Facial lines and wrinkles occur as a natural process of aging. Several contributing factors include a lifetime of repetitive facial movements, age-related volume loss from the skin and underlying structures, and loss of skin elasticity due to reduced collagen production.
There are a few options for wrinkle reduction treatments, including :
- Chemical peels
- Microdermabrasion
- Laser skin resurfacing
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
- Microneedling
- Other dermal treatments
Ingredients like peptides, antioxidants, and Vitamin C can help gradually reduce wrinkles when combined with retinoid creams, serums, or moisturisers. Topicals combined with other wrinkle-reducing treatments help to achieve maximum effect.
Particular wrinkle-reducing treatments can
- Partially disable the muscles that contribute to wrinkles, hence reducing occurrence.
- Smooth wrinkles around eyes, neck, forehead and other facial areas
- Treat deeper wrinkles or creases temporarily
- Resurface skin and reveal new skin
- Hydrate skin from underneath the surface
- Refine pores and scars
- Improve skin tone and hydrate
Wrinkle-reducing treatments can’t totally ‘undo’ wrinkles, but they can reduce and smooth current wrinkles and help prevent new ones. We can’t make you a teenager again, but we can smooth out your skin.
Some wrinkle-reducing treatments strategically target specific facial muscles to reduce repetitive facial movements, needle out scars or wrinkles, create more collagen, and smooth wrinkles over facial areas with specific laser or minimally invasive methods.
Why should I have a consult?
A consult is the best way to either start or continue your skin journey. Everyone ages, but everyone ages at a slightly different pace and with somewhat different indicators. Some have more wrinkles, some more aging pigment, some more reduction of skin elasticity and often all three at a different rate. You also may have a personal preference for different treatments than others. We will discuss what bothers you most and the best options for your skin type and then plan your treatment. In a consult, we can talk about ALL the options in detail.
How long does it take to see results from wrinkle-reducing treatments?
Laser can take longer, and depending on the type and depth of the laser, there may be some downtime. Some relaxants take up to seven days to work, but the maximum effect is between one and three weeks. The impact softens over time as the effect starts to dissipate.
Some volume-enhancing treatments can be effective immediately, by comparison, but this works over several months as the cells bump up the production of collagen and elastin, and the treatment works on fine lines and wrinkles.
Are there any side effects to wrinkle-reducing treatments?
In some treatments, you may see small red bumps, similar to a mosquito bite, but these should disappear within half an hour. Sometimes, a small bruise may appear, which will disappear over the coming week. Lasers can cause initial redness or a deeper one; the top layer of skin will peel over several days.
Occasionally, someone will get a drooping brow, eyelid (upper or lower), cheek, mouth, or puffiness around the eyes. These effects are temporary, and any of these symptoms will resolve themselves.
Some of our dermal treatment ingredients are naturally found in the skin. They provide hydration and stimulate collagen to keep our skin firm and healthy. Some of our treatments encourage the skin to create collagen and reveal new skin.
Collagen decreases as we age, and we lose volume, hydration, and collagen as a result. Particular dermal treatments act as a substitute for your natural supplies, providing extra stimulation to the fibroblasts to produce more collagen. Boosting collagen can gently repair fine lines and wrinkles, improving your skin.
How long will my wrinkle-reducing treatments last?
To keep the effect, you will need to repeat certain treatments every 3-6 months. Some deep laser treatments, like the portrait, can last a few years as can thread or suture lifts. Discuss this with your doctor, as the nature of your specific treatment or plan to plot the best skin calendar.
Hydrating the skin
Skin hydration starts to wane as we age; our cells hold less moisture, and oil production decreases, which allows more evaporation. Hydration starts with ingesting plenty of water (by fluid or food), but retaining moisture in the skin requires well-functioning cells that both retain fluids and produce enough
If your skin looks dull or dry, contact our clinic to discuss options regarding our wrinkle treatments.
Refining pores and scars
Large pores or scars can be modified using anti-ageing treatments, which include skin needling and plumping treatments. These treatments can reduce pore size and change the collagen structure of scars, including acne scars.
Large pores or scarring may benefit from some of these treatments. While not necessarily ‘anti-ageing’ treatments as such (you can be young with acne scarring), these treatments can make a considerable difference to facial skin. Contact our clinic for more information to see if large pores or scarring treatments using anti-ageing treatments may suit your skin type.
Wrinkle-reducing treatments can:
- Help stop wrinkles from forming
- Reduce or remove fine lines
- Soften or remove nasolabial folds
- Soften laugh lines
- Remove or minimise squint wrinkles
- Stop the action that causes frown lines
- Soften chin movement
- Hydrate dull, dehydrated skin
- Halt over-active facial muscles
- Lift a sagging nose
- Pull the top lip slightly up for a slight pout
- Reduce platysma band (vertical neckband) activity
A note on naming names and descriptions
In Australia, we are unable to name substances used in cosmetic procedures, as they are prescription-only medicines—“Most cosmetic injectables contain substances that are in Schedule 4 and cannot be advertised to the public” (Source TGA website). Please be aware that recently, the TGA updated this regulation to include not using certain commonly understood terminology when referring to products and treatment types.
We can discuss and name these products in a consultation, and depending on the outcome of the consult, the doctor may or may not prescribe them to the patient as part of their treatment plan.
