As the years are passing by, our skin becomes drier and as a consequence it is less elastic. It also loses the ability to protect us and itself from damage, and one of the most visible results of those processes are wrinkles.
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Of course, you can help greatly to your wrinkled look: if you smoke, spend too much time in the sun, love to sail or play golf of some other outdoor activity, wrinkles will appear much sooner.
There are also facts that are beyond our control, like our skin type which is again under the control of our genetics.
No matter do we like it or not, media has enormous influence on us which in turn leads to totally disturbed view on our health. Wrinkles do appear over time and there's no reason to try to get rid of them if they appear at older age.
But, if you are worried about appearance or number of wrinkles you have, go and see your doctor. Your doctor can diagnose are your wrinkles normal for your age or not.
In most people first wrinkles appear at late 20s, and they usually appear around eyes (smile is causing them) and mouth. At later age, those wrinkles become more deep and visible and they start to appear on your neck.
It is important to remember that you shouldn't trust advertisements from pharmaceuticals companies until you talk with your doctor.
He will recommend the anti-wrinkles treatments suitable for your skin. There are many drugs and cosmetic treatments available today, and in some cases the surgery is also an option.
Ordinary moisturizers, such as creams you can buy in any store, will help you just temporarily. They can fill only the fine lines on your skin for a short time, an in order to be more effective creams must have some additional elements in them.
However, those more effective creams are usually available by prescription.
The first element that can help is vitamin A acid. Its effectiveness is well-confirmed in treating wrinkles and aging skin. Creams with vitamin A acid must be used constantly, and their drawback is red skin and peeling in some patients.
Those problems are solved with lower doses in the beginning, and they can be increased when the skin is used to that acid.
Fruit acids, or alpha-hydroxy acids, as the name suggest come from fruit and they are safe to use, they don't cause irritation, can be used over long period of time but - they produce only minor improvements.
Antioxidants are very popular these days. That drug contains beta-carotene in mix with vitamins A, C, and E. That means that they provide sun protection and reduce small wrinkles, but against deeper once they do not help.
Cosmetic procedures are step number two in the battle against wrinkles. First, there are peels. Those chemicals are based on acid and they can penetrate deep in the skin, but there is a great chance that they will cause a bad side effect.
Microdermabrasion is another popular cosmetic method. Estheticians use a machine containing aluminium crystals to peel the skin and make it smoother. The results are mild. There are many similar techniques, but they are based on the similar methods.
Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure performed under general anaesthesia. The doctor uses a rotating instrument to sand the skin down. Dermabrasion can result in excellent improvement, but can also produce very bad side effects such as scarring and permanent changes in skin colour.
Now, if you go to plastic surgeon you have two options: botox or fillers. Injection of botulinum toxin can paralyze muscles that produce the frown lines on the forehead, smile lines around the eyes, and other wrinkles.
The results last for several months and must be repeated after that. Botox is safe because that poison doesn't spread to other body organs.
Fillers, and the most popular is collagen, are injected in the skin to increase volume and flatten wrinkles. The effect lasts a few months, and new ingredients (such as hyaluronic acid) can last up to nine months.
Face lifting is the last surgical step. That procedure is performed under general anaesthesia and it gives long-lasting effects, from five to ten years. During that procedure excess skin and fat are removed, and underlying muscles and connective tissue are tightened.
That procedure requires a few weeks of recovery but performed by well-trained surgeon it gives a very good result. ■