Are crow’s feet, frown lines or smile lines adding years to your face? Have you tried the miracle creams that are supposed to make those wrinkles and fine lines disappear, but they’re still there? You may be ready to consult a skin specialist, and aren’t sure how to choose between injectable fillers, chemical peels or other wrinkle therapies.
There is new information available from skincare researchers that may help! According to a research study performed at the University of Michigan, there is a reason why most miracle creams won’t visibly erase wrinkles. Creams can’t stimulate the skin cells at the deeper levels to replenish collagen – a process that is necessary for skin repair and rejuvenation. The good news is that there are three wrinkle treatments available that do stimulate the collagen rejuvenation process and stand above all the others in consistently delivering results.
Here is the low down on three top professional wrinkle treatments:
Laser Therapy to Erase Wrinkles
Several types of laser therapy are intended to diminish wrinkles and fine lines, but carbon dioxide (CO2) laser resurfacing appears to be the champion. During treatment, the powerful laser beam passes through the outer layer of skin (epidermis) to reach the under layer (dermis), stimulating new collagen production. The topmost layers of skin will be seared and reddened during treatment, requiring intensive wound care during the healing process to avoid scabbing and infection.
Laser therapy is the most invasive of the top three wrinkle therapies examined in the research study, requiring patient sedation for the hour-long outpatient procedure and at least two weeks of intensive healing post-treatment. It can produce very smooth skin, but can take up to six months to deliver results, so is not for those who are looking for a quick and easy wrinkle treatment.
Injectable Fillers with Hyaluronic Acid
Injectable hyaluronic acid has been found to be highly effective at plumping up facial folds and wrinkles nearly instantly. Once injected with this fluid, collagen cells are tricked into producing more, which results in plumper, smoother skin. The results can last several months, depending on how much of the solution is injected and how deep the wrinkles are.
A Chemical Peel in a Jar?
Professional peels that use glycolic acids to promote collagen growth and rejuvenate the skin have long been touted as powerful wrinkle erasers. Researchers found that prescription-strength retinoic acid (a form of Vitamin A acid called tretinoin or Retin-A) applied topically can provide some measure of the same collagen-stimulating results over time. Creams that contain .025 or .05 percent tretinoin seem to work best at stimulating collagen production, thereby reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Experts say that most over-the-counter products containing tretinoin don’t contain enough to produce noticeable results. An alternative that was found to deliver some results was a cream or serum that contains at least 10 percent of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid). This ingredient, if listed high at the top of the active ingredients, can help to restore skin that is not producing as much collagen.
