We all age and that is just a fact of life. So, do wrinkles have to be?

Why We Get Wrinkles

During natural aging, the skin begins to get thinner and we have a slower turn-around in generating new skin. We begin to lose volume in the face; this is because we are losing actual bone mass, getting thinner dermis, and even losing subcutaneous fat (go figure that this is in the areas we’d least like to lose fat!).

If you look at a young face, you will see that besides lacking rhytids (wrinkles) the younger face is round and voluminous; the nasolabial folds are full, the chin is prominent, the cheek bones are well delineated and the lips are full and turned out (everted).

As we age, we lose mass in these important areas and look “sunken”, in addition to getting wrinkles.

Factors That Promote Wrinkles

One can also accelerate the aging process if we don’t properly care for our skin. The main reasons why our skin can age too quickly (and get more wrinkles) are: sun damage, inadequate hydration, smoking and hormonal changes.

How We Can Treat Wrinkles

There are many options available to address how aging makes itself seen on our bodies.  Brown spots, oily skin, and uneven skin pigmentation can be addressed with bleaching creams, light cryotherapy, chemical peels, and laser treatments (such as IPL). Red spots (telangiectasia) can also be addressed by electrosurgery as well as certain laser treatments, such as the Vbeam laser.

However, wrinkles and lines are a deeper and more complex problem and need a different approach. There are two forms of wrinkles: dynamic and at rest. Dynamic wrinkles are the result of movement and best respond to Botox/Dysport. Wrinkles at rest can benefit from either deep chemical peels, certain, or certain laser treatments, such as Fraxel laser.

Volume loss can also affect various areas of the face and can be corrected by fillers. Examples of fillers include Restylane, Jevederm, Radiesse and Sculptra. It is important to use the correct filler product in the appropriate anatomical subunit of the face, using the precise injection technique for that area. Please note that we have not mentioned surgery once! That is because the idea of pulling skin tighter and tighter is an outdated approach. While surgery is still the treatment of choice for certain aging scenarios, the new thinking in facial rejuvenation focuses on using a combination of various procedures named above to address the multiple manifestation, and underlying reasons for aging.

To discuss the best combination of treatments available to reverse your unwanted signs of aging, please contact our office to arrange an appointment with Dr. Kormeili.