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Written by Admin
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Wednesday, 12 March 2008 |
Wrinkles are caused by exposure to wind, heat, chemicals, the sun and the natural aging processes. Collagen and elastin, the skin's support system, become weakened by years of exposure to the sun and elements. Sweat and oil glands diminish and decrease in size over the years, causing the skin to lose much of its natural moisture. Dry, thin skin stretched over a weakened collagen/elastin base will then sag, shrivel and wrinkle. The skin on the eye lids, the jaw line and neck skin is the thinnest.
One way of treating wrinkles is to shop for anti aging skin care products. Wrinkle reducer creams aim to restore some of the lost nutrients, vitamins and enzyme "triggers" that the body has inadvertently washed away over time. Vitamin A, B, C and E can be taken in supplement form or topically to help your body get back on track and rejuvenate on its own again. Anti wrinkle products like Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle cream, L'Oreal's Line Eraser, Oil of Olay's Age Defying Anti Wrinkle cream or Garnier's Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti Wrinkle cream can all be purchased at your local supermarket for less than $20.
More high-end, brand-name products are available at department store makeup counters. For instance, Estée Lauder's Diminish Anti Wrinkle is available for $80, Lancome's Renergie for $77 or Christian Dior's Capture R60/80 for $80. The latter is said to "deliver a cocktail of powerful ingredients directly to the wrinkle." Spas also offer select lines of anti aging skin solutions - like Epicuren, used by Jennifer Aniston and Brooke Shields who swear by the product.
Science and innovation comprise the base of the latest treatment creams. For instance, emu oil has been recently discovered to have regenerative and lifting properties. Dremu Oil has become the anti wrinkle cream of the celebrities, garnering endorsements from Catherine Zeta-Jones and Goldie Hawn to Cindy Crawford and Tyra Banks. Another new innovation centers on controversial stem cell research. Amatokin's Emulsion For the Face goes for $190 for a one month supply but is said to drastically improve the skin's appearance; reducing fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes and skin tightness.
Collagen injections have been performed since 1981 and are considered to be a very safe, non-invasive procedure, with the effects generally lasting about 4 or 5 months before another wrinkle treatment is needed. Average collagen injections cost $300, ranging into the thousands if combined with surgery, like a face lift. The collagen itself is either from human or bovine origin. It's estimated that 3% of people injected with collagen will develop an allergic reaction (itching, swelling, redness) so doctors usually do a month-long trial on the patient's arm before going through with the facial injection. You may have also heard of Botox injections, which were the big thing in Hollywood a few years ago - mostly because they were longer lasting and more dramatic than other available skin treatments. However, most people now prefer collagen because it's a more natural look and less rigid.
Of course, prevention is the ideal cure for wrinkles. Though some sunshine is good for you, the noon to 3pm sun is just too scorching hot, doctors warn. Shade should be sought and hats, sunscreen, lip balm, tight-knit clothes and sunglasses should be worn. While this may sound excessive, consider Nicole Kidman's well-known aversion to sunlight. Her skin is practically flawless! Tanned flesh may be all the rage at Miami Beach, but as we age, we find that it's not worth aging our skin by decades just to look sun-kissed.
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