A Dermatologist’s Advice on Preventing, Banishing Wrinkles

Is there anything that can prevent wrinkles???  The answer to this is YES! But first, understanding what causes them is important.  There are 3 kinds.

• Wrinkles caused by overactive facial muscles (think frown lines).
• Wrinkles caused by loss of volume  – mostly fat pads in our faces, and our bones (think what happens when you pull your skin up at the ears).
• And lastly, wrinkles caused by damage to the structure of our skin itself primarily the collagen and elastic fibers (think the thinning of the skin). These type of wrinkles are mostly due to sun damage but some to intrinsic aging and hormone changes.

All three of these contribute to cause what we see on our faces as crepiness, lines, and valleys. So … what can women who are focused on prevention do???  There’s way more to say on this topic but I’ll do the basics here.

For hyperactive muscles (#1), the best solution is still Botox used expertly so as not to be detectable. For wrinkles caused by #2, we must prevent bone loss as much as we can, and replace lost volume with fillers.  (That’s another blogpost altogether!) The only wrinkles you can affect with skin care creams or lotions are wrinkles caused by #3.  Here’s what works;

Vitamin A in the right forms and concentrations; Vitamin C and some other antioxidant and possibly cell growth factors.  Here are the products to start first.

• Renova(prescription) or SkinMedica Retinol Complex (Vitamin A) and always use these at night.

• TNS Recovery Complex for a cell growth factor and, for an antioxidant, try either SkinMedica Vitamin C Complex or Replenix Cream with 90% polyphenols.

Dr. Brandith Irwin is a board-certified dermatologist in Seattle and the author of The Surgery-Free Makeover: All You Need to Know for Great Skin and a Younger Face.  You’ll find more in-depth information about wrinkles – causes and treatment options – on her website.