Wrinkles

Alternative Names

Wrinkles

What is Wrinkles

A wrinkle is a ridge or crease in the skin. Wrinkles are a natural part of aging, but they are the most common on sun-exposed skin such as the face, neck, hands and forearms.

Signs and symptoms

Wrinkles are the lines and creases that form in your skin. Some wrinkles can become deep crevices or furrows and may be especially noticeable around your eyes, mouth and neck.

Possible complications

Usually, wrinkles do not cause any specific complications.

What causes

Typically, wrinkles are caused by:

• Age. Your skin naturally becomes less elastic and more fragile with years. Lack of natural oils makes your skin drier and more wrinkled. Fat in the deeper layers of your skin that gives the skin a plump appearance starts to reduce. It lead to loose, saggy skin and more-pronounced lines and crevices.
• Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Ultraviolet radiation is the main cause of wrinkles, because it significantly accelerates the natural aging process. UV light destroys to your skin's connective tissue- collagen and elastin fibers which lie in the deeper layer of skin (dermis). Without the supportive connective tissue, your skin loses its strength and flexibility. Eventually, skin begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely.
• Smoking speeds up the normal aging process of your skin contributing to wrinkles.
• Repeated facial expressions. Facial movements and expressions such as squinting or smiling cause fine lines and wrinkles. Each time when you use a facial muscle, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin. Skin loses its flexibility with ages and is no longer able to spring back in place. These grooves then become permanent features on your face.
• Gender. The wrinkles are more common in women than in men. Scientists explain this fact that women have fewer sweat glands and glands that secrete an oily matter known as sebum (sebaceous glands) to lubricate the skin and fewer blood vessels in this area.
• Poor nutrition

Prevention

There are some ways to prevent your skin from wrinkles:

• You should protect your skin from the sun by limiting the time you spend in the sun and always wearing protective clothing and hats.
• Choose products with built-in sunscreen at least 30
• Use moisturizers. Dry skin shrivels plump skin cells which can cause premature fine lines and wrinkles. It is very important to note that moisturizers do not prevent wrinkles, they just temporarily mask tiny lines and creases.
• Quit smoking
• Eat a healthy diet. The scientists believe that certain vitamins in your diet protect your skin, particularly vitamins A, C, B-3 and E.

Treatment

Medical treatments

Vitamin A Acid (tretinoin, Retin-A, Renova). It is the most effective way. Creams containing this medication should be used on an ongoing basis. At first, they produce redness and peeling. Although this can be unpleasant for a while, it is essential to achieving improvement once the peeling stops.

Alpha-hydroxy acids. Preparations consisting of these fruit acids are quite safe and cause no more than mild and temporary irritation. The improvement they produce is, however, relatively subtle.

Antioxidants- preparations that contain the vitamins A, C, and E. These creams may provide a certain amount of sun protection as well as mild improvement of wrinkles.

Ordinary moisturizers. Regular creams make wrinkles look temporarily less prominent.

Cosmetic procedures

• Glycolic acid peels. These superficial peels can make a very slight difference in the intensity of fine wrinkles.
• Deeper peels. These peels use ingredients like salicylic acid and trichloroacetic acid and penetrate somewhat deeper into the skin. These deeper peels do a better job of smoothing fine lines. In general, however, the deeper the peel, the greater the risk of side effects such as long-lasting pigment changes and scarring. Such peels are not needed to anesthesia. Mild sedation helps ease short-term but fairly intense discomfort.
• Dermabrasion. This procedure involves the use of a rotating instrument to sand the skin down. Dermabrasion can result in excellent improvement, but can also produce significant side effects including scarring and permanent changes in skin color.
• Laser resurfacing. Physicians can achieve results similar to those of dermabrasion using the carbon dioxide and erbium lasers. The laser is passed several times over the area to be treated until the peel reaches the middle of the dermis, the skin's second layer. It helps to stimulate the body's natural collagen synthesis (production) which plumps up sagging skin and wrinkles.
• Non-ablative laser resurfacing. Newer lasers attempt to stimulate collagen synthesis under the skin without peeling or damaging the epidermis. Treatment is almost painless and there is little or no redness, peeling, or "down-time" afterward. Several repeated procedures over a period of months are needed for improvement.
• Plastic surgical procedures. Surgical facelifts, brow lifts and similar operations can be very helpful for selected patients.
• Botox. Injection of botulinum toxin can paralyze muscles that produce the "frown lines" on the forehead, fine lines around the eyes and other wrinkles. Improvement lasts several months and must be repeated to sustain improvement. Safety depends on the experience of the physician.

It is very important to note that if you want to do any of these cosmetic procedures, you should counsel with your doctor. You should be fully informed about the risks and potential benefits of the procedure you have chosen.