How to get rid of wrinkles

Several wrinkle treatment options are available to help smooth wrinkles or make them less noticeable.

Medications

• Topical retinoids. Prescription medicine that contains retinoids, which is derived from vitamin A, may reduce fine wrinkles, splotches and roughness when applied to the skin. You may need to use the product for a few weeks or months before you notice improvement. Products include tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A) and tazarotene (Avage, Tazorac), and a synthetic version called adapalene is also an option. Retinoids might cause temporary itching, redness, burning or dryness.

   

  Because retinoids can make your skin burn more easily, you’ll need to daily use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and wear protective clothing.

• Nonprescription wrinkle creams. The effectiveness of anti-wrinkle creams depends in part on the active ingredients. Retinol, antioxidants and some peptides may result in slight to modest improvements in wrinkles. Products that contain alpha hydroxy acids — such as glycolic acid and lactic acid — may help remove the top layer of dead skin and stimulate new skin growth.

  With nonprescription wrinkle creams, your results, if any, are limited and usually short-lived because these creams contain less of the active ingredients than do prescription creams.

Surgical procedures and other techniques

A variety of procedures are used to smooth out wrinkles. Some studies indicate that a combination of treatments may yield the most satisfying results. Talk with your doctor about what’s important to you and which approach would best meet your needs and expectations as far as recovery time and results.

• Laser resurfacing. In ablative (wounding) laser resurfacing, a laser beam destroys the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and heats the underlying skin (dermis). This stimulates the growth of new collagen fibers. As the wound heals, smoother, tighter skin forms. Laser resurfacing can’t eliminate excessive or sagging skin.

  Laser resurfacing may be done as an outpatient procedure, usually with a local anesthetic. You may be fully sedated for extensive resurfacing. It can take several months to fully heal from ablative laser resurfacing. A newer method using fractional lasers has a shorter recovery time. Risks include scarring and lightening or darkening of skin color.

  A technique called nonablative laser fractional resurfacing has a shorter healing time and fewer risks than does the ablative technique. Nonablative lasers are better suited to people with moderate wrinkles because results are subtle. This treatment needs to be repeated more often than does ablative treatment. This method also can be done with a fractional laser.

• Photodynamic rejuvenation. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) can treat fine wrinkles caused by sun exposure. You may need repeat treatments, but recovery for PDT is shorter than it is with laser resurfacing.
• Chemical peel. Your doctor applies a chemical solution to the skin to remove the top layers. The skin that grows back after a chemical peel is smother. Depending on the depth of the peel, you may need several treatments before you see a difference in your skin. Redness lasts up to several weeks. Possible side effects include scarring, infection, and lightening or darkening of skin color.

• Dermabrasion. Dermabrasion sands down the surface layer of skin with a rapidly rotating brush. New skin grows in its place. You may need to undergo the procedure more than once.

  Possible side effects include temporary redness, scabbing and swelling. It may take several months for pinkness to fade and for you to see results.

• Microdermabrasion. Similar to dermabrasion, this technique removes only a fine layer of skin. You’ll need a series of treatments over months to produce modest, temporary results. If you have rosacea or tiny red veins on your face, this technique could make the condition worse.

  You may notice a slight redness or stinging sensation on the treated areas.

• Botulinum toxin type A (Botox). When injected in small doses into specific muscles, Botox keeps the muscles from contracting. When the muscles can’t tighten, the skin appears smoother and less wrinkled.

  Botox works well on frown lines between the eyebrows and across the forehead and on crow’s-feet at the eye corners. It takes one to three days to see results. The effect typically lasts a few months. Repeat injections are needed to maintain results.

• Soft tissue fillers. Soft tissue fillers, which include fat, collagen and hyaluronic acid (Restylane, Juvederm, others), can be injected into wrinkles on your face. They plump and smooth wrinkles and furrows. You may experience temporary swelling, redness and bruising in the treated area. The effect of most products is temporary.

• Face-lift. The face-lift procedure involves tightening the underlying muscle and tissues. It may be done in a hospital or an outpatient surgical facility, with a local anesthetic, sedation or general anesthesia. Healing times can be lengthy after a face-lift. Bruising and swelling are usually evident for several weeks after surgery.

  Face-lift results are not permanent. You may choose to undergo another face-lift several years later.

Smile lines also known as nasolabial folds, start to creep up on the side of the mouth as we get older. They’re one of the significant features that indicate a person’s ageing appearance and it is these lines that sit even when the face is expressionless. Your expression can appear to be unhappy and tired.

A youthful appearance will only show smile lines when they smile, laugh or brush their teeth; at a young age, many individuals have surplus supplies of hyaluronic acid within their skin laters between the grooves of the nose and mouth, which means smile lines are present, but not yet pronounced.

Smile lines create the impression of drooping cheeks. Using hyaluronic acid gel to smooth out these two creases on either side of the mouth, improves the volume level whilst ironing out the droopiness of the cheeks, tightening the appearance once again.

Minimising the appearance of these laugh lines, can make you look rejuvenated, young, energetic and happy again.

What makes nasolabial folds more prominent?

Nasolabial folds can become more deeper and noticeable when there has been:

• Increased sun exposure
• Skin texture changes
• Decreased collagen level
• Loss of fat
• Weight loss
• An unhealthy diet
• Smoking

The key to keeping smile lines at bay, is plenty of hydration (drinking lots of water) and good skincare such as sunscreen to protect collagen. These natural methods ensure there is optimum volume and hydration. Choose a good quality moisturiser and serum to apply each morning.

If your smile lines are much more defined, and no moisturiser will work it’s magic on them now, then dermal fillers are a proven way to work from underneath the skin.

How to erase smile lines

Your medical practitioner will be trained to treat nasolabial folds and will know which dermal fillers are suitable for the intensity of your folds.

Here are some popular nasolabial fold (smile line) fillers used by practitioners worldwide.

Restylane Defyne is the number one filler for treating deep smile lines.

Restylane Refyne is the second popular filler for smile lines which are not as deep.

Both of the above fillers are 1 ml each, so if you require a more durable brand that comes in 2ml, then Juvederm is recommended.

juvederm ultra 4 is used for deep folds, whereas Juvederm Ultra 3 is popularly indicated for Medium folds.

The hyaluronic acid molecules inside the dermal filler stimulate your body’s natural production, and is a non-invasive way to combat ageing without surgery.

Collagen production is also increased, as well as improved elasticity. Results can last for up to 1 year and greatly depend on lifestyle factors and metabolism.