No matter your ethnicity, gender, or skin type, if you are lucky, you will get wrinkles. Getting older is a privilege, and we should not miss that. There are creases along the forehead, at the corners of our eyes that occur naturally as early as your mid-20s. We have solutions for those who want to prevent wrinkles or smooth wrinkles that are already present.
What Are Wrinkles?
In general, wrinkles are the lines and creases in your skin caused by various factors, the most apparent being age (and the years of sun exposure that come with it). Skin loses its elasticity as we age. Skin becomes drier when it produces fewer natural oils, causing wrinkles to appear. As the fat in your face diminishes, you begin to see loose, saggy skin and more noticeable wrinkles.
There are two types of wrinkles: dynamic and static. Dynamic wrinkles can be caused by repeated facial movements, such as smiling or squinting. Often, these disappear after you change your facial expression.
What Causes Wrinkles?
Years of smoking, sun exposure, and birthdays behind you are the most common causes of wrinkles. The loss of elasticity, epidermal thinning, and skin fragility can lead to wrinkles.
Your longevity can be affected by UV light exposure or smoking. The UV light of the sun breaks down the connective tissue (collagen and elastin fibers) in the deeper layers of the skin without sunscreen—premature wrinkles and sagging of the skin result from this breakdown. Researchers have also found that lifelong smokers have a greater risk of developing wrinkles than those who smoked less.
In conclusion, it is best to avoid smoking. Use sunscreen daily. Preventing premature skin aging can be achieved through these simple lifestyle modifications.
How to Get Rid of Wrinkles
While these tried-and-true methods have proven successful, talk to a dermatologist to determine what may be right for you.
Neurotoxins
It may seem strange to believe that a highly diluted botulinum toxin could work and be safe. Dynamic wrinkles can cause by muscle contractions, which are defeated by neurotoxins like Botox, Xeomin, and Jeuveau. Neurotoxins are FDA-approved for use on the forehead, along crow’s-feet, and in the “elevens,” but they can also be used off-label to smooth lines around the mouth and neck. The total effect of the treatment takes three to seven days to become apparent, and it lasts up to four months on the forehead and about three months on the crow’s feet.
Botox and other neurotoxins aren’t just effective at reducing wrinkles. Likewise, it has an impact on oil glands in the skin, adds Carruthers. “You’ll sometimes come across people who have been treated with a neuromodulator have beautiful texture, smoother texture, and more reflectivity to their skin.”
Using neurotoxins carries some risks. For several weeks or months, the toxin might drift into the muscles that raise and lower the upper eyelid, causing it to droop. There is usually some soreness or swelling at the injection site for up to a day, as well as occasional bruising and headaches. (It will return to normal once the effects wear off.)
Fillers
The filler, also known as a soft substance, is injected under the skin to increase volume. In many cases, fillers are used to smooth deep undereye circles, lift cheekbones, volumize lips, and even out nasolabial folds. Silicone is no longer a commonly used permanent filler, as well as semipermanent ones (which can last five years). In contrast, hyaluronic acid fillers produce long-lasting, reversible results and are recommended by many doctors.
Lasers
Lasers use focused heat to trigger a healing response, and non-ablative resurfacing lasers heat more deep layers of the dermis without damaging the skin’s surface. Multiple aging signs can be treated at once without damaging the skin’s surface. Over time, this response helps to firm the skin by stimulating collagen production. Aside from reducing lines, lasers also improve the appearance of pores, dark spots, texture, and overall skin tone. Among the negatives with some lasers is the lengthy downtime (resulting in lasting redness and flaking). The skin is generally rosy post-procedure after milder lasers like Clear + Brilliant, but not enough to prevent you from going right back to work.
Ultherapy and Thermage
In case you want to tighten your skin without needles or lasers, Thermage or Ultherapy might be a good option for you. Ultrasound energy is used in Ultherapy, a noninvasive procedure for tightening the skin using focused energy. It gently uses heat to tighten the skin and stimulates collagen production in the body. A nonsurgical treatment called Thermage uses radiofrequency energy instead of ultrasound to heat and stimulate collagen production in the skin. There can be a reduction in wrinkles with both treatments – usually several months after treatment – though some pros say the results vary.
Thread Lift
Thread lifts provide a more dramatic ride than noninvasive options without having to undergo a complete facelift. It works like this: the doctor punctures holes in the cheeks and forehead, then inserts plastic threads through the skin, tightening them to lift the skin upward. Local anesthesia is used for the procedure, which can also be performed on the brow or upper eyelid.
While a thread lift improves the appearance of many people, there is some risk associated with the procedure. It has been reported that some patients report threads causing infections or detaching internally. Infections may occur, or scar tissue may form around the thread that would complicate future facelifts.
Facelift
The combination of fillers, neurotoxins, and lasers can turn back the clock, but the facelift is the ultimate solution to turning back the clock. A facelift is primarily intended to correct laxity in the lower face and neck. Having droopy cheeks and a diminished jawline are signs of skin slackening, and underlying fat and muscle degeneration are the results. Facelifts can reduce the appearance of wrinkles under the eyes and also correct nasolabial folds.
It’ll take about two weeks at a minimum to get back up and running. Moreover, while a facelift will improve droopiness, it won’t get rid of wrinkles fully since facelifts don’t specifically address surface imperfections.
