What Triggers the Appearance of Fine Lines and Wrinkles and How to Treat Them
The first signs of aging are usually fine lines and wrinkles. As you age, the skin on your face begins to thin out and lose its elasticity. This makes it more prone to damage from environmental factors like pollution, ultraviolet rays, and other harmful chemicals that can accelerate the process of aging. Luckily there are many non-invasive cosmetic treatments that help remove the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
What are the Types of Wrinkles?
Static Wrinkles – these are wrinkles that usually appear on the forehead, around the eyes, and mouth. They are caused by frequent facial expressions. The more you squint, smile or frown, the deeper these wrinkles become over time.
Dynamic Wrinkles – also known as expression lines, dynamic wrinkles resulting from repeated movements of certain muscles in your face. These can include crow’s feet around the eyes from squinting or the furrowing of the brows to form horizontal lines above your nose.
How do Fine Lines & Wrinkles Form?
Fine lines and wrinkles develop when there is a breakdown in collagen and elastin fibers in your skin which normally helps maintain its firmness and bounce back ability. Aging cells produce less collagen while at the same time, external aggressors like UV rays and pollutants damage the collagen. As you age, your skin gradually becomes less able to repair itself. It’s important to note that it’s not only the quantity of collagen in your skin that helps determine how fine lines and wrinkles form; it is also its quality. With poor diet or lifestyle choices, the collagen deteriorates resulting in more coarsely woven fibers which are more easily broken down by sunlight or environmental factors like pollution. This causes the formation of new wrinkles faster than they can be repaired.
How Can I Reduce Fine Lines & Wrinkles?
Some of these treatments for fine lines and wrinkles include:
BTX Treatments
BTX treatments involve injecting a solution that includes Botulinum Toxin type A into facial muscles. The toxin works by temporarily blocking the chemical signals between nerves and muscles, which reduces muscle activity. This treatment is mostly used on the upper face to reduce wrinkles related to muscle movement including forehead lines, crow’s feet/laugh lines, and neck bands/banding below the chin area.
This treatment can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and is minimally invasive, with little to no downtime. Patients can go back to their everyday lives immediately after getting a BTX treatment done without any issues.
The results of BTX treatments usually last for three or four months, however, most patients choose to continue having sessions as it is generally found to be an effective anti-aging solution. There are some occasional side effects such as temporary facial swelling and dryness at the site of injection.
Dermal Fillers
Commonly made from hyaluronic acid, dermal fillers are substances that are injected into the skin to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles.
Dermal fillers can also restore volume loss of facial tissue due to aging. As we age, our faces naturally start losing some of their structural support resulting in hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes. Using dermal filler injections helps to restore natural volume by adding a more youthful appearance to the face. It is important to note that dermal filler treatments do not have long-term effects on the facial structure or muscle activity, therefore this treatment may need to be repeated every 6-12 months.
HIFU
HIFU or high-intensity focused ultrasound uses sound waves to treat deep lines and wrinkles. A handheld device is used to generate ultrasound waves that produce heat when the waves come into contact with tissue. The heat stimulates collagen regeneration to tighten up the skin, resulting in smoother skin texture and reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Due to this non-surgical approach, HIFU treatments for fine lines and wrinkles can be performed in less than 30 minutes with no downtime involved. It should be noted that results don’t immediately start showing up so it’s not an instant fix but rather a gradual improvement over time.
Thermage
Thermage uses radiofrequency energy to stimulate the contraction of collagen, which tightens up the skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Thermage works by sending a tiny probe under the skin’s surface to produce heat that eventually stimulates collagen renewal. This treatment is mainly used on the face as well as other areas such as the neck and chest area due to its ability to tighten loose skin effectively.
