Wrinkles Face: New Yorkers Join National push toward Cosmetic Procedures, State Tops for Wrinkles

It’s as plain as the wrinkles on your face: New York is tough on your skin.

New Yorkers are the most wrinkled people in the country, according to a recent study. And like other Americans, we increasingly take advantage of available cosmetic procedures.

“Even though we don’t think of New York as being one of these super-sunny places, we spend a lot of time walking outside,” says Dr. Sachin Shridharani, a Fifth Ave. plastic surgeon.

“And even though we are not out there with the aluminum foil (reflector) catching the rays, we don’t think about how much exposure we get to U.V.”

A large part of his practice: patients seeking fillers to reduce wrinkles.

That’s certainly in line with numbers released Thursday. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported injections of Botox, Dysport and Xeomin to minimize wrinkles grew 21% in the past year.

Overall, cosmetic procedures increased from 2014 to 2015, with a 7% bump in surgery and a 20% jump in nonsurgical procedures, according to the association comprised of 2,600 plastic surgeons.

 

It was a separate study, conducted by Roc, a skincare firm, which cited New York as 2015's most wrinkle-prone state. Pennsylvania was second, West Virginia third and Colorado fourth, with Alaska coming in last.

Such a compilation could seem subjective, but Bert Sperling, a data expert and president of the website Sperling’s Best Places, conducted massive amounts of research. He examined scientific literature on skin damage from sun and environmental damage from stress. Then he conducted a meta-analysis of different studies before finally scoring the data.

Among the unusual factors that went into declaring New York the most wrinkled state were its dew point and latitude: The more humid a place, the better for the skin. But being closer to the equator was worse for skin.

Sperling also considered elevation.

“The higher you are, the less of a protective atmosphere to mitigate the ultraviolet radiation,” he said.

Ultimately, what led to New York earning the dubious honor were the very cold days of last winter and the stresses inherent to living here, including the commute. In New York the average commute is 31 minutes. In Kansas, it’s 18 minutes.

All of this makes perfect sense to Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc, a Park Avenue cosmetic surgeon and lifelong New Yorker.

“There is a certain amount of stress we do to ourselves,” he says, citing New Yorkers' angst over everything from preschool applications to job promotions.

At least half of his practice concerns fixing wrinkles. This is his peak time of year.

“The skin gets really dehydrated during the winter months and wrinkles get more pronounced,” he says.

Both Lorenc and Shridharani say their patients are diligent about applying sunblock and taking good care of their skin.

“Protection is key,” Shridharani says. “At the end of the day, it’s about being OK with intervention.”