Wrinkles are lines or creases on your skin. It’s a normal part of aging. Wrinkles that occur early in life could be the result of smoking or sun damage. You don’t need to treat wrinkles unless you want to change how they appear on your skin by using over-the-counter products, outpatient procedures or surgery to remove layers of your skin.

What causes wrinkles?

Slow skin cell production, thinning skin layers and a lack of collagen proteins causes wrinkles to form on your skin.

Collagen is a protein within your body that gives your skin structure. It provides stretchiness or elasticity so you can move easily. Your skin is similar to a rubber band. If that rubber band stretches or moves too much, the rubber band becomes loose and loses its ability to snap back to its normal size and shape. When your body’s cells age, their ability to produce proteins slows down. This makes it more difficult for your rubber band to snap back to its original shape, which causes wrinkles.

There are several factors that cause your skin to wrinkle.