Wrinkles

On the way to work this morning, I was listening to Class 95's Morning Express as usual. Other than the usual (mostly useless) banter of FD and Glenn, FD actually gave some advice on how to get rid of wrinkles. Well, it wasn't his advice actually, but advice given by Sandra Bullock. Apparently, she said that Hemorrhoid Cream works wonders on wrinkles for her. Considering that hemorrhoid cream is usually used for treating piles, I doubt I would be allowing anyone around me to try that treatment soon.

However, it got me wondering, what causes wrinkles? And, can hemorrhoid cream really help remove or smooth wrinkles? Well, there are many causes of wrinkles. The most obvious of which is Aging. Aging thins the epidermal layer of skin cells (at a rate of about 10% per decade), thins and wears out the dermal layer and causes the fat cells in the subcutaneous layer to become smaller. All these result in wrinkles and weaker skin.

The sun also causes wrinkles as the UV rays basically accelerate the aging process above. So girls, stay out of the sun, or at least wear sunblock. ;) The next cause of wrinkles are Free Radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules that have only one electron instead of two. When free radicals get an electron from the skin, it can damage cell function and alter genetic material, as it causes a chain reaction.

Other causes of wrinkles include muscle use (repeated movement causes wrinkles), hormones (lack of certain hormones cause skin changes) and gravity (which I don't think I need to explain).

Now on to whether hemorrhoid cream works. Well, I couldn't find any scientific evidence to say if it works or not. But basically, hemorrhoid creams work to shrink tissue. So basically they can help to tighten the skin. Apparently, these creams also work for puffy or baggy eyes. However, these creams may not be suitable for daily or long term use, and some smell quite bad too. So, I wouldn't rush to the nearest NTUC to get a tube of hemorrhoid cream just yet...

The skin is made up of 3 layers - the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis is the outer layer and functions as a barrier to the external environment. The cells of the epidermis, keratinocytes, move from the bottom layer of the epidermis to the top layer building up a large amount of keratin and developing a tough outer shell. Once these cells reach the top layer, they flake off. If this process becomes abnormal the skin can look scaly.

The second layer of skin is the dermis, which contains the structural elements of the skin, the connective tissue. There are various types of connective tissue with different functions. For example, collagen gives the skin its strength, proteins called glycosaminoglycans give the skin its turgor, and elastin fibers give the skin its elasticity or spring.

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