the skin. They typically arise anywhere on the face where you make expression, like around the mouth, between the brows and at the outer corners of the eyes.

What causes them: “These wrinkles are caused by repeatedly making the same expressions over and over again,” says Las Vegas plastic surgeon Gosel Anson, MD.

How to treat them: It’s virtually impossible to never move a muscle in your face again. “There’s not much in the way of prevention, but Botox and other fillers are effective for correction.”

Elastic wrinkles

What they look like: Tiny creases that form on the cheeks, lips and neck. The best way to prevent them from forming is to avoid the sun and wear sunscreen daily.

What causes them: These wrinkles are the direct result of too much time spent in the sun. “The ultraviolet damage thins the skin and fine lines and wrinkles become the result,” says Santa Monica dermatologist Ava Shamban, MD. 

How to treat them: Try lasers and peels. 

Compression wrinkles

What they look like: According to Dr. Anson, these are the latest subset of wrinkles to be discovered. They can appear on the face, neck and chest in the morning from sleeping. While some disappear throughout the day, others stay for the long-term. 

What causes them: Squishing your face against your pillow while you sleep. “Appropriately known as sleep or compression wrinkles, they can be prevented by sleeping on your back or using pillows, like JuveRest Pillow ($159), which alleviates pressure from the skin,” says Dr. Anson.

How to treat them: According to Dr. Shamban, treatment begins with first avoiding the cause of the compression and then often filling in the line or wrinkle. 

Gravitation wrinkles

What they look like: Saggy skin accompanied by wrinkles. They can appear anywhere on the face.

What causes them: A loss of collagen and elastin, both from the natural aging process and sun damage.

How to treat them: Hands down, the best way to treat these kind of wrinkles is with a facelift. But, for those who don’t want to go through with surgery, Dr. Shamban says a radio-frequency device or a focused ultrasound treatment, like Ultherapy, can help.  

Atrophic wrinkles

What they look like: Deep parallel lines on the forehead that appear when the eyebrows are furrowed.

What causes them: “As with other types if wrinkles, these worsen overtime when you lose collagen and elastin in the skin,” says Dr. Anson. “Hydration and quality skin care can help to slow the process of them forming.” Fat loss can also contribute to their formation.

How to treat them: “You want to restore volume and reposition these fat pads, which can be done with fillers,” says Dr. Shamban.