Did You Know?

Sleeping on your face gives you wrinkles

Dr. Samuel J. Stegman wrote an article in The Journal of Cosmetic Surgery on “sleep creases” in 1987 in which he mentions that it is quite impressive during patient examinations to point out the lines in their face and comment “you must sleep on this side” and have the patient “confess” it. He focused mainly on the forehead sleep lines which may develop as three or four waves across the forehead on one or both sides from chronic contact with the pillow during the night. Other sleep creases or lines such as the lines along the side of the nose or side of the chin also develop in a similar manner.

The standard test Dr. Stegman developed to observe these lines is the “pillow test” or “hand test”. Pressing ones hand near the temple can accentuate the lines across the forehead. Pressing ones hand at mid-cheek and directing pressure upwards, laterally or downwards can show lines at the crow’s feet area, nasal lines, chin lines, lip lines or cheek lines.

Dr. Stegman found that after a few nights without the head pushed into the pillow, the sleep creases were less noticeable. He observed that this could only be accomplished by changing the sleeper’s position and suggested that the patient attempt to try to train themselves to sleep in such a manner as to minimize facial contact with the pillow.

Dr. Fulton’s article that was published in 1999 confirms Dr. Stegman’s findings but offers that filling these lines is not likely to offer long term relief when compression during sleep reestablishes the crease within hours of treatment. Sleep lines will reappear eventually since the underlying behaviour that created them in the first place continues unchanged.

Fulton, JE, Jr.; Gaminichi F. 1999 Sleep Lines. Blackwell Science Inc.