Treating and Preventing Unwanted Wrinkles
Wrinkles – it’s one of the most reliable signs that you’re getting older. And while you can’t make time stand still, you can turn back the clock on aging.
There are many treatments available at Winston Salem Dermatology to help you find relief from those unwanted creases.
What are Wrinkles?
We all know what a wrinkle is. It’s a line, crease, or fold that develops in the skin. Most of the time, it is a sign of aging, but sun exposure is another culprit that’s to blame.
Most wrinkles appear on parts of the body that are more exposed to the sun, like the face, neck, back of the hands, and forearms. While wrinkles can be found in different parts of the body, it’s the ones that make you look older that bother people the most. But the good news is, there are ways you tackle these unwanted wrinkles with prevention and treatment.
What Types of Wrinkles Are There?
Did you know that wrinkles come in two different categories? They are dynamic wrinkles and static wrinkles.
1. Dynamic Wrinkles
These are the wrinkles that we know as frown lines, crow’s feet, worry lines, and smile lines. They are seen when the face is moving and shows emotion. When we are younger our skin bounces back into place after making these expressions. So, these wrinkles are only noticeable when you’re making movements with your face.
2. Static Wrinkles
These wrinkles remain visible even when your face is resting. So, if you continue to do dynamic movements over and over again, they could turn into static wrinkles. This happens as we get older and lose collagen and elasticity in our skin. They can also be caused by sun damage and smoking.
How Do We Get Wrinkles?
Age is a big reason to blame for wrinkles. It happens because we start producing less collagen as we age. Collagen is what’s responsible for making our skin elastic, which makes it able to bounce back quickly after we make facial expressions. But, while age is a big factor, it’s not the only reason.
Here are some other reasons behind wrinkles:
- Smoking – this causes damage to our small blood vessels that are near the surface of our skin.
- Sun and ultraviolet exposure – UV radiation speeds up the natural aging process, which causes early wrinkles.
- Heredity – Some families just wrinkle more than others.
- The loss of subcutaneous fat – This is the deepest layer of fat. People that have more of this fat tend to have less wrinkles.
- Repeated facial expressions – facial movements like squinting, frowning, or smiling can lead to fine lines.
How to Remove Wrinkles?
There are several treatment options you can do to help smooth out fine lines and reduce their appearance. They include both invasive techniques and topical creams.
Medications
You can get some wrinkle remover creams over the counter or by prescription. It’s important to talk to your dermatologist to find out a cream that would work best for you.
1. Topical retinoids
These products are derived from vitamin A and have the longest track record for success in helping to treat fine lines. The only thing is you have to use these creams on a regular basis to see results. You may have heard of some of these products, they include tretinoin (Renova, Renin-A) and tazarotene (Avage, Tazorac).
Many people have had problems with redness and peeling when they first use these products, but it’s easily fixed by lowering the concentration. Retinoids can also cause you to burn more easily, so you’ll want to use a sunscreen of at least 30 at all times and wear sun-protective clothing while using this product.
2. Nonprescription wrinkle creams
While these creams work, they aren’t as effective when it comes to superior results. Retinol, antioxidants, and some other peptides can provide some improvements to wrinkles. However, these creams usually don’t have as many as the active ingredients that prescription creams do, so they don’t work as long.
If you plan to go the over-the-counter route, make sure you look for a product that has antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene.
Surgical Procedures and Other Techniques
There are a few surgery options or different techniques you can use to reduce wrinkles. Some of them last longer than others and require more downtime. Which option you choose really considers how much money and downtime you want to spend:
1. Laser resurfacing
Laser wrinkle remover treatments work by destroying the outer layer of skin and heating the underlying skin. This will cause collagen to regenerate and smooth out your skin.
There are two different laser techniques that can be done. The ablative laser surgery is more aggressive. It can take months for someone to fully heal, and there are risks like scarring and lightening or darkening of skin color.
Non-ablative laser fractional resurfacing has a shorter healing time and less risks. People with moderate wrinkles usually get this procedure.
2. Photodynamic rejuvenation
This is done using light pulses from lasers or lamps. It works by injuring the cells or tissues to promote skin regrowth and new collagen. This is regularly used to treat fine wrinkles that were caused by sun exposure.
You may have to have repeat treatments for this procedure, the recovery time isn’t as bad as a laser treatment. Most people have dry skin or the feeling of a mild sunburn.
3. Chemical
During this procedure, your doctor applies a chemical solution to your skin. The peel will remove the top layers of the skin, allowing them to grow back smoother with less wrinkles.
You have the option to choose between the deepness of your peel. Depending on the strength, you may have to have several treatments to get the results you want.
There are some side effects to this treatment, like redness, scarring, and skin discoloration.
4. Dermabrasion
This process sands down the top layer of your skin with a special instrument that rotates, allowing your skin to grow back smoother. This is a great option for not only fine wrinkles, but it also helps with acne scars too. This is another procedure that may need to be done more than once.
Scabbing, swelling, and redness are possible side effects of a dermabrasion treatment.
5. Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion isn’t as drastic as dermabrasion is. This process only removes a fine layer of skin. Because this process is much lighter, it will require multiple treatments to see the results you want.
Microdermabrasion doesn’t require a recovery time, but you may notice slight redness or a stinging sensation.
6. Botullnum toxin type A (Botox)
Doctors have successfully been using Botox to remove forehead wrinkles and other wrinkles for years now. When a small dose of Botox is injected into certain muscles, it will basically paralyze the muscles and keep them from contracting. Since your muscles can’t move, this will make your skin appear smoother and less wrinkled.
These injections are only temporary and will need to be repeated every few months to maintain the results.
7. Soft tissue fillers
Have you heard of Restylane or Juvederm? These are two of the types of soft tissue fillers that can be used. These are injections made up of fat, collagen, and hyaluronic acid. They help plump the area they are injected to filling in lines and wrinkles.
These are also injections that you will have to repeat to maintain results.
8. Face-lift
A face-lift is a surgical procedure that not only reduces wrinkles, but it can also tighten sagging skin around the jawline and cheeks. This is done under anesthesia by tightening the underlying muscle and tissues during surgery.
Face-lifts results will last for several years, but they aren’t permanent. It’s uncommon for someone to undergo another face-life year down the road.
What is the recovery time for wrinkle removal treatments?
Most wrinkle treatments don’t require downtime. However, there are some that are more aggressive, like ablative laser resurfacing and face-lifts.
For laser resurfacing, it will take about 5-7 days for the redness to go away. And the normal time to fully recover from a facelift is six weeks.
If you have any concerns about recovery time, the experts at Winston Salem Dermatology can advise you on the best treatment for the recovery you’re looking for.
How Much Does it Cost to Remove Wrinkles?
This all depends on what type of procedure you plan on having done. Regardless, you shouldn’t expect a cheap cost if you want real results.
Microdermabrasion can cost as little as $100, medial grade anti-wrinkle creams can cost around $400, and laser treatments can range in price from $350 to $4000.
For an exact estimate, call Winston Salem Dermatology for a detailed quote.
Say Good Riddance to Wrinkles
Are wrinkles making you feel self-conscious? Here at Winston Salem Dermatology, we have a motto that we live by – Your Skin, Our Passion. We mean it! We are passionate about giving you the skincare results you’re looking for. We understand how important it is to feel good about yourself, so let us remove wrinkles under the eyes, on the forehead, or anywhere that you need with one of the many procedures we offer here at Winston Salem Dermatology. What are you waiting for? Get in touch today at (336) 774-8636.