Regardless of your color, race or nationality, wrinkles are a common problem that show the signs of aging. Wrinkles form as the collagen and elastin, responsible for skin's tight and resilient appearance, naturally breaks down. This leaves folds in the skin, resulting in wrinkle formation. Other activities, such as spending too much time in the sun, or smoking, can drastically increase the formation of wrinkles. With such a natural problem affecting so many people, the health market is full of products and procedures to help treat wrinkles, especially on the face.
Non-Invasive Treatments
Wrinkle treatments can be broken down into two main types, invasive and non-invasive treatments. Non-invasive treatment methods include both prescription-strength and over-the-counter wrinkle creams. Over-the-counter wrinkle creams can be found at most health and beauty suppliers, and include ingredients such as vitamin A, coenzyme Q10, retinol and kinetin. You can get prescription-strength creams through your doctor or dermatologist, including topical retinoids such as tretinoin and tazarotene.
Invasive Treatments
Invasive treatments often give better results, but also come with longer healing times and higher risks for side effects. Invasive treatments for skin wrinkles include dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, Botox injections, dermafiller injections (such as Restylane or Juvederm) and surgical face lifts.
Benefits
Different treatments benefit the reduction of wrinkles in different ways. Some treatments, such as dermabrasion and topical creams, benefit the skin by increasing its ability to shed dead skin cells, leaving the younger and smoother skin cells beneath. Procedures like Botox benefit by paralyzing nerve endings to the muscles that contribute to the development of wrinkles as they flex and contract. Dermfillers benefit wrinkle reduction by filling the space beneath the skin, forcing the skin to fill out and be pulled tight. Face lift surgery benefits by surgically removing excess skin, and pulling the remaining skin tight, removing wrinkles in the process.
Recovery
Recovery times vary depending on how invasive the procedure is. Topical creams take little or no recovery time after application, while surgery and dermabrasion can take weeks, or even months, to fully heal enough to see the results. It is important to talk to your surgeon, doctor or dermatologist about recovery times before taking part in any wrinkle treatment procedure. Results after recovery can last as little as three or four months with treatments such as Botox injections, to five to 10 years for more invasive procedures, such as a surgical face lift.
Side Effects
Side effects can vary depending on the procedure. For example, according to the Mayo Clinic, topical prescription treatments can produce mild side effects including burning, dryness, tingling and itching. Similar side effects can be experienced with dermabrasion treatments. More serious side effects can be found with face lifts including the potential for serious infection, scarring and typical surgical risks.
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