Wrinkles are the battle scars of age that show the wisdom and
experience that can only come with time. In today’s day and age, one of
the best ways to get rid of wrinkles is through a facial laser
procedure. This may sound painful and time consuming, but the fact of
the matter is that you can take advantage of this procedure without
minimal discomfort on an outpatient basis. During this procedure a
laser will help to correct imperfections in your skin. Of course you
will be able to talk about the side effects and results with your
doctor before getting started.
Why Do You Develop Wrinkles?
As a person ages, the skin undergoes significant changes. The inner
layer of the skin begins to thin and the cells begin to divide more
slowly. Fat cells begin to lessen or die beneath the dermis.
The network of collagen fibers and elastin which provide a sort of
scaffolding for the surface layer begin to loosen and unravel. Skin
then loses its elasticity. It tends to droop and forms furrows.
The oil secreting and sweat glands atrophy, and the skin cannot retain
its moisture. Therefore, it becomes dry and scaly. Constant facial
expressions form characteristic lines. Gravity makes the situation
worse and contributes to the formation of drooping eyelids and jowls.
Also, eyebrows tend to move up as someone ages perhaps because of
forehead wrinkles and the skin has less of an ability to repair itself
so wounds heal more slowly.
There are other forces at play that can make your skin suffer, such as :
1. The sun damages collagen fibers and causes an accumulation of
abnormal elastin. Metalloproteinases, or enzymes, are produced that are
able to repair most of the damage, however, it is this repetition of
the rebuilding process that is done over and over again that causes
skin problems.
2. The sun's UV radiation promotes oxidation. This also leads to the development of skin abnormalities.
3. Cigarette smoking causes the thickening and fragmentation of
elastin, reduces circulation and the amount of oxygen that is supplied
to the skin, and leads to less Collagen formation and reduced water
content in the skin. Lastly, smoking compromises the ability of the
skin to fend off free radicals causing cell destruction.
Wrinkles are the most noticable signs of aging. As tissues sag, these
lines form a type of canvas that is covered with cracks that have
varying depths. As time marches on, they deepen and reach the dermis.
As the dermis loses its elasticity, it becomes slack which leads to the
formation of more pronounced wrinkles over 0.05 mm in depth.
Here is the normal progression of wrinkles characterized by age group:
20-25 – Vertical wrinkles on one's forehead and even between the
eyebrows may already be visible. Fine lines at the external edges of
the eyes are not yet noticeable.
25-40 – In the epidermis, wrinkles begin to deepen. They are less than
0.0005 mm in depth. They are caused by the superficial drying out of
one's skin as well as the slowing down of cellular renewal.
40-50 – Fine lines around the lips, crow's feet, furrows alongside of
the nose and the line between the eyebrows are all beginning to deepen.
The skin loses it elasticity and the facial contours are not less well
defined.
50 and over – Hormonal secretions end as menopause appears and this
speeds up the aging process. The skin's surface begins to modify and
intermediary lines are replaced by ever deepening furrows.
The older you become, the more wrinkles you get. You can minimize this damage by taking good care of your skin.
Anti Aging Skin Care Treatments: here are a few promising treatments
for sagging skin. There are some new wrinkle creams and topical
lotions, like Avotone or Revitol, that contain natural ingredients that
may help lessen this problem. For example:
1. Argireline - this is a safer alternative to Botox. It is not derived
from any poisonous substance, but from naturally occurring amino acids.
This element relaxes facial tension because it is able to reduce the
excessive release of neurotransmitters which are also known as
catecholamines. These make your facial muscles become tense. If your
muscles are not tense, they do not contribute to wrinkles. Also, it may
slow down the degeneration of elastin and collagen which normally
occurs with aging.
Helpful Tips and Hints:
1. Be sure to drink enough water.
2. Mist your skin throughout the day with warm water.
3. Don’t smoke. Some of the research is still controversial, but more
and more studies are confirming that cigarette smoke ages skin --
mostly by releasing an enzyme that breaks down collagen and elastin,
important components of the skin. Sibling studies done at the Twin
Research Unit at St. Thomas Hospital in London found the brother or
sister who smoked tended to have skin that was more wrinkled and up to
40% thinner than the non-smoker.
4. Get adequate sleep. Yale dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, MD, says
that when you don't get enough sleep, the body produces excess
cortisol, a hormone that breaks down skin cells. Get enough rest,
Perricone says, and you'll produce more HGH (human growth hormone),
which helps skin remain thick, more "elastic," and less likely to
wrinkle.
Dermatological treatments for wrinkles
If the wrinkles have reached a stage of being too pronounced then more
advanced wrinkle treatments might be necessary. These treatments are
chemical peels and laser treatment administered by a dermatologist.
A dermatologist will usually use chemical peels to reduce wrinkles.
Light, TCA, glycolic acid – based, phenol or laser peels, all of
different strength are used for the same purpose: reduce wrinkles.
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