The search for eternal youth is a never ending quest. This is also why almost every ‘revolutionary’ product in the market that promises youthful appearance is lapped up eagerly by people. In the area of skin aging, wrinkles are the biggest enemy of a radiant, youthful appearance. When the collagen levels of the skin decrease with age or due to sun exposure, the skin loses its elasticity which results in wrinkles or premature aging. Even though home remedies such as the use of milk, honey, egg whites and honey may result in the skin looking smooth and wrinkle free temporarily, these home remedies fail to provide a long-lasting solution to wrinkles.
In several cases, non surgical or minimally invasive methods of removing wrinkles may provide very good results. One of the most common, and widely popular, methods of removing wrinkles is Botox. Botox injections are usually administered to the forehead or around the eye area and help to freeze the muscles, thus reducing wrinkles. The injections have to be repeated after every few months and are not known to cause any side effects.
The other popular and non invasive method of reducing wrinkles is the use of dermal fillers. In this treatment, dermal fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane and Thermage are injected in the skin to augment the skin tissues in the wrinkle prone areas. So, they can be used to remove fine lines or wrinkles around eyes, mouth, forehead and chin. The results of dermal fillers last longer than botox injections. Since these dermal fillers are natural components of the skin, they cause no side effects.
Laser treatments, chemical peels and Threadlifts are the other popular methods that work wonders for wrinkle removal. Threadlifts involve the use of thin threads or sutures that are placed under the skin and tightened over a period of time to lift and pull the skin to give a smooth, wrinkle free appearance. Threadlifts are performed with the use of local anesthesia. Laser treatments involve the use of laser beams that penetrate the skin and remove the damaged skin cells and facilitate the replacement of the old skin with fresh skin. Chemical peels work on the same principle. They are applied on the skin to remove the old, damaged skin so that natural, fresh skin can take its place. The peels remove the outer layer of the skin and the healing process takes a few days.
However, for people who have deep wrinkles that do not respond to home remedies or non-surgical methods of removing wrinkles, the best options are the surgical means, or face lifts. Face lifts are performed under anesthesia and require admission to the hospital. The procedure provides long-lasting results. Under this surgical procedure, the sagging skin of the face or neck is removed, the facial muscles are tightened and the face contour is improved. Surgery may also be performed to lift the brow, sagging eyebrows and droopy eyelids.
As a candidate for any of the wrinkle removing procedures mentioned above, it is necessary to be introspective of one’s own aesthetic goals. Sometimes, it may be possible to reach the goal with a less invasive procedure, while at other times one may need to combine face lift surgery with a neck lift or a brow lift to achieve the ‘perfect’ look.