With all of the treatments available for wrinkles, it can be confusing how to choose the best treatment for your wrinkles. The best treatment for wrinkles depends on the nature of the wrinkles. Frequently wrinkles have more than one cause.
What causes wrinkles?
There are several different causes of wrinkles. The most common are:
- Wrinkles due to skin changes, including loss of collagen and elastic fibers due to photoaging
- Wrinkles that are induced by muscle movement
- Wrinkles due to loss of facial volume
In order to obtain the best results for treating wrinkles it is important to consider the causes.
Photoaging and Wrinkle Treatment
Currently, wrinkles that have a significant skin change component respond well to fractional laser treatment. After listening to your goals and evaluating your skin, Dr. Carniol can select from the multiple lasers in his office, as well as other modalities and recommend the optimal treatment that fits your needs and schedule.
Depending on your skin’s issues, Dr. Carniol may start by treating these with a fractional laser. Other alternatives include a resurfacing laser, a vascular laser, radiofrequency such as the Pelleve, a chemical peels and/or a microdermabrasion. Botox/Dysport are used to treat wrinkles induced by muscle motion. Fillers are used as wrinkle treatment and to address facial aging changes due to loss of facial volume.
A fractional CO2 laser, such as the Cortex laser, smooths skin, improves skin tone and tightens skin. The effects of these lasers are usually “permanent.” These “permanent” results occur since at the histochemical level this laser initiates bio chemical changes in the skin that improve your appearance. Since we cannot stop further changes associated with the passage of time the word “permanent” is between quotation marks. The benefits of the laser are maintained but the effects of aging continue.
During this procedure there is no discomfort. Before the procedure a topical anesthetic is applied to your facial and upper neck skin surface. No injections are necessary. As there is minimal discomfort after the procedure patients use only one or two doses of Tylenol® (acetaminophen).
Typically patients recover within a few days and can return to their usual activities.
The patient above is seen two days after fractional resurfacing. At two days she is recovering quickly.
