Wrinkles: How to Prevent & Treat Them

Creator: Dr. Rania Soliman Elshaikh
Published: 2023-12-26 10:54:18

Dr. Rania Soliman Elshaikh is a dermatologist and cosmetologist with MBBCh, MSc and MD degrees. She has worked as a dermatology specialist in Benha University Hospital, Egypt.

Updated On:December 26, 2023

What are Wrinkles?

Wrinkles are to the face what salt is to seawater - natural. While ageing is a common cause of wrinkles, there are several other factors that can cause wrinkles such as poor nutrition, sun exposure, repeated facial expressions, dehydration and stress.

If you look at your face in the mirror and notice forehead lines, smile lines or other furrows and creases that have started bothering you, there are multiple ways to handle them.

How to Prevent & Reduce Wrinkles?

Here are some simple things you can do to prevent wrinkles on your face:

Apply Sunscreen

Sun exposure is a leading cause of wrinkles. The UV radiation of the sun speeds up the ageing process and breaks down the skin’s protective layer, causing wrinkles. While it may not be possible to avoid the sun, applying sunscreen is a habit you can commit to. Re-apply it every two hours and choose skincare products with built-in SPF (Sun Protection Factor).

Get Adequate Sleep

Getting enough sleep is vital for good heart health, mental health, concentration and productivity, and a healthy metabolism. Here’s another reason - it helps prevent wrinkles. When you rest well, your body produces HGH (Human Growth Hormone) that helps your skin remain elastic, preventing it from wrinkling.

Consume more Antioxidants

Nutrient antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E disarm unstable molecules that damage cells and cause wrinkles. Consuming fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants not only help prevent wrinkles but also replenish the skin.

Some foods rich in antioxidants include:

Sweet potatoes
Spinach
Carrots
Broccoli
Mangoes
Papaya
Asparagus
Vegetable oils

Eat more Soy & Fish

Fish, like salmon, contain Omega-3, a vital fatty acid, which helps to reduce wrinkles by nourishing the skin. Eating soy can also protect and heal the skin against sun damage that causes wrinkles.

Resist Squinting & Frowning

Repeated facial movements like squinting, frowning and raising your eyebrows contract the muscles in those areas causing wrinkles. The more you repeat these movements, the more prominent the wrinkles get over time.

But resisting these facial movements doesn't only prevent wrinkles; it could also lift your spirits. A study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2014 reported that 52% of the depressed study participants that got Botox injections to restrict their frown muscles claimed relief from depression. The mood improvement these participants experienced was largely due to placid facial expressions.

Treatments for Wrinkles

If you have pronounced facial wrinkles and want to opt for a medical alternative to ensure results and permanency, here are some treatments you can consider.

Botox & Filler

Botulinum toxin (Botox) is one of the most popular and effective anti-ageing procedures. Botox injections relax muscles that produce wrinkles and lines on the forehead, around the eyes, near the mouth and other areas on the face and neck. Different forms of the botulinum toxin are used in Botox injections that paralyse muscle activity temporarily. This treatment also helps reduce excessive sweating and migraines.

Fillers are gel injections made up of different chemicals ranging from hyaluronic acid to calcium hydroxyapatite. They fill in wrinkles and add fullness and volume to soft and thinning tissue. Lip fillers and under-eye fillers are commonly used for the face. The procedure for fillers takes around 30 minutes and the results are immediate.

Botox and fillers are both great treatment options for face and neck wrinkles as both procedures are minimally invasive, safe and effective for treating the wrinkles.

Medcare has a team of cosmetology experts who, with cutting-edge technology, provide highly specialised and customised treatment plans for wrinkles.

Retinoids

Retinoids are vitamin A based anti-ageing compounds that help reduce wrinkles. They increase the production of collagen, a skin protein, as well as new blood vessels. Retinoids also improve the skin texture, tone and pigmentation. The most appealing part about retinoids is that they are either pills or topical and are hence, easy to access and use.