The best time to deal with wrinkles is before you have them. Taking care of young skin and making wise lifestyle choices may enable you to delay the lines that make your face look "lived in." And although signs of aging are inevitable, facial creams and other treatments can help.
Wrinkles
Some wrinkles are bound to develop as you get older. Your skin becomes less elastic, drier and more delicate, notes MayoClinic.com, and you develop lines that become more pronounced as skin starts to sag. Deepening wrinkles usually are most noticeable around the eyes, mouth and neck.
Prevention
Early attention to your skin may prevent you from developing wrinkles prematurely. Protect yourself from the sun. Ultraviolet radiation breaks down collagen and elastin in your skin's connective tissue, causing it to sag and wrinkle, advises MayoClinic.com. Also avoid smoking, which causes damage by narrowing the blood vessels that nourish the skin. A diet supplying enough of certain vitamins--A, C, B3 and E--may help protect skin, according to MayoClinic.com
Skin Creams
A moisturizing cream can help plump up dry skin, making fine lines less noticeable, according to MayoClinic.com. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you apply a moisturizer containing sunscreen to your damp face after you have washed it, which helps to seal moisture in. And anti-wrinkle creams may provide modest improvement in your skin's appearance.
Key Ingredients
MayoClinic.com discusses some of the active ingredients you will find on the labels of wrinkle creams. Among them are vitamin A compounds--including Retinol, found in over-the-counter creams, and tretinoin, available only by prescription. Hydroxy acids help to stimulate growth of new, smooth skin by removing or exfoliating dead skin. A nutrient called coenzyme Q10 has been shown to reduce fine lines around the eyes. Copper peptides and kinetin stimulate production of new collagen. And green tea extracts contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Tips and Caveats
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, costly skin creams are not necessarily more effective than less-expensive ones. However, MayoClinic.com notes that active ingredients are less concentrated in over-the-counter creams, so their results may be less noticeable and short-lived. Also, make sure you read labels for warnings about side effects. For example, you should not use vitamin A compounds if you are pregnant, because they could increase the risk of birth defects. And some anti-wrinkle products make skin more sensitive to the sun, MayoClinic.com warns.
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