Two Types of Chin Wrinkles — One is Preventable

Chin Creases are Innate or Acquired

Of the two types of horizontal chin wrinkles, innate and acquired, the latter can be avoided. Whereas people born with an upturning chin naturally have a wrinkle, see Jasmine, photo #1.

An acquired chin crease gradually forms on, most often, seniors (see Helene #2). It’s therefore called a retirement line. That’s because the kidney system is considered the seat of our chutzpah and the chin is a read-out for it. This is according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, and after 50 years of practicing Face Reading, I concur. 

Constitutional wealth is another term for core kidney energy and that’s why younger people who have depleted this energy (Brittany #3) develop a chin wrinkle. But aging doesn’t have to stamp your chin as there are chin-creaseless seniors such as Albert, (#4). These four accompanying photos are, incidentally, my clients. I thank them for granting photo permissions. 

No matter your age, if today your chin is undivided, I’ll detail below how you can help keep it that way.  First we’ll examine the underlying causes of both types of chin wrinkles, innate and acquired.

A chin, or the bony knob on the lower jaw is, curiously enough, one defining human characteristic. In contrast, chin-less apes, crocodiles and other animals have lower jaws that sharply slope backward from the teeth. So it’s actually your kitten’s mandible you’re scratching, not her chin.

While most chins protrude a bit, there are variations. Some people are born with a recessed chin, some are flat, and others, like Jasmine’s, jut out enough to cause the skin above it to fold. 

An Upturned Chin Naturally Creates a Wrinkle

For a visual, extend your hand, palm up and note your relatively even skin. Now curl up your finger tips. The more your fingers turn up, the deeper the creases. The more a chin angles up, the deeper its corresponding innate crease.

If your chin is an outie, rejoice. Someone willing to “stick his chin out” is not a push over. A witch caricature boasts a significantly upturned chin, and she’s known for charting her own course. 

If you have inherent courage and tenacity, appreciate this kidney-related strength. You’re considered to be blessed with strong constitutional energy. But whether your core energy is moderate or abundant, how how manage this wealth helps determine how quickly you age.

“Retirement Line”

The second type, an acquired wrinkle, forms on chins that do not up-turn as we see below on Helene and Brittany. Like a scaffold, the teeth and underlying bones help position facial skin. If the jaw loses volume and/or shifts with age, then skin sags and wrinkles blossom. 

An acquired horizontal chin crease is observed in people who have depleted their kidney energy. What drains our essential energy? Chronic stress, overwork, illness and poor lifestyle choices are chief causes.   

Helene’s acquired crease is not unusual for someone her age. It aptly suggests that now, she needs to conserve her remaining energy. She sought my help because of bowel concerns and from “feeling tired to the bone.” 

But what about 31-year-old Brittany’s wrinkle? Her primary concerns were fatigue and a sensitive stomach. A New Yorker in the stressful performing arts, Brittany’s following lifestyle choices were not kidney strengthening: late nights, social drinking and a diet of mostly salad, fruit, dairy and snacks. Fortunately Brittany’s acquired crease is just starting to form. Let’s trust she’s making appropriate shifts and rebuilding her energy reserves.

Does this mean that if you are fatigued, drink alcohol and favor salads that you’ll also develop a chin crease? No. Much depends upon your innate energy, genetics, diet, how well you weather stress and your exposure to cold temperatures. But if your formally even chin is now divided north and south perhaps it’s time to shift gears. 

Keeping an Un-creased Chin Un-creased

Octogenarian Albert, from Plymouth, England, doesn’t have a chin wrinkle. Presumably his lifestyle has helped. A now retired hand engraver, he remains actively involved with his spiritual community. I found his keen intellect, easy going manner and sense of humor delightful. 

There is no single facial feature, like a chin crease or lack thereof, that provides a diagnosis. However, in comparison to Helene and Brittney, Albert has managed his core energy well.

I’ll end with suggestions for conserving kidney health based on Chinese Five Element Medicine. You’ll find some of them surprising. But first here’s one cautionary note.

What Not to Do for a Chin Wrinkle

Please, don’t be gullible about the slick ads for dermal fillers or injections that claim to “erase” wrinkles. True, chemical intervention temporarily “softens” a chin crease, but it’s a cheap fix. 

Countless Face Reading clients of mine sorely regret the inevitable side effects of invasive treatments. Besides, an elder with a cosmetically younger face is, in the least, incongruent. True beauty is, after all, not reliant on outside intervention. 

Conserve Kidney Vitality to Help Maintain a Smooth Chin

• Enjoy a balanced life of work, relaxation and play
• Get adequate sleep
• Exercise regularly, but not to exhaustion (swimming and martial arts especially strengthen the kidneys)
• Eat a balanced diet of freshly prepared whole foods
• Kidney strengthening foods: beans, seeds, nuts, meat, root vegetables, bone stock and seaweed.

How to Tempt a Chin Crease

• Repeatedly overtax your core energy
• Use stimulants or drugs
• Sit, lie or stand for prolonged periods of time
• Over- or under-consume salt
• Eat cold, frozen and raw foods
  

The links refer to blogs at www.RebeccaWood.com, where you’ll also find more Face Reading information. For kidney-strengthening diet and lifestyle tips, see: Water Element Blog. If interested, you may order your own Face Reading Report via email here.

https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/01/no-really-other-animals-dont-have-chins/433890/