Women really do wrinkles more than men

Ever wonder why it seems that men don’t get as many wrinkles around their mouths as women do, when matched for age? You’re not wondering, it’s a fact, according to a study published in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Aesthetics Surgery Journal.

The skin that surrounds the mouth is called perioral. The aim of this study is to obtain new insight into the perception that women winkle earlier and more severely than men. If we understood the reasons for differences in wrinkling between women and men, then we might be able to develop better strategies for the treatment of perioral winkles.

The study came up with factors that could contribute to more prominent perioral wrinkles in women.

• The perioral skin of women contains fewer sweat and sebaceous glands – meaning possibly a hindrance, relative to men, of filling the skin with lubricating matter.
• In women’s perioral skin are fewer blood vessels.
• Deeper wrinkles in women may also be the result of a closer attachment of the muscle fibers, that surround the mouth, to the skin; this causes an inward traction.

Treating these perioral wrinkles remains a challenge, even though many treatment options exist, such as lasers, injectable wrinkle fillers, injections of botulinum toxin, dermabrasion and chemical peels.