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Reducing Wrinkles

Wrinkle treatments are ideal for the man or woman who wants to see an immediate improvement in the surface of their skin and the quick reduction in wrinkles and lines around the cheeks, mouth, eyes, nose, forehead and body with no or little downtime.

To extend or improve the benefits of treatments related to reducing wrinkles, Dr. Yco suggests you consider combining this service with soft tissue fillers or advanced skin care repair treatments such as microdermabrasion or lasers treatment.

Skin ages all over the body, but much more so where there has been sun exposure. Changes brought on by sun damage (photoaging) include dryness, sagginess, skin growths like liver spots and wrinkles.

“There are two types of skin aging, intrinsic and extrinsic, and both contribute to wrinkling,” says dermatologist Dr. Ellen Gendler in The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women. Intrinsic aging is something that happens as the genes we’ve inherited from our parents trigger a reduction of two connective fibers, collagen and elastin. Collagen supports the skin and elastin gives it flexibility. Together collagen and elastin give skin structure and tone. After age 30, connective fibers start to break down, and the skin starts to become more lax.

Extrinsic aging is aging that comes from environmental factors. Environmental factors that promote wrinkling include smoking and sun exposure.

If you need another reason to stop smoking, take a look in the mirror. Those wrinkles you’re trying to keep at bay are getting a boost every time you take a puff.

Studying more than 1,000 sets of twins as part of research to identify genes behind a variety of diseases, the twin research unit at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London found 50 sets comprising a non smoker and a lifelong smoker. On average, the smoking twin had skin 25 percent thinner than the non smoker. In a few cases, the difference was 40 percent.

Wrinkles occur as the skin thins. Identical twins, who have the same genes, would age at the same rate unless affected by external factors.

Smoking cigarettes activates a gene in the skin that causes it to age prematurely, according to scientist Anthony Young from St. John’s Institute of Dermatology in London.

If you want to know how much genetics contributes to skin aging and how much is caused by the sun, just look down at the top of your forearm, then flip it over and check out the underside.

Genetics is responsible for the skin on the underside, while sun exposure is responsible for the skin at the top. In particular, ultra-violet A and B, the invisible rays of the sun, penetrate below the skin surface and encourage wrinkles, because they damage connective fibers. These are the same rays that stimulate production of melanin and produce a tan, a look that is, ironically enough, pursued in the interest of looking young and sexy.

Dr. Yco advises patients to use a sunscreen that protects against both types of the sun’s rays. Sun protection factor, or SPF, refers to the products ability to screen ultra-violet B (UVB) rays which only penetrate the top layers of the skin. You also need to protect against ultra-violet A (UVA) rays, which penetrate to the deeper layers of skin, also causing wrinkles.

Tanning salons should be called wrinkling salons. Tanning equipment produces rays that cause premature wrinkling of the skin. No woman who values her skin should set foot inside a tanning booth.

What can be done to treat wrinkles? There are several topical medicines, creams and peels available for minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and even removing them. Below is a description of these methods.

Vitamin A (tretinoin) was originally developed for the treatment of acne. Over the past decade we have learned that daily application of vitamin A is also useful for the correction of wrinkles and some other results of sun damage.

Creams containing this medication must be used on an ongoing basis. Initially, vitamin A may produce redness and peeling. Although this can be unpleasant for a while, it is essential to achieving improvement once the peeling stops.

Alpha hydroxy acids are derived from fruit and milk sugars. The most commonly used alpha hydroxy acids are glycolic acid and lactic acid because they have a special ability to penetrate the skin.

Alpha hydroxy acids have been used for thousands of years as a skin-rejuvenating product. Cleopatra is reported to have bathed in sour mild (lactic acid) to improve her complexion. Now hydroxy acids are a common additive to numerous skin care products including moisturizers, cleanser, toners and masks.

Preparations containing these fruit acids are quite safe and cause no more than mild and temporary irritation. The improvement they produce is, however, relatively subtle.

A study by a non-profit independent group of French scientists found that applying vitamins C, E and beta-carotene to the skin may significantly reduce the long-term damage caused by ultra-violet radiation, a key component of sunlight. It may also partially reverse damage already done, the scientists said. Studying 160 French women over an 18-month period, they found “a 23 percent reduction in the formation of new lines and wrinkles and an eight percent reduction in existing lines and wrinkles.”

Regular creams, which don’t contain any of the above substances, may make wrinkles look temporarily less prominent. This is what advertisers have in mind by products that “reduce the appearance of fine lines.”

Three types of peels are performed, depending on the desired outcome: superficial peels, medium peels, and deep peels. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

A superficial peel is just as it sounds: a lighter peel that does not penetrate as deeply into the skin. Superficial, or mild peels, are generally done with alpha hydroxyl acids (AHA), but trichloroacetic acid (TCA) may also be used. These peels have been dubbed ‘lunch hour peels’ because they take only 15 minutes to complete and the patient can then resume normal activities. However, the skin may flake and remain red for a few days. The patient will most likely need treatments over a longer period of time to reach the desired effect.

A medium to deep peel often contains trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Though this treatment will not correct deep lines and wrinkles, it will improve the texture of skin with fine lines and pigmentation problems. The patient may feel a slight burning or stinging sensation during the treatment. Within a week, the treated skin will crack and peel, revealing a fresh layer underneath. Redness may persist for up to two weeks, and several peels may be needed to treat the area(s), depending on the severity of the skin’s damage.

Dr. Yco's artistry in cosmetic surgery will only improve the way you look, change the way you feel about yourself and give you the brighter outlook in life that you've been looking for. He hopes that as you read the descriptions of the procedures he offers, you will learn about the beautiful results you can achieve.