Antiaging Antiwrinkle Skincare Facial

How To Get Rid Of Facial Wrinkles? Antiaging Antiwrinkle Facial Skin Care

How to get rid of facial wrinkles? First, understand what causes wrinkles. Then, if you still want to reduce wrinkles, explore your antiaging/antiwrinkle facial skin care options.

What Causes Wrinkles?

Aging - Wrinkles are a by-product of the aging process. With age, skin cells divide more slowly, and the inner layer, called the dermis, begins to thin.

The network of elastin (the protein which causes skin to stretch) and collagen fibers (the major structural proteins in the skin), which support the outer layer, loosen and unravel, causing depressions on the surface.

With aging, skin also loses its elasticity, is less able to retain moisture, oil-secreting glands are less efficient and the skin is slower to heal. All of these contribute to the development of wrinkles.

Facial Muscle Contractions - Lines between the eyebrows (frown lines) and lines jutting from the corner of the eyes (crows feet) are believed to develop because of small muscle contractions.

Smiling, frowning, squinting and other habitual facial expressions cause these wrinkles to become more prominent. Over time, the expressions coupled with gravity contribute to the formation of jowls and drooping eyelids.

Sun Damage - Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (too much sun) can result in premature aging of skin. Premature aging of the skin is called photoaging. The ultraviolet sun rays that cause photoaging damage collagen fibers and cause the excessive production of abnormal elastin.

When ultraviolet light damages skin tissue, an enzyme called metalloproteinase is produced. This enzyme creates and reforms collagen. During the process, however, some healthy collagen fibers are damaged, resulting in a disorganized formation of fibers called solar scars. Wrinkles develop when the rebuilding process occurs over and over.

Smoking - Healthy skin perpetually regenerates. While old collagen is broken down and removed new collagen is produced. Researchers have found that smoke causes a marked reduction in the production of new collagen. A lack of new collagen results in the development of wrinkles.

What to eat to prevent wrinkles?

Most anti-wrinkle foods are rich in antioxidants, which neutralize the effects of free radicals that attack your skin's collagen and elastic tissue, forcing them to lose their firmness.

1. BLUEBERRIES - Blueberries and other berries are packed with powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Eat one or more 1/2-cup servings daily; because berries are typically treated with a lot of pesticides, choose organic if possible.

2. KALE - Like other greens, kale is rich in the antioxidant lutein and contains iron, which transports oxygen to your skin, and vitamin A, which helps prevent premature aging. Eat two or more 1/2-cup servings of kale or other greens a day.

3. RED PEPPERS - Red or dark orange vegetables are loaded with the antioxidant vitamins A and E and bioflavonoids, which moisturize and heal your skin. Eat two or more 1/2-cup servings a day of red peppers, carrots, beets, or similarly colored veggies.

4. SALMON - Salmon and other cold-water fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which hold off wrinkles by preventing inflammation and lubricating your skin. Eat a 3-ounce serving of these fish one to three times a week.

5. TOMATOES - Tomatoes contain lycopene, a skin-friendly antioxidant that also reduces your cancer risk. Your body can better use lycopene if the tomatoes are cooked. Eat at least 1/2 cup of cooked tomatoes a day.

What Are the Antiaging/Antiwrinkle Facial Skin Care Options?

There are numerous over-the-counter antiwrinkle skin care options. Removing skin layers to reduce wrinkles or irregular depressions is an effective way to regain smoother, more youthful looking skin.

Dermabrasion (scraping layers away) and chemical peels (dissolving skin away) are two of the traditional methods used in skin resurfacing.

Aside from these procedures, two newer techniques: laser skin resurfacing with an erbium or carbon dioxide laser and Botox injections are the latest techniques developed to repair prematurely aging skin and wrinkles.

Restylane (hyaluronic acid), approved by the FDA in December 2003, is the third injectable anti-wrinkle skin care treatment. Restylane is different than the other approved products in that its effects last longer, about six months.

Studies showed that Restylane, classified as a medical device by the FDA, is safe and effective for filling moderate-to-severe wrinkles around the nose and mouth. Most people needed one injection to get optimal correction, while about one-third of people tested needed more than one injection to get a satisfactory result.

The two other injectable products approved by the FDA are collagen injections for correcting soft tissue deficiencies such as wrinkles and acne scars, and botulinum toxin (Botox Cosmetic) for treating frown lines between the eyebrows. The effects of both treatments last as long as four months.

Restylane is manufactured by Q-Med AB of Uppsala, Sweden.

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