The pesky forehead wrinkles that people pay thousands of dollars to reverse as they age may not be from aging at all.
Doctors say they’re often caused by a preventable medical condition that, when corrected, could make you quit that expensive Botox habit.
Dehydration lines affect more than three-quarters of Americans and are almost identical to wrinkles. However, they are caused by a lack of moisture in the skin.
These lines tend to be lighter and finer and may only appear during certain times of the year, such as winter, when dry skin is most common.
“Dehydration lines are fine lines that we see when we have dry skin,” Dr. Mary Stevenson, a dermatologist at NYU Langone, told DailyMail.com.
Thin lines on the forehead may not be wrinkles. Instead, it could be dehydration lines, which are caused by dry skin
Wrinkles, on the other hand, are caused by long-term factors, such as aging, exposure to ultraviolet light, smoking, and making the same facial expressions repeatedly, such as squinting and smiling.
Dehydration lines are more of a short-term problem. “If you have fine lines at rest versus just occasionally, that would be the biggest difference between these two things,” said Dr. Stevenson.
Several factors can dry out the skin, including not drinking enough water, spending time in a cold environment, or using harsh soaps or detergents.
“Because you’ve used up all the water you can use to keep your body functioning, dry skin can cause some kind of creepy, older-looking skin,” said Dr. Stevenson.
“That can give you fine lines because the skin is just less hydrated than usual.”
Other symptoms of dry skin, according to the Mayo Clinic, include tight skin, rough skin, itching, scaling, flaking or peeling, and cracks that may bleed.
As many as three in four Americans have the condition, according to a 2019 study from skincare brand CeraVe. The survey found that 77 percent of respondents experienced dry skin in winter.
Despite the name, dry skin lines don’t mean you need to drink a lot of water.
“Just drinking more water won’t hydrate your skin,” said Dr. Stevenson. ‘If your skin is dry, it doesn’t mean you’re actually dehydrated.
“Drinking a ton of water certainly keeps your body going, but you literally don’t have to take in enough water for your body to function to get really dehydrated.”
Dr. Stevenson suggests staying away from abrasive products that irritate the skin, as well as excessive hand washing, a habit many Americans fell into during the Covid pandemic.
“We tend to exaggerate a lot of things,” she said.
Also, don’t stay in the shower or bath longer than necessary, especially if you like hot showers.
“A big mistake people make is drying themselves off completely [after a shower]. Pat yourself dry. You want to hold onto the little bit of water that’s on your skin,” said Dr. Stevenson.
When it comes to products, there are certain ingredients that protect against dry skin.
For example, the moisturizing humectant draws moisture from the air to the top layer of the skin, the epidermis.
“It’s almost like a sponge that attracts water and draws it in,” said Dr. Stevenson.
Emollients or moisturizers, used for dry skin and conditions like eczema, then lock in that moisture.
“Hyaluronic acid is one of the most common things we talk about when we talk about dehydrated skin.”
Dr. Stevenson also suggested opting for creams over lotions, which are often formulated with a higher water content, as creams tend to hydrate the skin better.