Self Conscious Teen!

[Sparky]

Hi

I'm a 14 year old African Male, and for some reason I've got a LOT of wrinkles! I have a 23 year old brother and a 20 year old sister, and both of them basically no wrinkles on their faces. When I compare my face to their's it really doesn't make sense because my face has these deep lines under my eyes, between my nose, on the right side of my forehead and around my mouth. The most concerning thing is i have these "dents" in my cheeks that go out towards my ears.

I've never smoked, done drugs, alcohol or anything like that. When I do go outside, I have sunscreen on (my mom basically forces me to). I think it's because of sleeping. Whenever I wake up, my face looks VERY different to how it looked late the night before. Sometimes, it feels like my forehead is loose - whenever i nod really fast (purposely) the skin on my forehead bobs up and down weirdly.

Is there anything I can do to minimize or reduce this...obviously I'm not going to get plastic surgery or Botox lol :P but is there anything that you guys think could help?!

Thank you

[drtodorov]

Do you have puffiness and/or facial edema (swelling) when you wake up? This may contribute to wrinkles.

[Sparky]

Yea my face is pretty puffy when i wake up. For some reason, the more I sleep, the worse I look in the morning. :oops:

[drtodorov]

Puffiness may be contributing to your wrinkles. Try to sleep on your back, with your head elevated, and don't drink too much fluid in the evening. See if it reduces puffiness.

[Sparky]

Thanks for replying =)
I drink ALOT of water throughout the day (and before I go to sleep), so maybe that may have something to do with it.

Just wondering is it possible to sleep with an upright head (if that makes sense) because whenever I sleep in a chair, my face isn't as bad as usual the next morning morning. Could it be possible for me to somehow not lean my head/cheeks on something and maintain that position throughout the whole night?

I know it's a weird question lol but it's the only thing that seems to make sense:p

[orthomolecular]

I have a condition called pyroluria which makes me deficient in vitamin b6 and zinc. (Children with condition are known for having a puffy face.) B6 plays a role in water retention. When my b6 levels are low my face looks puffy in the morning. Sometimes when my b6 levels are really low I get swollen ankles later in the day.

I know from my personal exprereince that vitamin b6 can help with puffiness from water retention. You might need more vitamin b6.

I think your wrinkles may not be deep wrinkles but more like creases. But I could be wrong about that. You seem to young to have deep wrinkles on your face.

I think these dents you mention must be temporary and really from puffiness.

[jessica9]

sparky...
i agree with the others that these are most likely creases and not wrinkles, and i would follow dr. todorov's advice and the advice of the others. try drinking your water throughout the day more and not so much at night, and let us know if you notice a difference. i know there are certain pillows that are manufactured to avoid creases in the face from sleeping, which if you were older, could cause more of a problem with wrinkles. your skin is still young though, but perhaps a pillow like this could help. i think i heard of it from someone on this forum. haven't tried it, but have thought about ordering one for myself.

facesaverpillow.com

i would recommend sleeping on your back too. which is actually easier to do if you are slightly elevated. i like sleeping on my side myself, and am still trying to kick the habit. it is better for your skin to sleep on your back. let us know how it works out for you. oh...and if it is any consolation, i have a school photo of myself from when i was 14, and i actually had a small wrinkle on my forehead. i don't have a single line on my forehead and i'm almost 27. sort of strange. i think i just make less expressions with that part of my face than i used to. when your skin is very young, it is just more resiliant.