Your facial expression could be ageing you.
Image: Freepik
If Gen-Z’s blank stare is the secret to eternal youth, maybe they have been onto something all along.
While ageing is natural and inevitable, some of the expressions we pull every single day could actually be speeding up the process.
That’s right, your face might be working overtime on creating fine lines and wrinkles.
Here are five common expressions that might just be adding a few extra years to your look.
Frowning
Whether you are deep in thought, annoyed in traffic, or just having a bad day, frowning can leave you with what are often called the “forehead elevens.”
These are the vertical lines that form between your brows when you scowl.
The more often you do it, the more likely those lines will stick around even when your face is relaxed.
Constant frowning can lead to 'forehead elevens.'
Image: Yan Krukau / Pexels
Nose scrunching
Pulling a face when something grosses you out? That adorable little nose scrunch can lead to what are known as “bunny lines.”
These are the tiny wrinkles that form horizontally or diagonally across the bridge of the nose over time.
Nose scrunching can cause 'bunny lines'.
Image: drobotdean / Freepik
Pouting
Yes, the classic pout, whether you are sulking, kissing, sipping through a straw, or taking a selfie, can cause vertical lines around your lips, often called lipstick lines or smoker’s lines.
Even if you do not smoke, constant puckering can make them appear sooner than you would like.
Squinting
Whether it is the sun, your phone screen, or trying to see if that text was really meant for you, squinting is a major culprit when it comes to crow’s feet.
These are the fine lines that fan out from the corners of your eyes.
Over time, repeated squinting can make them more prominent.
Pouting can cause vertical lines around your lips.
Image: Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels
Smiling
We hate to break it to you, but even smiling has a downside.
All that joy can deepen your nasolabial folds, the creases that run from your nose to the corners of your mouth.
These lines naturally become more visible with age as skin loses elasticity and facial fat shifts. Repetitive smiling can make them stand out faster.
Even your big bright smile can age you.
Image: Darina Belonogova / Pexels
So while we are not suggesting you stop smiling, frowning, or pouting altogether, maybe it is time to give your face a little rest every now and then.
Or at least invest in a good pair of sunglasses and practice that Gen-Z stare for special occasions.