Are lines and wrinkles making you look older and more tired than you really are? While wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process, you don't have to live with deep folds and sagging skin that leave you feeling unattractive. Instead, consider trying some of the tips below to age gracefully.
What causes wrinkles?
Over time, repetitive facial movements can cause fine lines and wrinkles to become etched into our face. These are called dynamic wrinkles because they are expression-based, meaning they are primarily visible when you are laughing, smiling, or frowning. Dynamic wrinkles include your glabellar lines ("11s"), forehead lines, crow's feet, and vertical lip lines.
Static wrinkles, on the other hand, are those that are visible when your face is at rest, such as your smile lines (nasolabial folds), frown lines (marionette lines), and jowls. These are caused by the natural aging process, as well as external factors such as sun, diet, and lifestyle.
1. Chemical peels
Over time, dead skin cells build up on our face, making our skin appear less colorful and vibrant. A chemical peel removes these dead cells to reveal a smoother, healthier layer of skin. Not only do chemical peels increase your skin's cell turnover, but they also hydrate skin deep down. This exfoliating and hydrating combination can visibly reduce lines and wrinkles, clear pores, and brighten skin's complexion.
Chemical peels increase your skin's cell turnover and hydrate skin deep down.
2. Microneedling
Microneedling uses dozens of tiny needles to create 'micro-injuries' in your dermis, prompting your skin to produce collagen, elastin, and other growth factors in order to heal itself. Microneedling also encourages cellular turnover, helping you replace old, dead cells with healthy new ones. The result is smoother, firmer, and more lifted skin, smaller pores, and a more even complexion. Since microneedling creates microscopic channels between your skin's layers, you can enhance your treatment with a topical serum containing hyaluronic acid, growth factors, or platelet-rich plasma.
3. BOTOX
Neuromodulators like BOTOX®, Dysport®, and Jeuveau® are ideal for smoothing out dynamic wrinkles, as they temporarily weaken the facial muscle responsible for causing the wrinkle. By weakening these facial muscles over time, repeat neuromodulator treatments may be able to reduce the appearance of static wrinkles as well. (This is why people often consider BOTOX injections to be preventative as well as corrective.)
4. Fillers
Dermal fillers such as Juvéderm® and Restylane® work to treat static wrinkles on two different levels: 1) they "fill" empty space below a wrinkle where fat once was, and 2) they stimulate your skin's natural collagen production to increase firmness and elasticity over time. Fillers can also be used to augment areas of the face where you'd like a little more contour or projection, such as the cheekbones, lips, chin, and even the nose.
5. Facelift
A facelift can reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles by lifting & tightening skin and manipulating underlying musculature in the face. However, because a facelift cannot address volume loss on its own, we almost always perform facelift surgery in combination with either dermal fillers or other non-surgical facial rejuvenation options.
Dr. Garazo almost always performs facelift surgery in combination with dermal fillers to treat the underlying cause of wrinkles.
6. DiamondGlow
DiamondGlow is an advanced non-surgical facial that combines exfoliation, extraction, and infusion of powerful serums in a single facial treatment. Unlike traditional facials, DiamondGlow uses a patented diamond-tipped device to simultaneously exfoliate dead skin cells, extract impurities, and deliver medical-grade SkinMedica® serums into your skin. DiamondGlow treatments can be customized to combat a variety of common skin concerns—including fine lines and wrinkles.
7. Medical-grade skincare
One of the most common reasons people get wrinkles is simply from having dry, dehydrated skin. A quality moisturizer can hydrate skin using nourishing ingredients such as glycerin and ceramides, while other essential nutrients such as retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids, niacinamide, and anti-aging peptides can improve skin health at a cellular level. Just be sure to use medical-grade skincare products, as these have the highest concentration of effective ingredients.
How can I prevent lines & wrinkles?
We've covered a range of tips for correcting lines and wrinkles, but what about preventing them? Following these simple tips can help your skin stay supple and smooth:
Do's
- Wear sunscreen. Sunscreen is one of your first and best lines of defense against wrinkles because it blocks the sun's harmful UV rays from damaging collagen and elastin fibers in your skin. At Plastic Surgery Services of Hagerstown, MD, we offer broad-spectrum sunscreens from elite brands like SkinCeuticals®, iS Clinical®, and SkinMedica®.
- Eat a healthy diet. A diet rich in a variety of whole foods will provide your skin with essential nutrients, such as amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamins C, D, and E.
Don'ts
- Avoid facial exercises. Facial exercises, aka 'face yoga,' aims to reduce the appearance of wrinkles through repeated facial movements; however, repeated muscle movements also cause dynamic wrinkles to form.
- Don't smoke. Smoking causes vasoconstriction, a process where your blood vessels shrink and cut off oxygen to your tissues. Smoking also reduces your body's ability to produce collagen, which can impact your skin's elasticity and thickness.
Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Henry Garazo offers patients in the Hagerstown and Frederick area a range of skincare services and products, including custom facials, microneedling, BOTOX & fillers, and more. Schedule your skincare consultation with Dr. Garazo online or by calling (301) 791-1800.
