Wrinkle Types

Before deciding upon a wrinkle treatment, it is important to understand the difference between facial wrinkles, and their various causes. Once the underlying cause is identified, the appropriate wrinkle treatment can be applied, virtually turning back time on your skin.

There are three types of facial wrinkles: dynamic wrinkles, static wrinkles, and wrinkle folds.

Dynamic wrinkles

Dynamic wrinkles are caused by contraction of muscles that are attached to the overlying skin. Each muscle contraction causes the skin to bunch together, forming lines between the bulk of the muscle. The most common locations for dynamic wrinkles are frown lines between the eyebrows, horizontal lines across the forehead, and lines extending from the outer corners of the eyes, often referred to as “crow’s feet”. Weakening these muscles will cause a reduction in the severity of the facial wrinkles, or can prevent them altogether when muscle weakening is done before wrinkles form. In addition to surgery, which can permanently weaken some of these muscles, injections of Botox Cosmetic® into the specifically targeted muscles will temporarily decrease the action of the muscles for 3-4 months thereby eliminating wrinkles or causing a softer appearance to already formed dynamic wrinkles. Preventative injections of Botox Cosmetic® can also be utilized before dynamic wrinkle formation occurs.

Static wrinkles

Static wrinkles are due to lack of elasticity of the skin caused from sun damage, smoking, genetics, poor nutrition, or from prolonged dynamic wrinkling. Static facial wrinkles are visible regardless of muscle contraction; they stay (hence the name “static”) even when the muscles are not contracting. This leads to the classic “crepiness” and multiple cross-hatching as is often seen in wrinkles on the cheeks and around the eyes. Techniques that increase the thickness of the skin or that remove the damaged skin are effective wrinkle treatments. Laser skin resurfacing and deeper chemical peels remove the damaged skin and stimulate new collagen formation to improve the skin’s appearance, elasticity and thickness. Medically prescribed skin care regimes using topical creams and ointments such as Tretinoin (Retin-A), and Vitamin C serum, are good to restore and maintain the skin’s youthfulness. Of course, daily sun protection is essential in preventing further sun damage and skin cancer. Multiple treatments of intense pulsed light or light chemical peels and other non-ablative lasers can increase the thickness of the skin and collagen level without significant downtime.

Wrinkle folds

The third type of wrinkles, called wrinkle folds, are often due to sagging of the underlying facial structures, most notably causing the deep grooves between the nose and mouth known as naso-labial folds, or smile lines. Besides surgical lift procedures, which offer the best corrective measures for these problems, the folds can be camouflaged temporarily by plumping up the groove from beneath with injectable skin fillers made from collagen, hyaluronic acid and calcium derivatives, and fat transfers using your own fat. These materials typically last for anywhere from 3 months to 3 years, depending on the material used and the location of the injection

Most people, especially those with skin showing signs of Premature Aging, have a combination of all three types of facial wrinkles. Regardless of your age, wrinkle type, desired degree of correction or prevention, there is a Facial Rejuvenation solution available for you.