You’re putting on your makeup or styling your hair when you see it. It’s faint and small, but it’s definitely there: your first visible fine line or wrinkle. You might not be too happy about it, but there’ s no need to panic or plan on hiding at home for the rest of your life. Those first few wrinkles can be pretty easy to deal with and there are plenty of ways you can keep your skin looking more youthful for as long as possible.
Watch the Sun Exposure
Minimizing your sun exposure won’t erase that first wrinkle or line. But, it will help keep more from developing, as sun exposure is one of the leading external causes of signs of aging. The sun’s UV rays don’t just cause wrinkles. They are also responsible for dark spots and for changes in your skin’s texture.
Along with limiting the time you spend outdoors, particularly during the times when the sun is at its most intense, you can protect your skin by getting in the habit of using an broad spectrum sunscreen, with an SPF of at least 30, on a daily basis. Reapply the sunscreen often throughout the day, particularly when you’re outdoors.
Your clothing choices can also offer some protection from the sun. A hat with a wide brim will keep the sun’s rays off of your face, for example. Sunglasses not only shield your eyes, but the area around your eyes, from sun damage.
Amp Up Your Moisturizer
Along with protecting your skin from the sun, you want to protect your skin from drying out. Using a moisturizer daily, both morning and night, can help keep your skin supple and soft and help minimize the appearance of wrinkles.
To get enough more wrinkle-fighting power from your moisturizer, look for one that contains retin-A or retinol, a derivative of Vitamin A. Retinol helps encourage cell turnover and is one of the few ingredients that can actually help reduce wrinkles. It can be fairly irritating to use, though, even in an over-the-counter product, so it’s a good idea to discuss it with your facial plastic surgeon before you try it, to see if it’s a good option for you.
If retinol is too much for your skin, you might be able to benefit from a moisturizer that contains vitamin C or other antioxidants which help protect your skin from the signs of aging.
Try an Injectable
Preventing future wrinkles and lines from developing is all well and good. But, you’d also like to take care of the one you’ve already gotten, too. That’s where an injection can come in handy. An injectable won’t permanently erase your lines or wrinkles, but it will offer a temporary fix, which can you repeat for as long as you’d like when the results wear off.
The injectable that is right for you depends on the type of wrinkle you’re dealing with. If the lines you’ve developed have formed as a result of facial movements over the years, Botox is probably your best bet. The injection works by keeping certain nerves from signaling the muscles responsible for making the movement that leads to the wrinkle.
The lack of movement means the line fades after about a week. The results from Botox typically last about three months, or until the ingredient wears off and you’re once again able to make the movement again. While the injection keeps you from making very small, specific movements, it’s worth noting that it won’t make you unable to move your face completely or create a "frozen" look.
Lines that aren’t caused by movements, such as the wrinkles that develop between the corner of your mouth and the base of the nose, are best treated with a filler, such as Juvederm. While Botox blocks muscle movements, fillers add volume or fill in lines, using ingredients such as a hyaluronic acid or a heavier material, such as calcium hydroxyapatite, which is found in Radiesse.
Fillers typically provide instant results and often the results last for longer than those from Botox. Radiesse can provide results for up to two years, for example.
No matter what type of injection you decide to get, you won’t have to deal with much, if any downtime. While you’ll want to take it easy for the first day or so, there’s nothing to keep you from going back to work right away or from going out to dinner with your friends.
That first sign of aging doesn’t have to be a total downer, since you have plenty of options when it comes to treating it. In West Palm Beach, Florida, Dr. Michael Schwartz, a board certified facial plastic surgeon, can help you decide which filler is the right one for you and can provide advice on other ways to cope with the signs of aging. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Schwartz, call 561-228-5888 today.