With the advancement and progress in the technology of health and wellness, there are a myriad choice of treatment for skin wrinkles.
Whether it be topical, cosmetic or surgical, there is a broad range of treatments available in the market from just reducing wrinkles to totally eradicating its presence, which would ultimately require surgical treatment.
Here is a list of cosmetic treatments, both medical and surgical, including topical medicines and creams that are available in the market.
Vitamin A Acid- also known as tretinoin, with common brand names like Retin- A and Renova, are among the most common ingredients for wrinkle treatment.
This ingredient, available by prescription, has the longest success record in the treatment of aging skin and removing fine lines, especially in the facial area.
Creams and lotions containing tretinoin must be used continually and diligently.
Initial symptoms may cause redness and peeling, however, the discomfort of the side effects may be reduced my lowering the concentration of the ingredient with the base cream and applying it less often until the skin has adjusted to it.
Alpha-hydroxy acids, also termed as ‘fruit acids’, include active ingredients like glycolic and lactic acid.
Medical preparations containing these fruit acids are safer alternatives and cause very little or no skin irritation at all, however, effects are not as significant, though.
Antioxidants- these are basically topical preparations that contain vitamins like A, C and E, as well as beta-carotene. These are commonly coupled with sun protection and provide mild treatment for fine wrinkles.
There are also ordinary moisturizers that claim to reduce wrinkles, however, moisturizers that do not contain any of these topical ingredients or substances can only mask or hide wrinkles temporarily and only reduce the appearance of fine lines.
There are also cosmetic procedures readily available in the market, usually offered by dermatological experts or medical practitioners.
Glycolic acid peels- Although this form of treatment involves hands-on application, these superficial peels can only make slight effects in the intensity and degree of fine wrinkles.
Deeper peels- This skin peel process involves the use of chemical substances like salicylic acid and trichloroacetic acid that penetrates deeper into the skin.
It is believed that the deeper the treatment penetrates into the skin, the more effective it gets in smoothing out the fine lines of wrinkles, however, the deeper the peel, the greater risk of having side effects, among them, long-lasting pigment changes or changes in the color of the skin and scarring.
These peels generally do not require anesthetics, however, patients can request for mild sedation to help ease short-term but painful treatment process.
Microdermabrasion- this process primarily involves ‘scrubbing the skin’ using a machine containing silica or aluminum crystals that is being used to ‘sand’ the skin.
These services are often offered in packages of six to seven treatment sessions and does not change skin anatomy or generally have chemically-adverse effects, but does guarantee to make skin feel smoother.
Over the counter cosmetic products that are being sold as ‘home microdermabrasion’ are just mild exfoliants and are generally harmless but are less likely to produce significant, sometimes barely noticeable, changes in wrinkles.
Dermabrasion – this is the real surgical process usually performed by medical practitioners, mostly plastic surgeons or licensed dermatology practitioners, under general anesthesia.
This surgical treatment involves the deft hands and skill of the treating physician, using a rotating instrument to sand the skin down.
Dermabrasion can produce excellent results, however, a greater risk is involved in the process, since it can produce significant side effects like scarring and permanent changes in skin color.
With the many treatments for skin wrinkles, people now have several choices as to which one to choose should they decide to choose the right treatment that would suit them.
