Time, gravity, genes and sun combine to leave their mark on your face in the form of lines and wrinkles. You can choose to accept them as a badge of experience or banish them, at least temporarily, with an array of ever-evolving weapons.
What is happening
Between the ages of 25 and 65, your skin goes through a lot of changes. Cell division slows and the inner layer of your skin thins. The underlying web of elastin and collagen fibres loosen and uncouple, making your skin less elastic. Fat cells diminish, leaving your skin less plump looking. And aggravating all of this, sweat and oil-secreting glands also wither, depriving your skin of its ability to retain moisture. Your moods can leave their mark too. Frowning or squinting etches vertical furrows between the eyebrows, and a life time of laughter may engrave two deep parentheses around your mouth and a spray of crow's feet at the sides of your eyes.
Why are some people more lined than others? Your genetic make-up and gravity play a role, but the biggest culprit is the sun.Even the small exposures can damage critically important collagen fibres. The sun also releases rogue oxygen molecules called free radicals, which wreak havoc on cell membranes, helping to create wrinkles. Air pollution and smoking both contribute to wrinkles as well.
Treatments
The particular treatment you select for your wrinkles will depend on how much you're willing to spend and the downtime you can spare for recovery. Nonprescription and prescription creams often help hide fine wrinkles. Deeper wrinkles can be filled, zapped with a paralytic agent or burned or peeled away. For the most dramatic results, you can opt for a face-lift. Whatever you decide, you're likely to be footing the bill yourself. Almost no insurance plan covers wrinkle-removing procedures, except in unusual circumstances, such as skin cancer that requires prophylactic skin-peeling therapy.
Lifestyle changes
There are number of strategies you can employ to keep wrinkles from getting deeper and to slow down their rate of appearance.
Treatment Options
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun screen Protects against future skin damage.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De-stress Gives skin a healthy 'glow'
MEDICATIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exfoliants Remove top layer of wrinkled skin.
PROCEDURES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skin resurfacing Strips off damaged skin so new skin can form.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implants Fill in wrinkles and scars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Botox Erases wrinkles by relaxing facial muscles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facelift/eyelift Surgery, for more dramatic results.
What is happening
Between the ages of 25 and 65, your skin goes through a lot of changes. Cell division slows and the inner layer of your skin thins. The underlying web of elastin and collagen fibres loosen and uncouple, making your skin less elastic. Fat cells diminish, leaving your skin less plump looking. And aggravating all of this, sweat and oil-secreting glands also wither, depriving your skin of its ability to retain moisture. Your moods can leave their mark too. Frowning or squinting etches vertical furrows between the eyebrows, and a life time of laughter may engrave two deep parentheses around your mouth and a spray of crow's feet at the sides of your eyes.
Why are some people more lined than others? Your genetic make-up and gravity play a role, but the biggest culprit is the sun.Even the small exposures can damage critically important collagen fibres. The sun also releases rogue oxygen molecules called free radicals, which wreak havoc on cell membranes, helping to create wrinkles. Air pollution and smoking both contribute to wrinkles as well.
Treatments
The particular treatment you select for your wrinkles will depend on how much you're willing to spend and the downtime you can spare for recovery. Nonprescription and prescription creams often help hide fine wrinkles. Deeper wrinkles can be filled, zapped with a paralytic agent or burned or peeled away. For the most dramatic results, you can opt for a face-lift. Whatever you decide, you're likely to be footing the bill yourself. Almost no insurance plan covers wrinkle-removing procedures, except in unusual circumstances, such as skin cancer that requires prophylactic skin-peeling therapy.
Lifestyle changes
There are number of strategies you can employ to keep wrinkles from getting deeper and to slow down their rate of appearance.
- Use sunscreen. Don't go out, even in winter, without slathering on sunscreen (SPF 15 or above) and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
- Stop smoking. Or accept the fact that your wrinkles will get worse. Smoking is terrible for your circulation, thins the skin's outer layer, increases your cancer risk and forms vertical 'lipstick lines' when you purse your lips to smoke. And don't count on a face lift to operate on cigarette smokers because they are notoriously bad healers.
- Avoid the sun and always use sunscreen.
- Topical creams to remove fine wrinkles.
- Skin resurfacing or injections for deeper wrinkles and scars.
- Face-lift for a more youthful appearance.
- Which of the new anti-ageing therapies is right for my particular skin type?
- How long is the recovery from this procedure, and do I have to take time off from work?
- How many times have you performed the procedure you're suggesting, and what is your rate of complications and side effects?
- Will the cost of any of these procedures be covered by my health insurance?
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun screen Protects against future skin damage.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- De-stress Gives skin a healthy 'glow'
MEDICATIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exfoliants Remove top layer of wrinkled skin.
PROCEDURES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skin resurfacing Strips off damaged skin so new skin can form.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Implants Fill in wrinkles and scars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Botox Erases wrinkles by relaxing facial muscles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facelift/eyelift Surgery, for more dramatic results.
- Maintain a steady, healthy weight. Any abrupt, rapid weight loss compounds the shrinkage of the fat cells in your facial skin, and can leave you with baggy-looking skin.
- De-stress. Stress leaves souvenirs on your skin in myriad ways. Although de-stressing through exercise, biofeedback, massage, yoga, acupuncture and even psychotherapy can't elevate sagging tissue, it will make you look healthier and more refreshed.
- Exercise vigorously on a regular basis. It not only strengthens and rejuvenates your body, it also helps your skin by revving up your circulation. Often, recommended facial exercises, however, worsen wrinkles by deepening expression lines, so don't do them.
- Use a little TLC on your face. Wash with nonalkliane soap, gently pat dry and moisturise right away. Occlusives, such as petroleum jelly, are ideal if you have dry skin; they prevent moisture from evaporating from your skin. Water-based moisturisers (which pull moisture up to the surface) are best for the oily skinned.
- Request before-and-after pictures of your doctor's patients who have had the cosmetic procedure you're contemplating. It's also a good idea to get the phone numbers of some of them so you can ask about their experience with the doctor and procedure.
- Dilute your prescription tretinoin (Retin-A) cream with a moisturiser. This will not only save you money (a small tube of the medicine may cost about $40), it will reduce the side effects on your skin, including excessive dryness, peeling, redness and blistering and extreme sensitivity to the sun.
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