Breaking Bad Sleep Habits

Aging Wrinkles or Sleep Wrinkles?

The difference between natural AGING WRINKLES (blue lines) that are caused by expression and made worse by the natural aging effects of gravity, volume loss (fat pads), decreasing collagen and elastin and sun damage.

SLEEP WRINKLES (red lines) are the creases etched into our skin by our nightly pressing and folding of our skin tissue into our pillows at night. Over time, this nightly sleep habit will press unwanted sleep wrinkles or creases into our faces. Where once (in our youth) these sleep wrinkles disappeared soon after starting our day, as we age and naturally loose our elasticity and collagen, these sleep wrinkles become etched deeper and more permanently.

How to tell the difference?

A general rule of thumb is that sleep wrinkles are more vertical or diagonal and cannot be reproduced with facial expression. You can use the “hand test” by simply mimicking the pressure of your pillow to see how they have formed over time.

They do tend to soften during the day as the crease is allowed to relax but eventually, over time and repeated poor sleeping positions, they are permanent lines.

How can we stop sleep lines from forming?

Most experts say “Sleep on your back”… thus avoiding the nasty facial compression. But that is easier said than done! Breaking bad sleep habits is very difficult. In fact, 75% of us love to sleep on our sides.

Ideally, using a specialty designed pillow that encourages the recommended back sleeping BUT also allow side sleeping (OFF your face) is the solution. The anti-aging enVy Pillow allows back and side sleepers and also adds a 100% Mulberry SILK pillowcase which allows the skin to move with less friction than cotton pillowcases, promotes hydration and has incredible breath-ability. The enVy Pillow line up also offers an optional COPPER Ion Fabric Liner ☄️which has amazing benefits. Copper naturally promotes the production of elastin and collagen, is a power house against bacteria/ viruses/ and fungi and deliverers anti-inflammatory properties .

BOTOXABLE?

Botulinum toxins are never ever ever ever gonna work on “sleep wrinkles”. They are Non-Botoxable! Botox, Dysport or Xeomin are of NO help in getting rid of “sleep wrinkles” BECAUSE they are not caused by the movement or contraction of muscles.

Dermal Fillers are effective in filling permanent sleep lines/creases but one must make sure to stop the ‘face planting’ after the procedure or the product will simply move/ shift under the pressure and sleep wrinkles will return in no time flat.

What if you treat expression lines without treating the sleep lines?

If you have sleep lines cross-crossing over your “Botoxable” wrinkles, and you’ve had Botox… you won’t like the results! This is a common issue that injectors face when clients are disappointed to see new wrinkles after receiving botox treatment.

Sure, the scowl is gone … but now you’ve got bedface! See the before and after of Anthony Hopkins when his expression lines are removed:

Bottom Line…. Invest in your beauty sleep.

Please tell us how you prepare your patients on their expectations of which wrinkles are botoxable and which are not?