Even if you take good care of your skin, sun exposure, gravity and aging can leave their mark in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. Skin around the eyes and mouth as well as on the forehead is particularly at risk. Accepting these signs of aging may be fine for some, but if you'd rather not put up with crow's feet and frown lines, you have a few different options for getting smoother skin.
Types
Several types of treatments are available for wrinkles. To reduce fine lines, you can buy topical products, such as creams, without a prescription. Prescription topicals are also available. For more prominent wrinkles, options include resurfacing techniques like dermabrasion, chemical peels and laser or light resurfacing. Injected or implanted fillers, injected botulinum toxin and plastic surgery are among the possible methods for smoothing out more severe wrinkling.
Function of Topical Treatments
Moisturizers help hold water in the skin, plumping it. Exfoliating creams, such as those containing alpha-hydroxy acids, help remove dead skin cells, letting healthier, younger-looking skin show through. Retinoid creams stimulate the production of collagen, the protein that makes skin flexible and resilient. Products containing vitamin C, polypeptides and extracts from plants like aloe vera may also help reduce minor wrinkles.
Function of Resurfacing Treatments
Chemical peels can treat wrinkles on the face, hands and other areas by removing the top layer of skin so new, smoother skin can regrow. Glycolic acid and salicylic acid provide a superficial peel, whereas trichloracetic acid, or TCA, provides a deeper peel, explain experts from the New Zealand Dermatological Society. In dermabrasion and the gentler variant of this procedure, microdermabrasion, a dermatologist uses an abrasive tool that rubs off surface layers of skin, reducing deep wrinkles. Various types of laser resurfacing are also available for mild to severe wrinkling.
Function of Fillers
To plump your skin and make up for lost collagen and fat, a dermatologist can insert fillers including collagen, fat from another area of your body, hyaluronic acid and polymer implants, among others. Hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in the connective tissues, is longer lasting and favored over collagen, note experts from Harvard University. Fillers such as these are particularly effective at smoothing out wrinkles around the mouth and correcting scars. They can also help correct single wrinkles and furrows.
Warnings
Topical treatments containing alpha-hydroxy acids or retinol may irritate skin around the eyes. Other non-invasive wrinkle treatments, such as chemical peels and dermabrasion, may cause redness, bruising, swelling and pain. Invasive procedures like filler injections carry risk of allergic reaction, infection, numbness, long-term redness, pigment changes and scarring.
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