As much as we’d like to, we can’t wipe wrinkles off. The folds and lines in the face are caused by a natural aging process that includes the deterioration of collagen, the contouring material in the dermal skin layer just beneath the epidermis, or outer skin. Collagen provides the round, smooth look to facial tissue and as it diminishes over time allows the development of both fine wrinkles such as those around the eyes and the deeper furrows that are seen in the brow and between mouth and nose.
The options for wrinkle removal include the use of one of the many injectable facial fillers on the market today. Botox was the first such product and the one that revolutionized the cosmetic surgery industry. Its uses are limited, as it is not actually a filler but rather a toxin that causes temporary paralysis in the facial muscles that pull at facial tissue and cause wrinkles. True wrinkle fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane can be used in more facial zones and last longer than Botox, but ultimately are absorbed by the body as well.
There are collagen replacement products used as fillers; Zyderm and Autologen are two brands that use this method with synthesized collagen as a replacement material. There is some danger of allergy with these products, but they work well as long as they last. Ultimately they are absorbed by the body as well.
Facial surgery can also remove wrinkles, or at least reduce them to faint visibility. The lines around the eyes and the bags beneath them can be treated with eyelid surgery. The nasolabial fold, the deep crease between the mouth and nose, can be corrected with filler, with surgery or with implants. A brow lift can be performed to tighten the brow and reduce the furrows that cross it.
Facial peels and laser wrinkle treatments use chemical and light technology respectively, to rejuvenate the facial skin by removing the top layer of cells. This process can remove some of the fine wrinkles and reduce others, but like the fillers in use today only provide temporary changes