How do facial lines and wrinkles form?
Sun damage, muscle movement, gravity, smoking, glycation and free radicals all contribute to the skin ageing processes. From age 25, we lose approximately 1% collagen each year. We also have a reduction of subcutaneous fat, and bone resorption after menopause. Skin can also appear dull due to a reduction in skin cell turnover.
What options are available?
- It is most important to protect the skin form the sun and avoid smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke or other pollutants
- Moisturisers: skin feels and looks better when moisturisers are applied regularly.
- Anti-ageing formulas
- Topical retinoids: most well researched product
- Vitamin C
- Alpha hydroxy acids
- Polypeptides
- Resurfacing/ Collagen stimulation process: For static lines, skin laxity
- Chemical peels: even out pigmentation and improve skin texture
- Laser resurfacing- Ablative lot of downtime but dramatic results
- Non ablative laser
- Microneedling
- High intensity focused ultrasound, Ulthera
- Radiofrequency microneedling
- Thread lifting
- Fillers
- Botulinum toxin: Most useful for dynamic lines.
- Cosmetic surgery: for dramatic results.