9 common myths about wrinkles debunked — and what dermatologists want you to know instead

Our experts independently review everything we recommend. If you buy through our links, we may earn commission.

I once read about a lady who didn't smile for over 40 years . Her reason for such a stationary expression was not a distaste for joy and laughter, but something else entirely — to prevent wrinkles . She'd decided that maintaining a straight, expressionless face was worth it to keep smooth, youthful-looking skin. (Apparently, she even resisted smiling when her daughter was born! Can you imagine?)

Sometimes, when I'm slathering on my lotions and potions in the evening, I think about this woman. Not because it's a cautionary tale about vanity, but because her fear wasn't necessarily directed at the right thing. Wrinkle mythology is full of misplaced fears and misplaced faith. We treat certain habits like miracle workers and others like poison, often with evidence pointed in the opposite direction. So, instead of guessing what to do and what to avoid, I asked dermatologists to bust some wrinkle myths and misconceptions. (But as the great Oscar Wilde once said, "The truth is rarely pure and never simple.")

Myth #1: Facial expressions are the main cause of wrinkles

Let's address the aforementioned smile-averse situation. If we stop facial movement, whether it's a smile, frown or Elvis-like lip snarl, it would stop wrinkles, right? According to Dr. Behrooz Torkian , a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, Calif., it's not that simple. Now, some wrinkles really are caused by movement: "A prime example of this is the wrinkles on the forehead, the glabella, or so-called 'elevens,' and the crow's feet," he says. But movement is also competing with bigger forces like sun exposure and collagen loss. His advice is to limit repetitive movement with Botox where it matters, and protect collagen with adequate SPF , a good diet, stress control and no smoking.

To rebuild collagen, Torkian recommends vitamin C , retinoids , growth factors and peptides , along with regular microneedling, radio frequency and laser treatments. And if you happen to have a red light mask in your closet, now's the time to break it out. "Recent scientific evidence on red light therapy has also supported the use of red and near-infrared light to support the metabolic processes of building collagen in the skin," he says.

Myth #2: How much you wrinkle depends solely on genetics

Your bloodline may set things up for your skin, but it doesn't decide the outcome alone. "Genetics matter because your genes shape how thick your skin is, how well you hold onto collagen and how much melanin you have doing built-in sun protection," says Dr. Geeta Yadav, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Facet Dermatology. This is part of why some people "start creasing in their 30s while others sail into their 60s looking smooth."

However, she points out how identical twins with identical DNA can look years apart in age. She underscores the sun's impact on our skin, which makes movement seem like a minor threat by comparison. "Sun alone is estimated to account for around 80% of the visible aging we see on the face," she says.

Myth #3: The more expensive the moisturizer, the better

By now, you probably know that drugstore beauty can go toe-to-toe with luxury brands , and moisture is no exception. "I have always believed that paying a lot for a moisturizer is not worth it," says Torkian. What matters, he says, is what's actually in the jar. Moisturizers break down into three parts: humectants that draw in water, emollients that soften and occlusives that seal it all in. Beyond that, you want to consider whether it has actives, such as peptides, retinoids, hydroxy acids and niacinamide. "As a general rule, I personally avoid the super expensive and the super cheap," he says.

Myth #4: Dry skin causes wrinkles; oily skin ages better

"One of the most essential factors in the appearance of wrinkles in skin is the hydration of the collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin within the dermis and epidermis," explains Torkian. Oil definitely supports it, as more sebaceous glands mean the skin has a built-in defense system against losing that moisture. However, dry skin doesn't necessarily mean you're doomed. It just needs that same protection in a different way: "Moisturizers such as ceramides to augment the skin barrier" versus retinoids and hydroxy acids for oily skin — at least as a starting point.

According to Torkian, internal hydration is definitely a part of the picture, but only if the skin barrier is already intact and topical moisture is in place. But water alone doesn't do the plumping. A 2015 study published in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology showed that adding roughly 2 liters of water a day to women's diets for a month significantly improved skin hydration and biomechanics.

Ultimately, it's less that water plumps wrinkles and more that dehydration accelerates them. Yadav is more blunt, saying that drinking more water is unlikely to meaningfully change wrinkles.

Myth #6: Retinol and tretinoin are interchangeable

Both retinol and tretinoin speed up cell turnover and rebuild collagen, which smooths and softens wrinkles over time. But the real question is which one gets you there and how fast. Torkian breaks down how tretinoin is the active compound itself, whereas retinol has to go through two steps to convert into tretinoin. "This means that using tretinoin can lead to quicker results and quicker onset of the results, but it can also feel a little bit more harsh to skin that has not adjusted to retinoic acid yet," he says. Over the long term, results from both can be very similar, he adds.

Myth #7: Only in-office procedures can reverse wrinkles, not topicals

According to Torkian, the answer to this isn't a flat no. "There are some topicals that can be very helpful in reversing wrinkling," he says, "provided that the wrinkling has not gone out of hand." Retinoids, especially prescription tretinoin, have decades of trial evidence behind them, while vitamin C, growth factors and peptides can also make a difference.

But he doesn't stop there: "Another essential factor is whether proper prevention is being employed at the same time as using the topical that is intended to reverse wrinkling." In other words, a product working solo, without sun protection or consistency, applied to wrinkles that are already deeply set isn't a fair test of what topicals can actually do.

Myth #8: The neck and chest age faster than the face

While it's true that the skin on the neck and chest is very different from the skin on the face (mainly because there are fewer oil glands), Torkian pushes back on the framing of this myth, and points out the impact of our behavior. "One thing to keep in mind about the skin of the neck and chest is that they rarely get any love," he says. "I always like to remind my patients that when they have their skin-care routine, they should not forget the neck and chest. It is natural to want to use all of your expensive skin-care products on what you feel people are looking at the most, but spreading a little love below the chin can be impactful over time in preventing neck and chest aging."

Myth #9: Botox is the best treatment for all kinds of wrinkles

Yadav is clear that Botox is excellent for softening the dynamic lines caused by repeated muscle movement. "Frown lines, forehead lines and crow's feet respond beautifully, because quieting the muscle stops it folding the skin above it thousands of times a day," she explains. But it does much less for lines already etched in when your face is completely at rest, and very little for crepey texture, sun damage or the sagging that comes from lost volume and laxity, she says.

At under $10, this effective cream is proof of Myth #3 — you don't have to splurge to get real results. It pairs retinol with bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol alternative that helps soften irritation, plus vitamin E and allantoin to keep skin calm. You get softer-looking lines and plumper, less flakey skin without the retinol redness.

One of the most effective anti-aging treatments available without a prescription is Differin. This dermatologist favorite can help improve skin texture, fine lines and overall skin tone as long as you're consistent. It can also help build collagen, which, in turn, makes skin look brighter and bouncier.

This budget-friendly moisturizer does barrier-repair work while you sleep thanks to a powerful trio of ceramides, hyaluronic acid and peptides. It's essentially the ingredient-category cheat sheet from Myth #6 packed into an affordable cream.

We voted this the best drugstore face serum for a reason. It contains Vichy's legendary Volcanic Water, which is sourced from French volcanoes and contains 15 essential minerals that strengthen, protect and repair the skin barrier​.

This Celimax cream features a two-in-one dispenser, releasing a retinal cream with 5% panthenol soothing cream at the same time. It also explicitly treats the neck alongside the face with matrixyl 3000, a peptide complex, for firming, so you can make sure Myth #8 gets covered.