Reducing Wrinkles - What are the Treatment Options?

Before discussing how to reduce the look of wrinkles, it is important to remember that wrinkles are a fact of life. Everyone starts to see the formation of wrinkles as they age. Now, let’s talk about the cause of wrinkles and also discover how to treat them.

Wrinkles – What Causes Them to Appear?

In general, wrinkles can be described as being fine, surface lines or they can take on the appearance of furrows (a deep line that is normally above the eyes). As a person ages, the skin cells begin to divide more slowly. In turn, the dermis, AKA the inner layer of the skin, starts to become thinner, and this causes the structure and stretchy nature of the skin to become undone. In addition, skin starts to lose its ability to heal quickly as well as its ability to hang on to moisture. All of these elements contribute to the formation of wrinkles.

There are other reasons that wrinkles can form, and they include smoking since this slows down the production of collagen in the skin, excessive exposure to the sun, the skin type of the person as this can make a person more likely to have sun that is damaged by the skin, and heredity.

Wrinkles – How to Treat Them?

Here are some of the most popular wrinkle treatments for patients looking to reduce their appearance on the skin:

• Retinoids, such as Retin-A, are able to address issues such as wrinkles and uneven skin pigmentation. It is a topical medicine that is available by prescription only and it Is applied to the targeted areas of the face.
• Antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E can be taken as a supplement, or they can be found in certain foods. They provide a mild improvement in the appearance of wrinkles.
• Dermabrasion is a procedure that resurfaces the skin by removing the outer layers through the use of a rotating instrument or a rotating brush that moves at high speeds. The surgical scraping treatment improves the contour and appearance of the skin by reducing the appearance of wrinkles as well as fine lines and scars on the skin.
• Deep chemical peels use ingredients like TCA (trichloroacetic acid) and phenol to penetrate deeply into the targeted area of the skin. A deep chemical peel can smooth out the appearance of fine lines and also remove wrinkles. Patients need to know that deep chemical peels can have side effects such as changes in skin color and scarring so they need to discuss this treatment in advance with a doctor who is board-certified and experienced in performing this treatment.
• Botox and Dysport can be injected into the skin so the muscles that are responsible for “frown lines” on the forehead and additional wrinkles are not able to produce them.
• Laser resurfacing stimulates the production of collagen in the skin to give the skin a plumper and more youthful look. The laser treatment improves the look and the texture of the skin.
• Fillers are injected into folds of skin, especially ones that are located around the mouth, so the treated area gains an improved and reduced look to any wrinkles in the treated area. Fillers can lift skin that is sagging and, depending on the choice of filler, stimulate the formation of collagen. The results of fillers include an improved look and feel to the texture and tone of the skin.
• Much like a dermabrasion treatment, microdermabrasion is performed to remove a layer of skin through the use of a rotating brush. The procedure also stimulates the formation of collagen in the deeper skin layers. Even though microdermabrasion is able to reduce the look of wrinkles, it is not able to treat deep wrinkles or tighten the skin of the patient.

Wrinkles – How to Prevent or Treat Their Formation

As mentioned above, wrinkles start to appear as a person ages. Having said that, here are some steps than can be taken to try and prevent their formation:

• A person should limit the amount of time they spend in direct sunlight, so the skin is shielded and protected from the sun. If a person needs to be out in the sun on a regular basis, they can protect the skin by wearing a sunscreen of at least SPF 30. They should also wear clothing that protects them from the rays of the sun, and this can include a hat and clothing with long sleeves.
• Earlier in this article, it was mentioned that smoking slows down collagen production in the skin. If a person stops smoking, they will see an improved texture and tone to the skin.
• Moisturizers are not able to prevent the formation of wrinkles but they can trap water in the skin so there is often an elimination of wrinkles on the skin that occur due to dehydration of the skin.

No matter the reason for the formation of wrinkles, patients who want to address their appearance should seek out the advice of an experienced doctor, such as a dermatologist, who can examine the skin and provide expert information on the best treatment option for the individual person.

- MA