Does Smiling Cause Wrinkles

“Never stop smiling” is the motto of most dentists and orthodontists in Smithtown. Our main job as an orthodontist in Smithtown is giving you the smile of your dreams, the pearly whites of Hollywood stars, and a beautiful way to face your daily life.

Smiling was proved to have a positive effect on life, the so-called “halo effect”. People with great smiles have better marriages, better job opportunities, better work relationships and are overall happier and healthier. However, there have been some claims that smiles can have a negative effect.

One question, in particular, arose over the past few years: “Does smiling cause wrinkles?”. We’re here to answer that specific question and shed some light on the matter.

What Causes Wrinkles?

Wrinkles are skin folds that usually appear at the side of the mouth, at the corner of the eyes, on the forehead, and between the eyebrows. These wrinkles often form with age and are accelerated by a number of very bad habits like smoking and a bad diet (more on that in a bit).

The truth is: You will never stop wrinkles. The skin loses its elasticity with age, so wrinkles are bound to form. That’s why we’re insisting on the “never stop smiling” motto, and even if the answer to the “does smiling cause wrinkles” question is yes, life will be a lot harder if you don’t smile.

What Muscles Are Used In Smiling?

Now we explore the muscles of facial expression. There are 43 muscles in the human face, and 5 of them are used when you smile:

1. Levator Labii Superioris: The muscle that exposes the teeth by pulling the upper lip.
2. Risorius: Also dubbed the smiling muscle
3. Orbicularis Oris: Circles the mouth and is responsible for the dimples in the cheeks when you smile.
4. Zygomaticus Major: Pulls the corner of the mouth upwards. The main muscle of a “genuine” smile.
5. Zygomaticus Minor: Helps the zygomaticus Major in its job.

There are also a few other muscles around and below the eyes known as the Orbicularis Occuli. This is the one responsible for the Crow’s feet beside the eyes when you smile.

Does Smiling Cause Wrinkles?

Now that we know what muscles are used in smiling, we head to answer our main question: Is smiling truly a cause for wrinkles to form?

We established before that wrinkles will form in all cases. It is just a normal physiologic ageing process. Therefore, we say with confidence that smiling absolutely does NOT cause wrinkles. That being said, too much facial expression – including smiling – can accelerate the rate at which wrinkles are formed.

The folds that appear when you smile deepen as you age and if you don’t take care of your skin and your body. So while smiling is not the main reason for wrinkle formation, it can be the reason they appear early IF the other reasons – such as smoking, poor diet, and too much sun exposure – are also present.

How Do You Prevent Wrinkles When Smiling?

Smiling alone is never the cause for wrinkles. So we can never tell you to stop smiling or smile less. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure your skin remain healthy and wrinkle-free such as:

• Avoid too much sun exposure:

  The sun is the enemy of the skin. While some sunlight is useful since it is a natural source of Vitamin D, too much sun exposure can hurt your skin. Not in the obvious way – such as skin burns – but sunlight lowers the elasticity of the skin, and the end result is usually wrinkling. If you are an outdoor addict and just can’t live without the sun, be sure to wear a sun screen and use skin cream to keep your skin moist and taut.

• No more smoking:

  We can never stress enough the dangers of smoking. The awful habit affects almost every system in your body. It destroys the lungs, damages the teeth, affects your overall metabolism, and the skin is only one of its victims. Not only do the harmful materials in the cigarette affect you, but the physical act of smoking does as well. When you purse your lips during smoking, you are engaging almost every muscle in the face. Over the years, this repetitive muscle engagement can cause wrinkles.

• Eat a healthy diet:

  A healthy diet is the cornerstone of anti-aging. When you eat healthily, the skin keeps its tone and moisture for a long time. The collagen in the skin remains healthy, and therefore it remains shiny and taut, with no wrinkles to fear.

• Adjust your sleeping position:

  This may sound strange, but the way you sleep can be the reason for your wrinkles. When you sleep often on your side or stomach, gravity applies a lot of pressure on the skin, and that can be the reason behind skin wrinkles. It is always advisable to try and sleep on your back as much as you can.

• Take care of your teeth:

  And that’s where we can help you. You asked us “does smiling cause wrinkles” and we honestly answered that it doesn’t, but it can accelerate their formation. However, there is another completely different aspect to consider. The muscles of smiling are supported by the teeth and bone. When you smile, the folds that appear can only go as deep as your teeth allow them. So when you lose your teeth, these folds are engaged even deeper than usual, resulting in the deeper and quicker formation of wrinkles. So make sure your teeth are healthy and strong, with no gaps and none missing to ensure good support of the muscles, and fewer chances of wrinkle formation.

Bottom Line: Does Smiling Cause Wrinkles?

There is no actual “cause” for wrinkles as they are one of the normal aging processes. However, there are some factors that cause wrinkles to appear early in life or in an excess amount.

Smiling can be one of those factors, but only when the other factors are available as well. So if you don’t smoke, eat healthily, avoid too much sunlight exposure, and overall take care of your skin, then, by all means, smile away my friend!