Wrinkles are visible creases or folds in the skin. They can be either fine wrinkles, which are less than 1 mm in width and depth, or coarse wrinkles, which are greater than 1 mm.1 They mainly form on the body parts that receive maximum sun exposure, such as the face, the neck, the forearms, and the hands.

Factors Responsible for Wrinkle Formation

Many factors attribute to the onset of wrinkles, some of which are listed below:

·       Sun damage: Exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun is the primary cause of early wrinkling. The rays damage the collagen and elastin fibers present in the skin. Because collagen is the building block of skin that provides flexibility and elasticity to the skin, with the loss of this supportive connective tissue, the skin sags and wrinkles prematurely.2

·       Aging: As the person ages, the body processes start to slow down. The skin cells divide more slowly because of which the dermis, the skin’s deeper layer, begins to thin out. Consequently, the skin structure becomes deformed and it becomes less flexible. Moreover, the skin loses its ability to retain moisture. It produces less oil and with passing time it is slower to heal. Once one enters the 30s with each passing year there is a loss of 1% of body collagen and breaking of the bonds between different layers of skin.3

·       Smoking: The tobacco in cigarettes reduces collagen production by the body and as explained above too little collagen means acceleration in the skin’s aging process.

·       Repeated facial muscle contractions: Facial muscles come into action when one smiles, glowers, or squints. Initially, there is the appearance of ‘dynamic wrinkles’ which appear whenever a muscle is used. Over time due to the reduction in body fat, bone mass, and the effects of gravity on the skin, these wrinkles become ‘static wrinkles’, that is, there is a permanent form of crow’s feet at the corner of the eyes, frown lines on the forehead and prominent smile lines around the mouth.

·       Skin type: People having light-colored skin are more prone to develop wrinkles since they are more susceptible to sun damage.

What are the Different Anti-wrinkle Treatment Options available?

Wrinkles cannot be labeled as a medical illness that needs intervention. However, in some cases, the concerns regarding physical appearance brought on by aging have a detrimental effect on the quality of life. In societies where maintaining a youthful appearance is prized, the demands to discover surgical and non-surgical treatment modalities that delay signs of aging are on the surge.

There are various treatment options to cosmetically improve one’s appearance.

Botox

Botox is one of the most popular treatments for removing wrinkles. Actually, botox involves injecting the skin with a microdosage of a neurotoxin, named Botulinum toxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The toxins are of 8 different types. However, only two (A and B) are used therapeutically.

Botox A has a special place in dermatology and plastic surgery as it is used for cosmetic purposes. It is a neuromodulator that blocks chemical signals which cause muscular contraction. When this is injected into the tissue, the toxin spreads and binds reversibly and selectively to the presynaptic neuromuscular junction and attaches to the protein membrane that is responsible for the excretion of acetylcholine, thus inhibiting its release.4 This leads to the relaxation of the local muscles which results in reduced facial lines.

Botox is injected into the muscles of facial expression, glabellar frown lines, crow’s feet, smile lines, and smoothing out neck wrinkles. The effect lasts for three to six months. In case one wants to prolong the effect of Botox, the treatment should be repeated for a year or more.5

What needs to be kept in mind is that the duration of effect varies among various individuals as there are differences in muscle arrangements. Therefore, different individuals require different doses. Since it does not cause any persistent changes at the nerve terminals, it does not have long-term side effects. Using it in combination with other modalities such as laser resurfacing provides a synergistic long-lasting effect.6

Check out our latest informatory video on Botox Treatment, click here

Retinoids

These are a class of chemical compounds that are derivatives of vitamin A or are chemically related to it. These include retinol, adapalene, retinyl esters, retinal aldehyde, tretinoin, and tazarotene. These are present in many over-the-counter skin care products. These topical compounds absorb deep into the skin’s layers to activate the production of collagen and elastin.7 In this way, they help reduce wrinkles and improve skin tone, texture, and hydration levels.

We use ZO Skin Health retinoid-containing anti-aging regimens for treating wrinkles. Contact us for its amazing skin care packages and care programs.

Micro-needling

It is a minimally invasive facial rejuvenation procedure effective in the case of fine lines. In this, a device having several tiny needles is used to create punctures in the epidermis. It leads to the release of growth factors which further stimulates the formation of new collagen and elastin as the micro-wounds heal.8

Microdermabrasion

It is a non-chemical vacuum-assisted closed-loop abrasive procedure in which the physical action of inert crystals is used to exfoliate the uneven outer layers of skin.9 It is an effective procedure to treat skin discoloration, wrinkles, scarring, or stretch marks.

Dermabrasion

In this procedure, a rapidly rotating device is used to ‘sand’ the outer layers of skin to reduce irregular skin depressions and wrinkles. The skin that grows back is usually smoother and younger-looking.10

Chemical peels

In this treatment, a chemical solution is used that removes the damaged outer layers. It is one of the most effective ways to smoothen skin texture and improve skin tone. It is, however, not effective for deep facial lines. These include superficial peels containing alpha-hydroxy acid, medium peels such as glycolic acid, and deep peels having trichloroacetic acid or phenol.11

Laser skin resurfacing

In this short, concentrated beams of light are directed at the skin which stimulates collagen production, thus plumping up the skin. It is better suited for light-skinned individuals as dark-skinned individuals have the risk of developing hyperpigmentation.12

Fillers

The wrinkles around the mouth, nose, and chin are mostly treated by filling them with filler. Hyaluronic acid is the most common filler used for this purpose.13    

Facelift

It is a surgical procedure in which the excess sagging skin and fat from the face and neck are removed. In conjunction with it, the underlying muscular and connective tissue layers are tightened to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.14

Bottom Line

Wrinkles are visible creases or folds that make your skin look old. There are plenty of options available to get rid of them. If you are searching for anti-wrinkle treatments, ensure that the doctor performing these treatments is qualified and experienced.

We at Caresmetics provide different services ranging from wrinkle-resolving injections to dermal fillers. Get in touch with our consultants to discuss what treatment will help rejuvenate your face.

 

References

1.     Manríquez JJ, Gringberg DM, Diaz CN. Wrinkles. BMJ clinical evidence. 2008;2008.

2.     Lee JY, Kim YK, Seo JY, Choi CW, Hwang JS, Lee BG, Chang IS, Chung JH. Loss of elastic fibers causes skin wrinkles in sun-damaged human skin. Journal of dermatological science. 2008 May 1;50(2):99-107.

3.     Sreeharsha N, Mazen AL. Therapeutics of microneedling for skin repair. Asian Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2022 Aug 10;12(3):199-204.

4.     Susmita A, Kolli NN, Meka S, Chakravarthi SP, Kattimani VS, Lingamaneni KP, Shaik LS. An evaluation of use of botulinum toxin type a in the management of dynamic forehead wrinkles-a clinical study. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: JCDR. 2016 Oct;10(10):ZC127.

5.     Satriyasa BK. Botulinum toxin (Botox) A for reducing the appearance of facial wrinkles: a literature review of clinical use and pharmacological aspect. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology. 2019;12:223.

6.     Carruthers J, Carruthers A. Special feature: Botox treatment for expressive facial lines and wrinkles. Current opinion in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery. 2000 Aug 1;8(4):357-61.

7.     Griffiths C, Russman AN, Majmudar G, Singer RS, Hamilton TA, Voorhees JJ. Restoration of collagen formation in photodamaged human skin by tretinoin (retinoic acid). New England Journal of Medicine. 1993 Aug 19;329(8):530-5.

8.     Ablon G. Safety and effectiveness of an automated microneedling device in improving the signs of aging skin. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology. 2018 Aug;11(8):29.

9.     Bhalla M, Thami GP. Microdermabrasion: reappraisal and brief review of literature. Dermatologic surgery. 2006 Jun;32(6):809-14.

10.  Gold MH. Dermabrasion in dermatology. American journal of clinical dermatology. 2003 Jul;4(7):467-71.

11.  Peters W. The chemical peel. Annals of plastic surgery. 1991 Jun 1;26(6):564-71.

12.  Dover JS, Hruza GJ. Laser skin resurfacing. InSeminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery 1996 Sep 1 (Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 177-188).

13.  Glogau RG. Fillers: from the past to the future. InSeminars in cutaneous medicine and surgery 2012 Jun 30 (Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 78-87). WB Saunders.

14.  Pourdanesh F, Esmaeelinejad M, Jafari SM, Nematollahi Z. Facelift: current concepts, techniques, and principles. IntechOpen; 2016 Aug 31.