Opinion – Are pillows our worst nightmare or is it our bad habits?

Pillow – deemed as one of the most comfortable tool used for sleeping is now unfortunately one of the possible causes of facial wrinkles around the cheek and forehead areas. But what else is to blame in the contribution of facial wrinkles? Well, our sleeping positions play a part in this horrifying process.

We thank our pillows a bunch for giving us total comfort when sleeping however can we blame that soft thing for supposedly being our worst nightmare?

Research revealed that pillows can contribute to increasing wrinkles on the cheek, eyes and forehead areas. According to Debra Jaliman, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist and author of Skin Rules, ‘sleeping in such a way that your face comes into contact with cotton pillowcases like on your side or stomach can lead to the creation of deep sleep lines on your forehead and cheeks.’

Choosing appropriate fabric such as silk as your pillow case can help reduce the problem but that constant contact of the pillow itself against delicate areas of the face is inevitable. So,what’s the solution to this problem? There is a clear answer right in front of us and that is of course, our sleeping positions/habits.

We all have our own favourite sleeping position/s which give us the best comfort and better sleep quality but you might have to change them.

The following are two positions you should avoid to prevent facial wrinkles attacking your face:

1. Sleeping on your stomach/abdomen – this is the one to completely avoid because your face would be pressing against the pillow for long hours creating deep lines
2. Sleeping on your side (left or right) – this is not as bad as the one above but it still contributed to wrinkles around the eye area because you whole head lies on that one side putting lots of weight and immense pressure on the most delicate area of your face – the eyes.

London plastic surgeon Dr. Alex Karidis pointed out that “laughter lines can also form from sleeping on your side or your abdomen.” So what’s the better position? It is obviously sleeping on your back – if you sleep on your back you are avoiding contact between the pillow and your face.

Now, you might be worrying about having to let go of your beloved pillow who you grew attached to for a long time (I suppose) however, there is a solution out there! Anti wrinkle pillows – yes such a thing exists and it is designed to prevent the development of facial wrinkles caused when the face rubs against the pillow during sleep. Unlike ordinary pillows, anti-wrinkle pillows will help maintain collagen on your face for longer instead of accelerating its loss at a younger age.

So ta-da! There is a magical solution to a sweet horrifying problem. No more wrinkles, no more nightmares! Enjoy a ‘guilt-free’ sleeping.