Treatment for Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Fine lines may be a common and early sign of the aging process, but they are rarely a welcome one. Whether facial wrinkles happen in isolated areas like around the eyes or mouth, or across the entire face, most men and women don’t want them to stick around. Dr. Maas understands the desire to reverse these aging symptoms, and he offers a variety of treatment options that can be tailored to your precise concerns and aesthetic goals.

Why do fine lines occur?

Changes in the dermal structure, specifically collagen depletion, is the primary reason why fine lines form. Collagen is a protein found in the dermal layers to provide necessary support and give skin its firm, supple appearance. Over time, our bodies produce lower levels of collagen, which has a direct impact on our skin. You might notice the surface of your skin develops some laxity, as well as facial lines.

Without that support in the structure of the skin, you will likely see those symptoms get worse over the years. However, there are ways to reverse the aging process, and while you won’t stop it completely, you can turn it back so that you can regain your youthful appearance for much longer.

Resurfacing for Fine Lines

The most effective way to minimize fine lines is with a resurfacing procedure. Resurfacing treatments work by stimulating the wound-healing mechanisms of the body to rebuild collagen and repopulate the skin’s surface. These processes lead to a beautifully smooth complexion and the elimination of those dreaded fine lines.

Skin resurfacing may be accomplished one of three ways:

Dermabrasion, which is a mechanical disruption of the skin’s surface. While we don’t perform this treatment very often, there are some instances where it might be the appropriate choice.
Deep chemical peels, which are different from the peels you get in a salon or spa. Medical peels go down to the second layer of skin called the dermis. These peels require some recovery afterward, but the results can be both dramatic and long-lasting as the wound-healing mechanisms are triggered.

Laser resurfacing, which can be broken down into two categories. Full laser resurfacing involves the removal of the entire skin’s surface down to the deeper dermis. Fractional laser resurfacing created micro-channels deep into the dermal layers to stimulate healing and collagen production without removing the entire surface of the skin.

Active/Deep FX

Fractional laser resurfacing works differently from full laser treatments, which damage the entire surface of the skin. Fractional devices utilize a computer-generated grid pattern that creates tiny dots of thermal injury across the treatment area. The controlled channels formed with this treatment stimulate the body’s healing mechanism while leaving skin and tissue intact between the injuries. The benefit of fractional laser treatment is that it can still work in the deeper depths of the dermis to produce a dramatic result while allowing the patient to heal faster from the procedure than they would with a full laser treatment. This is a long-lasting anti-wrinkle treatment that can keep fine lines at bay for many years.

Injectable Treatments for Fine Lines

Injectable fillers and are another way to remove fine lines if they are administered correctly. In the case of dermal fillers, Injections need to be made at the appropriate depth, or they merely serve to puff up the skin around the injection site. This result is not attractive, nor does it eliminate the targeted wrinkle. Neuromodulators address the facial muscle that leads to the crease, rather than the line itself.

Precise placement is essential to ensure positive results without compromising your ability to make natural facial expression. Dr. Maas knows precisely how to administer injectable treatments to produce a result that is smoother, as well as more youthful and natural.

Neuromodulators

Facial neuromodulators like Botox Cosmetic and Dysport are typically used in the upper third of the face to relax the fine lines that commonly form there. The most common place where we see those wrinkles develop is in the outer corners of the eyes, where they are referred to as crow’s feet. Neuromodulators are specifically designed to relax the muscles that cause them, loosening the expressions of hyper-functional muscle activity. The results of Botox and other neuromodulators last as long as three or four months as a general rule, although some of our patients have enjoyed their benefits for as long as six months before a touch-up procedure is needed.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers are an excellent choice for fine lines that appear in the lower two-thirds of the face, including smile lines and the wrinkles that begin to develop above the mouth, known as lipstick lines.

Restylane Silk, one of the newer of the Restylane products, and Belotero, which is a product from Merz, are both good choices for those aging symptoms. We reduce the concentrations for fine line treatment, so the formulations are not quite as thick. With the use of local anesthesia, the solutions are injected in what I call a serial point technique that elevates the skin without making it look puffy. This approach is particularly important around the mouth area, where a swollen upper lip can be both unnatural and unflattering.

Many of our patients want to know the best way for getting rid of facial wrinkles, and the good news is there are effective ways for addressing these aging symptoms without surgery. To learn more about the right fine line treatment for you, contact The Maas Clinic^TM today at (415) 567-7000 or contact us by email. The information about fine lines was reviewed by Corey S. Maas MD^TM. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us using our contact form on the sidebar.