When you wake up with lines on your face from your pillow, it may be a sign of your skin’s health: your pillow marks show how your skin reacts to pressure and creasing during sleep. The main cause of these marks is your sleeping position. Pillow marks are short-lived wrinkles that form when the face presses against the pillow, creating uneven pressure and folding the skin. To prevent this, you should avoid sleeping on your side or stomach, which are the most common positions for these marks. Also, your sleeping position affects how your skin ages over time.
Repeated and long-lasting pressure on the same parts of your face can speed up the aging process. Other factors that influence your pillow marks are your skin’s elasticity and collagen levels. Even though pillow marks are temporary and harmless, they are related to how elastic your skin is. If some marks take longer to fade away, it may indicate that your skin has lost some of its elasticity. Therefore, pillow marks can also serve as clues to your skin’s condition. As you get older, these marks tend to appear more often and more visibly, as your skin loses collagen. You can monitor how fast your skin bounces back from these marks to assess its state.
How can you avoid them? The best way to avoid pillow marks is to reduce the contact between your face and the pillow. This means sleeping on your back, which can be hard to do if you are used to another position. If that is not possible, you can try using pillowcases made of very soft materials. Silk pillowcases are made of natural fibers, which reduce friction and improve breathability. The last thing you can do to prevent pillow marks is to take good care of your skin. Make sure your skin is well-hydrated, eat a balanced and nutritious diet, and use appropriate skincare products. The suggested routine includes drinking enough water and applying moisturizers to your skin before going to bed. Healthy skin tends to recover faster from these temporary marks.
