You Might Be Confusing Your Dehydration Lines with Wrinkles, Here’s How To Tell

Dehydration Lines vs Wrinkles

Dehydration lines can easily make you think that you’ve aged overnight. Because they’re commonly mistaken for fine lines and even wrinkles. The good thing is that dehydration lines are much, much easier to get rid of than permanent wrinkles.

In case you don’t know if you have them, we’re here to clear the air. Know that it’s important to make this distinction because you might be getting upset over the wrinkles you might not even have.

Keep reading to learn about the differences between wrinkles and dehydration lines, what causes dehydration lines, and how to get rid of them.

What Are Dehydration Lines?

Dehydration lines are subtle, fine lines that appear on the skin caused by the lack of water, aka hydration, in the skin. In other words, dehydration lines form as a result of dehydrated skin.

Dehydration lines can appear all over the skin but they’re more visible on the forehead, around the eyes, and on the cheeks.

Dehydration lines can also worsen the look of existing lines on the skin such as the ones between the brows and around the mouth, which might make it easy to mistake them for expression lines or regular wrinkles.

Dehydration Lines vs Wrinkles

The major difference between dehydration lines and wrinkles is the cause.

Dehydration lines form as a result of dehydrated skin, which can be caused by using drying skincare products, exposure to hot weather, or hot showers. If dehydrated skin isn’t treated, it leads to dry skin.

Wrinkles, on the other hand, form as a result of collagen loss due to aging and other factors like unprotected sun exposure that add up over the years.

What Do Dehydration Lines Look Like?

To better understand what dehydration lines look like, you need to know what dehydrated skin looks like. In general, dehydrated skin looks pale and dull. That’s why you usually don’t see healthy-looking rosy cheeks on dehydrated skin.

Because of the lack of hydration, dehydrated skin also feels less elastic. It feels rough, and not supple or bouncy. Sometimes, dehydrated skin is accompanied by flaky skin and sensitivity.

So what do dehydration lines look like? Dehydration lines look like superficial lines on the skin. They can be in various shapes but they’re mostly superficial lines and creases.

When you look closely into a wrinkle, you can see that it actually looks like a valley in the skin where the wrinkle is entrenched and surrounded by plumper skin below and above it.

Dehydration lines don’t have that ‘valley’ appearance. They are superficial in every sense of the word.

How to Know If You Have Dehydration Lines or Wrinkles

A very simple way to understand if you have dehydration lines or wrinkles is by hydrating your skin topically. Use a hydrating serum or a hydrating moisturizer on damp skin.

If the lines disappear after 15 minutes, they are probably dehydration lines. If they’re improved but still there, they’re probably wrinkles.

Are Dehydration Lines Permanent?

Dehydration lines are not permanent. Once you hydrate your skin, they are gone. However, skin dehydration can make your lines look worse than they are and accelerate their settling.

That’s why people with dry and dehydrated skin tend to look more wrinkly than they actually are. And that’s why you need to prevent dryness as much as you can. Keep reading to learn how.

How to Get Rid of Dehydration Lines

1. Determine the Cause

You first need to identify whether your dehydration is acquired or not. For example, all skin types, including oily skin, can have dehydrated skin and experience dehydration lines.

But if you have consistently dehydrated skin, it might be because of your skin type. You need to focus on managing dry skin, which lacks both water and oils.

If you generally have dry skin, establish a replenishing skincare routine that includes a non-drying cleanser, an emollient moisturizer, maybe a face oil, and a potent sunscreen.

2. Prevent Dehydration Lines

If your dehydration lines appear as a result of dehydrated skin, you need to stop the cause. As we’ve established, common causes of dehydration lines are using drying skincare products and exposure to elements.

So stop using skin-drying cleansers like the ones that contain sulfates. And take regular breaks from using active ingredients known to cause dryness. These are usually exfoliants like glycolic acid and retinol products.

3. Start a Hydrating Skincare Routine

The best and fastest way to get rid of dehydration lines is by using topical skincare formulated with hydrating skincare ingredients. Some of the most effective hydrating ingredients are hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and polyglutamic acid.

Use these ingredients in every step of the way. Start with a hydrating cleanser, and follow with a hydrating toner and a hyaluronic acid serum. Then seal it in with a hydrating moisturizer.

4. Use Moisturizers for Dehydrated Skin

There are moisturizers made with a considerable amount of hydrating ingredients, which are also known as humectants. These make the best moisturizers to use on dehydrated skin to soften dehydration lines.

Add a humectant-rich moisturizer into your daily routine to boost hydration and plump dehydration lines on the forehead and cheeks. Similarly, you can try humectant-rich eye creams to get rid of dehydration lines and creases around the eyes.

5. Use Gel Patches for Dehydration Lines

Anti-wrinkle patches, under-eye patches, or hydrogel patches are great for a quick win. They instantly hydrate and plump your skin and make your dehydration lines on the forehead and around the eyes disappear.

They maximize hydration from inside and out. By using these types of masks, you can quickly plump up dehydration lines on the forehead and around the eyes.

Hopefully, you now have a better idea about the differences between dehydration lines and wrinkles. Treating dehydration lines is easier than you think. You get rid of them by getting rid of dehydration. But the best way to make sure you don’t deal with them in the future is by avoiding the cause through a consistent skincare routine.

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