A Wrinkle Refresher: 10 Quick Facts You Should Know

Wrinkling was once considered an inevitable consequence of aging, especially if you had fair skin or came from a family that had a tendency to wrinkle. Luckily, we’re living in a time where we have more control over how and when we age than ever.

Dr. David A. Bushore, board-certified dermatologist and owner of Balcones Dermatology and Aesthetics in Austin, Texas, shares 10 quick facts about wrinkles and how to avoid them.

1. Wrinkles aren't inevitable 

Even though your mom, aunts, cousins, and siblings may be riddled with wrinkles, that doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to prune. The tendency to wrinkle is genetic, but with so many new, highly effective cosmetic dermatology treatments to prevent and improve wrinkles, your skin can look bright, smooth, and vital for decades to come.  

2. The sun is the #1 source of wrinkles

If you look at areas of your body that haven’t been exposed to the sun’s damaging UV rays, you’ll notice that they’re wrinkle-free. In fact, your skin quality in these areas is probably quite high. Sun exposure breaks down collagen and elastin, the proteins that lend your skin strength.

Protect your skin from wrinkling, discoloration, and sagging by avoiding the sun between 10 am and 4 pm. You should also wear a sunscreen with SPF 30 every day and reapply every two hours. Be sure to wear sunscreen if you’re driving or work near sunny windows, too.

3. Lasers smooth out your wrinkles

As you age, your body stops producing key building blocks that make your skin strong and resilient, such as collagen, elastin, fat, and oil. Jumpstarting the production of collagen and elastin in your skin with a Cutera™ Laser Genesis treatment trains your skin to look and act younger.

Your wrinkles smooth out as the quality of your skin improves over the next 12 weeks. You may need a series of treatments to get the degree of rejuvenation you want.

4. Relaxing overactive muscles stops wrinkles from forming

Whether you already have wrinkles or you just want to avoid looking like your stern Aunt Laverne years from now, one way to stop them is to block the muscles that cause them from working. Injectable Botox® Cosmetic relaxes your dynamic muscles so they can’t press your skin into frown lines, forehead furrows, or crow’s feet. Botox is popular with young people who want to “prejuvenate” by preventing wrinkles before they form.

5. Pollution contributes to wrinkling

Polluted air takes its toll on your skin. And, thanks to all of the chemicals in carpets, paint, and glues, even indoor air is polluted.

Remove toxins from your skin with regular facials and chemical or silk peels. The peels also slough off the top, dried-out and wrinkled layer of your skin, revealing fresher, smoother skin underneath.

6. Smoking causes more than smoker’s lines

If you’re a smoker, your skin is probably drier and thinner than the skin of nonsmokers in your age group. Smoking robs your skin of oxygen and other nutrients that are conveyed in your bloodstream. If you need to quit smoking, talk to Dr. Bushore about finding effective, science-based methods to help you break the habit.

7. Your diet can make you wrinkle

If you’re eating processed foods, “beige” foods (not enough colorful fruits and veggies), and drinking sugary drinks or alcohol, you’re robbing your skin cells of the nutrients they need to stay strong. Eat an avocado today for more beautiful skin tomorrow!

8. Fillers fill out your wrinkles

Oops! You didn’t use sunscreen or prejuvenate, and now you have wrinkles. And even after you’ve improved the quality of your skin with regular laser treatments, peels, and Botox injections, your forehead and mouth area still have deep furrows and creases.

Dr. Bushore uses injectable hyaluronic-acid based fillers such as Juvederm®, Restylane®, and Volbella® to plump up your wrinkles. Dr. Bushore performs every injectable treatment himself. That’s why you’ll never look overfilled or overdone — just fresh and Austin-natural.

9. Use your own blood to plump up your wrinkles

While it may make you feel a bit like Dracula, you can look as timeless as the Count by getting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments to rejuvenate your skin. Suffused with your own platelets, which are filled with essential growth factors, your skin begins to produce new collagen and take on a more youthful appearance.  

10. The right skin care prevents wrinkles

Finding the right products for your particular skin takes knowledge and expertise. Dr. Bushore offers the Skin Type Solutions® system, which has regimens for 16 different skin tones and types.

Live wrinkle-free starting today: Contact Dr. Bushore for prejuvenation or rejuvenation therapies by phoning the friendly Balcones Dermatology and Aesthetics staff or booking an appointment online.