Facial Wrinkle is a crease in the surface of your skin due to sagging of the skin structures. As you get older, your skin naturally experiences a diminution of collagen and elastin, two important proteins that make your skin soft, firm and elastic. The disappearance of these substances causes your skin to lose its flexibility and increases the volume giving rise to wrinkles and double chin.

Wrinkles are the result of degradation in the epidermis and dermis. The dermis, located below the dermis, is designed to support and nourish the epidermis, the outermost surface of the skin that protects the dermis and other organs of your body. To play its protective role, the epidermis is composed of vessels, lymph and fibers which the number and quality begin to decline from age 25. No matter what type of skin you have, this irreversible irregularity will eventually result in appearance of wrinkles.

No dermatologic intervention can prevent formation of wrinkles; it is a natural biological deterioration. You can, however, reduce or remove age-related wrinkles either surgically or by the use of medications.  Without an effective treatment, the deterioration will lead to more visible pores on your face, making you look old.

Causes

Your skin begins to age from age 25; however, wrinkles can appear prematurely in some people. It is common to see a parent having fewer wrinkles than a child does. Although age is the primarily cause of wrinkles, certain environmental factors (cigarette smoking, prolonged sun exposure), external aggressions (pollution, chemical products, UV radiation, etc..), physiological phenomena (poor hygiene, facial expressions, frustration, concentration, concern, anxiety, anger, stress, fatigue, etc.) and biological factors (hormonal changes) may cause premature wrinkles.

In general, the 4 most common causes of wrinkles and factors include:

• Hormonal factor – hormonal change especially among postmenopausal women may contribute to the appearance of wrinkles
• Natural aging – as you get older, it is inevitable to have wrinkles; however, certain factors such as stress, smoking can multiply wrinkles on your face.
• Sun exposure – it is no doubt that individuals who spend too much time in the sun are at greater risk of wrinkles and other skin problems including skin cancer; Ultraviolet (UV) treatment is also a trigger of wrinkles
• Facial expressions – repeated facial expressions, including but not limited to squinting, frowning or smiling can cause formation of fine wrinkles.

Wrinkle Symptoms

Normally, from your twenties, you can have wrinkles; they are not easily visible and can even help enhance your beauty. You start worrying when the wrinkles become apparent on your forehead, around your eyes, mouth or neck and affect your look.

Before your thirties, small wrinkles tend to develop in the corners of your eyes and / or around your mouth. Around 35 years, wrinkles become very noticeable. From 45 years, wrinkles become so deep that they capture attention of others. At this point, your need of an effective anti-wrinkle treatment to beautify your skin is more important.

Diagnosis

You do not need any medical exam to confirm that you have wrinkles; a look in the mirror is enough to detect your wrinkles. If you are blind or catoptrophobic (fear of looking into mirrors), friends and family will tell you.

Facial Wrinkle Treatment

There is no specific age to start an anti wrinkle treatment. As soon as the first sign appears on your face (mostly on your forehead, around your lips or eyes), you can begin a natural wrinkle remover. Thanks to progress in medical science, there are now several types of anti wrinkle treatment available; they are used all over the world by dermatologists and aesthetic physicians:

Topical treatments – retinoids are vitamin A derivatives and are widely used in cosmetic medicine. In fact, discovery of retinoids has been a major advance in the fight against not only wrinkles but also severe acne and psoriasis. Applied regularly, topical retinoids can reduce fine wrinkles, splotchy pigmentation and skin roughness.

However, you should avoid prolonged sun exposure during the treatment because the drugs tend to cause redness, dryness, itching and burning sensation. In addition, if you are pregnant, it is extremely important to talk to your doctor before you apply retinoids on your skin. Some of the most common topical retinoids include Tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A) and Tazarotene (AVAG, Tazorac).

There is a variety of other anti wrinkle products on the market. They are available in the form of tablets (or capsules), cream, lotion and spray. Their effects vary depending on the cause of the wrinkles and your skin reaction to the treatment. Used regularly along with exercise and a good diet, some non prescription anti wrinkle products such as kinetin, coenzyme Q10, antioxidants, retinol, alpha hydroxy acids and copper peptides can bring good results.

Surgery – If none of these therapies work, your dermatologist will consider surgical wrinkle remover. Some of common anti wrinkle surgeries include:

Chemical peel – the peeling is a technique used in cosmetic medicine to regenerate the skin. During the procedure, your dermatologist uses substances such as α-hydroxy acids (also known as alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs) or trichloroacetic acid (also known as trichloroethanoic acid) to remove dead cells of the epidermis. The natural reaction of your body is to immediately produce new skin to replace one that was damaged; the new skin is wrinkle free, which makes you look younger. This method is effective in treating fine wrinkles only.

Gore-Tex S.A.M. (subcutaneous augmentation material) – this method is ideal for you if you are looking for facial augmentation in a specific facial area; Gore-Tex S.A.M. is not recommended in the treatment of fine wrinkles. It is often used in lifting the upper lip, plumping furrows and wrinkles. Although this is a permanent implant, Gore-Tex is well tolerated, durable, flexible and malleable.

Dermabrasion – this cosmetic surgery consist of planning the epidermis and the upper layers of the dermis with a rapidly rotating brush that can provide up to 40 000 revolutions per minute. The goal of the surgery is to remove the superficial layer of the skin so that a new layer of skin can grow, which gives you a younger and better looking skin. Prolonged sun exposure is strictly prohibited for six months after the surgery.

Botox (Botulinum Toxin Type A) – Botox is a cosmetic method performed to weaken the force of contraction of the muscle responsible for forming wrinkles. This new technique has been used for about 20 years in the treatment of wrinkles. Botox is a regional therapy that reduces the aging of the skin area in which it was injected. It is usually necessary to repeat the operation six months after the first injection, and then once a year. The surgery does not require hospitalization, and social activities can be resumed immediately.

Face-lift – face lift, also known as rhytidectomy, is a surgical removal of wrinkles. It consists of a cosmetic surgery aimed at correcting the sagging of the skin. The technique involves taking off excess skin and fat to restore a more youthful contour to your face. The result of facelift can last for up to 10 years. This surgical procedure can be performed by surgeons specializing in maxillofacial surgery or plastic surgery.

Facial Wrinkle Prevention

These methods are effective not only against wrinkles but also against many life threatening diseases:

Eating a healthy diet – instead of eating to die, eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits and cruciferous vegetables. These substances have vitamins and antioxidants needed to not only fight and prevent wrinkles but also many deadly diseases including cancer.

Avoid prolonged sun exposure – while your body needs the sun to generate vitamin D; prolonged exposure, however, is the enemy of your skin. Sun rays can cause not only wrinkles but also irreversible skin damage such as skin cancer. The UV light promotes the formation of free radicals that attack skin cells and cause premature death.

Knowing your skin type – the effectiveness of anti-wrinkle treatments vary depending on skin type: sensitive skin, dryskin, mixed skin, mature or greasy skin. All skin types did not require the same beauty care.  Before starting a dermatological treatment, ask your dermatologist for your skin type if you do not know it.

Start early – From 20-25 years, it is important to adopt a beauty treatment adapted to your skin to remove wrinkles from your eye contour area; the main area where wrinkles tend to develop first.

Avoid smoking (including second hand smoke) – in addition to oral cancer and lung cancer, smoking causes many other damaging effects to your body including your skin health. Smoking tends to shrink the diameter of small feeder vessels of the skin that supply micronutrients to the skin cells. If you persist in this bad habit, you will end up having not only wrinkles but other major skin problems.

Avoid stress – it is said that stress plays a role in almost all diseases; it drives you to irritation, causing headaches and ages your skin by creating streaks and marks on your face. If you want to get rid of wrinkles, get rid of stress first.

Take a rest – your body needs to rest for the muscles to relax. Physical and mental fatigue affects your look and your skin in general. Restful sleep is necessary for your beauty, the health of your skin and your well-being.

Avoid alcohol – alcohol has adverse effects on your body including your skin. It promotes rosacea and accelerates premature skin aging. In addition, the molecules of alcohol disrupt the blood vessels and create a network of exploded capillaries.

Drink Plenty Water – to prevent dry skin, which encourages development of wrinkles, drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. These 8 glasses of water can be supplemented with natural juices.

Exercise regularly – Regular exercise is a powerful tool against cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature skin aging. You do not need a PHD to see the difference between an athlete and a physically inactive person.

• Mark Changizi, Romann Weber, Ritesh Kotecha, Joseph Palazzo (2011). “Are Wet-Induced Wrinkled Fingers Primate Rain Treads?”. Brain, Behavior and Evolution 77 (4): 286–90. doi:10.1159/000328223. PMID 21701145.
• Kareklas, Kyriacos; Nettle, Daniel; Smulders, Tom V (January 9, 2013). “Water-induced finger wrinkles improve handling of wet objects”. Biol. Lett. 9 (2): 20120999. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2012.0999. PMC: 3639753. PMID 23302867. Retrieved 28 January 2013.