As people sometimes learn the hard way, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when it comes to wrinkles. If you've damaged your skin by heavy-duty tanning or smoking --- or age has simply caught up with you --- you may have deep wrinkles that require professional treatment. Fine lines and slightly damaged skin, however, can often be addressed with home products.
Causes
Wrinkles result from the natural breakdown of collagen and elastin in your skin. When you're younger, you possess enough of these natural compounds to have firm and resilient skin. Your complexion also contains more hyaluronic acid, notes the American Academy of Dermatology. Hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture. Natural aging results in the loss of hyaluronic acid, elastin and collagen. Other factors include smoking, over-exposure to the sun or tanning booths and frequent repetition of certain facial muscles, as with smoking or squinting into the sun.
Preventio
Nothing can truly turn back the hands of time, but wearing sunscreen decreases exposure to collagen- and elastin-destroying UV rays. Smoking causes frequent puckering and squinting facial movements, making kicking the habit even more attractive. Even long-term smokers can improve skin tone and prevent future wrinkles by quitting, notes MayoClinic.com. Wear sunglasses to keep crows' feet at bay, The AAD also recommends eating antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and lean proteins for optimum collagen production.
Home Care
Home products for diminishing wrinkles work better on fine lines than on deep wrinkles, notes the AAD. Effective ingredients in non-prescription anti-aging creams include retinol to build collagen and alpha hydroxy acid or salicylic acid to exfoliate the outer skin layers. Moisturizers help "plump up" fine lines, making the appearance of these wrinkles less noticeable. Purchase moisturizers and makeup with sunscreen, or apply a separate sunscreen product. Look for the terms "broad-spectrum" on the label, and use one with an SPF rating of 30 or higher.
Professional Treatment
Your dermatologist may offer prescription-strength topical retinoids to lessen the appearance of wrinkles. She may also suggest injecting "fillers" into your wrinkles.As the name suggests, fillers fill in deeper wrinkles. They are often made with artificial versions of collagen, fat and hyaluronic acid Another procedure, know as botulinum rejuvenation and commonly called "botox," paralyzes certain muscles in the face to erase wrinkles. Chemical peeling and microdermabrasion is considered most effective for fine lines, while dermabrasion may work well on deep lines around the mouth. Skin-tightening procedures using lasers are less invasive than full plastic surgery. The procedures may effectively firm skin and reduces some wrinkles, notes the AAD.
Considerations
Procedures to erase wrinkles can be costly and aren't covered by insurance. To keep seeing benefits, you will likely need to repeat the procedure; even face lifts don't "last" more than ten years. As with any surgery, face lifts carry the risk of severe side effects. Even less invasive procedures may cause an allergic reaction. Swelling and scabbing may result from procedures like chemical peels or dermabrasion.
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