Since starting PB, I'm getting really wrinkly...help? page 2

[YogaBare]

Thanks, I'll read through that. I had done a search on "wrinkles" but didn't look at variants like "aging". I appreciate the heads up.

No worries The anti low-carb people attribute it to an excessive amount of tryptophan being broken down from gluconeogenesis.

There's a lot of conflicting info in that thread so will be interested to hear what you think!

[jojohaligo]

I'm 51 and have lost over 24 pounds and would also consider what I eat to be pretty low on the carb side (although there are times when it is higher for a period and then naturally crave less again).

I have not noticed more wrinkles, but I have also been using a moisturizer with retinol for a few years now, and before that a daily moisturizer since I was in my mid twenties.

Now with my new found love for the little bit of sun we get around here I may get wrinklier - oh well!

[gopintos]

I think many ppl "dieting" CW way, have the same problem. Of course we are all younger in our before picture, but some look much older in their afters. I always figured the wrinkles in our plump little faces were just filled with fat, now they are not.

[MamaGrok]

Look at the pic of the bronzed woman on the cover of Weston Price's Nutrition & Physical Degeneration. She's 90 years old, been in the South Pacific sun her whole life, and has very few wrinkles.

Sun doesn't cause wrinkles (your skin expects the sun) unless your diet (esp. processed oils) & lifestyle (esp. lack of regular exposure to nature, bare feet and sun and night and all) break down your ability to be nourished, instead of harmed, by it. (Holes in the ozone probably don't help, either.)

[J. Stanton]

No worries The anti low-carb people attribute it to an excessive amount of tryptophan being broken down from gluconeogenesis.

That's a Ray Peat-ism AFAIK. I don't take it seriously. Here's why.

Your skin doesn't suddenly just become damaged in a few weeks, or ever 2.5 months. The cells simply aren't dying and turning over that quickly. What's happened is this:

1. You've lost some fat out from under your skin. It would be nice if we lost it from the gut (men) or thighs (women) first, but that's not how it works...it seems like the face is one of the first places we lose weight from.
2. (Maybe) Your diet is solidly low-carb, so the muscles are carrying less glycogen, which means they have less volume to them. I'm not sure how much difference this makes: facial muscles are very small and mostly hidden under a layer of fat.

Result: you've deflated the balloon of water, fat, and muscle under your skin, and some wrinkles have appeared. It'll take time for your skin to "tighten up" over the new, smaller substrate...longer and longer as you age.

To speed it up, you can try things that either speed up cellular turnover (tretinoin), deliberately kill cells to speed up turnover (chemical peels), or stimulate reformation of collagen (dermarolling). Keep in mind that if you're worried about crows' feet, the thin skin around your eyes is typically avoided by the chemical peel.

You can also try drinking more water and eating more salt, which will promote greater fluid retention.

[j3nn]

Have you checked your DHEA levels lately? Low DHEA is associated with wrinkly skin. Supplementation might help but it's something that has to be carefully monitored as it could cause hormonal imbalances.

[EagleRiverDee]

Have you checked your DHEA levels lately? Low DHEA is associated with wrinkly skin. Supplementation might help but it's something that has to be carefully monitored as it could cause hormonal imbalances.

I would have to say no- I don't think I've ever had my DHEA levels checked. I'll mention it to my doc next time I'm in. Might be a good time for some comprehensive bloodwork anyway.

[SophieScreams]

I'm glad OP asked this. I'm in my early thirties and I have crow's feet that were not present 6 months ago that seem to deepen by the day. I did not lose a bunch of weight, maybe just some body fat. I started a retinol cream about 5 months ago, and that's when the wrinkles started. I stopped after one month, and things just seem to be getting worse. I use a 60% glyco-lactic acid peel 2x/month, almond oil massage 2x/week, and powdered topical vitamin C daily, with no results. My macros are around 50/30/20, so I don't think it's a lack of fat or carbs.

Sorry to hijack, but someone please tell me that Botox is NOT all there is left!

[YogaBare]

Well, I say my piece in the other thread (about knowing two Paleo people who are haggard, oops, said it again!) Personally I don't think it's weight loss. I gained weight and it didn't lessen the wrinkles on my face!

[YogaBare]

I'm glad OP asked this. I'm in my early thirties and I have crow's feet that were not present 6 months ago that seem to deepen by the day. I did not lose a bunch of weight, maybe just some body fat. I started a retinol cream about 5 months ago, and that's when the wrinkles started. I stopped after one month, and things just seem to be getting worse. I use a 60% glyco-lactic acid peel 2x/month, almond oil massage 2x/week, and powdered topical vitamin C daily, with no results. My macros are around 50/30/20, so I don't think it's a lack of fat or carbs.

Sorry to hijack, but someone please tell me that Botox is NOT all there is left!

I'm very skeptical of those creams... google "retinol cream more wrinkles" (or something to that effect) and I think you'll find a bunch of people whose skin it it made worse.

What's your skin type? I think that's a really important factor to consider when starting any of these treatments.