Langer's lines and face creams - Use the tension lines in the face to your advantage

Langer's lines define the direction within the human skin along which the skin is least flexible. This mechanical property is determined by the alignment of collagen fibers and bundles of collagen fibers within the dermis.

Unfortunately, the accurate direction of Langer's lines often is not known. In some areas of the body, large differences exist in the direction between different persons. Even on the same person, changes in the exact direction may occur during the course of life.

The knowledge of the direction of Langer's lines within a particular area of the skin is of great importance for surgical operations. Generally and most importantly, a surgical cut should allow for an optimal opening of the area to be operated on and should also offer the possibility to extend the area during the surgery. At the same time, it must be made sure that the skin can heal properly after the surgery and that a beneficial cosmetic appearance is obtained after healing. These conditions are usually best fulfilled, if a surgical cut is carried out in the direction of Langer's lines. The generation of scares, in particular, is minimized under these conditions. This is of paramount importance in plastic surgery, where surgical cuts and potential scars run through visible body parts, such as the face.

When using anti-aging face creams it is recommended that the motion of the hand applying the creams follow these lines. In general the following image show these lines.