While our mothers and grandmothers relied on night creams and homemade remedies to treat their wrinkles, cosmetic wrinkle treatments for both men and women are becoming more mainstream. It is nearly impossible to watch a prime-time TV program without seeing at least one commercial for a wrinkle treatment. Three of the more prominent wrinkle treatments are Restylane, Juvederm and Botox Cosmetic.
To understand how wrinkle treatments work, we must know what causes wrinkles in the first place. As we age, the outer layer of our skin, the epidermis, becomes thinner and makes our skin appear thinner. In addition, the epidermis becomes less sticky and allows our skin to get drier. Not only does the epidermis become thinner and drier with age, but it also regenerates more slowly as we age. At the same time as the epidermis begins to show signs of age, the subcutaneous fat layers at the bottom layer of our skin get smaller. As a result, our aging skin looks saggy and less plump and full, leading to wrinkles.
The effects of natural aging can be dramatically heightened by factors like exposure to UV radiation in sunlight, smoking, and air pollution. We can also blame habitual facial expressions on some of our wrinkles, like laugh lines around the mouth and frown lines between the eyebrows, since repeated facial expressions can cause skin to wrinkle as it looses its elasticity. Gravity is another natural enemy of skin, making older skin sag and droop.
To combat our sagging older skin, cosmetic companies have long been perfecting topical treatments to hydrate and plump skin from the outside. However, these measures have only given us temporary relief at best. Newer treatments are injected under the skin to fight wrinkles from the inside out.
Botox Cosmetic is one of the more popular wrinkle treatments on the market. Botox Cosmetic uses a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium to reduce the activity of muscles that cause the frown lines between the brows to form. According to Botox Cosmetic, a few tiny injections of the bacterium product are made into the muscle during a 10-minute treatment. Over the next few days, the muscles causing the frown lines between the brow relax and will smooth. Results are not permanent, but they do last up to 4 months.
Unlike Botox Cosmetic, which works to relax the brow muscle, Restylane is a derma filler treatment. Derma fillers are designed to fill in wrinkles and folds from the nose to the corners of the mouth. More specifically, Restylane is a gel that is made of manufactured hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in mammals that helps to hydrate and add volume to skin. The gel product is injected into the skin using a fine needle. The gel adds volume and smooths wrinkles, but unlike Botox Cosmetic it does not relax the facial muscles. Results from Restylane last about six months.
Juvederm is similar to Restylane in that it is a derma filler treatment made out of hyaluronic acid. The injectable gel treats the same facial area as Restylane, namely the wrinkles from the bottom of the nose to the corners of the mouth. However, the difference between Restylane and Juvederm appears to be the type of gel used. Juvederm uses a cross-linked hyaluronic acid that gives longer lasting results. According to the Juvederm website, the injections take about 15 minutes and results from Juvederm can last up to one year. In addition, Juvederm can be used by persons of color without increased risk of hyperpigmentation or hypertrophic scarring.
Each of these wrinkle treatments, Botox Cosmetic, Restylane, and Juvederm, have different benefits and risks. For example, complaints about Botox Cosmetic include the fact that the resulting muscle relaxation can cause patients to become expressionless. With respect to Restylane and Juvederm treatments, injecting too much of the derma fillers can leave a patient looking puffy or swollen. Pain and bruising can be caused by any of the types of injections. As with any cosmetic treatment, consumers should be cautious about doing research and finding a qualified physician before undergoing the treatment. Despite the risks of these treatments, the idea that the appearance of wrinkles can be reduced for months at a time is alluring to many consumers.
Sources:
About.com, “What Causes Wrinkles.”
Botox Cosmetic, “Why Try Botox.”
RestylaneUSA.com, “Frequently Asked Questions.”
JuvedermUSA.com, “Frequently Asked Questions.”
