How to get rid of wrinkles?
But even with an optimal lifestyle, they are there at some point: the wrinkles on the face. Then the question arises: What to do about wrinkles? It is a fact that the numerous anti-wrinkle creams available on the market do not have any visible effect, as a test conducted by Stiftung Warentest in 2015 shows. So you can confidently save the money for the sometimes expensive products.
Gentle and at the same time inexpensive help against the first wrinkles, on the other hand, are promised by proven household remedies against wrinkles.
Household remedies against wrinkles
Face and neck masks made from natural ingredients such as avocado, carrots, apple, honey, and almond oil temporarily leave the skin looking significantly fresher and smoother.
Avocado Mask
The pear-shaped fruit is rich in amino acids that stimulate collagen production. The contained vitamins A, C and E as well as valuable fats supply the skin with moisture.
For the mask, crush the flesh of half an avocado with a fork and mix with 2-3 tablespoons of cold-pressed high-quality olive oil. Gently apply to face, neck and décolleté and rinse off with lukewarm water after about 20 minutes.
Oil wraps are especially suitable for neck and décolleté. Soak a clean towel with a high-quality wheat germ or olive oil and place it on the neck and décolleté for 15 to 30 minutes.
A gentle massage of the face can also smooth wrinkles. For this purpose, the so-called cutting technique is used: Place the tips of both middle fingers below the wrinkle to be treated on the facial skin. Then move the fingertips quickly apart on the wrinkle and back together again according to the rhythm: open - closed - open - closed - open - closed. Repeat this exercise three times and then gently smooth out the treated skin.
By the way: You should refrain from facial exercises against wrinkles. Mimic smoothing exercises strengthen the facial muscles, but also deepen the disturbing wrinkles.
Medical wrinkle treatment
If the wrinkles are more advanced, usually only medical treatment will help. In a classic facelift by an aesthetic plastic surgeon, the surgeon tightens the skin of the face under general anesthesia by removing excess skin and lifting sagging tissue.
After the treatment, the face is significantly firmer and smoother. The art, however, lies in maintaining the natural facial expression and expressiveness of the face. Otherwise, there is a risk of mask-like, rigid facial features that can severely impair the patient's appearance. For this reason, the plastic surgeon should be extremely careful when choosing a cosmetic surgeon.
Minimally invasive methods, on the other hand, can do completely without a scalpel. Experts differentiate between methods that smooth wrinkles from the outside and methods that fill in wrinkles from the inside.
Minimally invasive forms of treatment are gentler than a facelift, but also have a less severe and permanent effect. Many dermatologists offer anti-wrinkle therapies as individual health services, so they have to be paid for privately.
External wrinkle treatment
Methods that remove wrinkles from the outside are particularly suitable for treating large areas of skin. Various methods are used for this purpose.
- Chemical peelings: In contrast to purely cosmetic peelings, these reach the deeper layers of the skin and can thus also remove more pronounced damage.
- Dermabrasion: Removal of the upper skin layers by mechanical abrasion with rotating diamond grinders or steel brushes
- Medical Needling: Unrolling the skin with a sterile roller equipped with tiny needles. The skin reacts by producing more collagen as part of its natural self-healing process.
- Laser wrinkles: Removing even deeper skin layers with laser light.
- Coblation: ablation of the upper layers of the skin using electromagnetic waves.
- Thermage: Heating of the collagen fibers responsible for the elasticity of the skin by radiofrequency waves. The collagen contracts, which lead to a tightening of the treated skin areas.
Wrinkle treatment from the inside
Individual deep wrinkles can be reduced by injecting special substances. Padding with so-called fillers lifts the wrinkles and makes them disappear. However, the effect is not permanent, as natural substances are usually used due to their better compatibility. These are broken down by the organism over time so that the treatment must be repeated at regular intervals, about every four to eight months.
Proven natural substances for the injection of wrinkles are
Hyaluronic acid: The water-clear, gel-like substance occurs naturally in the human body, especially in the connective tissue. The active ingredient binds moisture and stimulates the body's own production of elastic and collagen fibers. Injecting wrinkles with synthetically produced hyaluronic acid cushions the skin from the inside and thus makes the wrinkles disappear.
Collagen: A protein of connective tissue found in bones, teeth, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and skin. Collagen fibers are extremely strong. Collagen is usually extracted from bovine hides for the injection of wrinkles. An allergy test is carried out before the treatment.
Autologous fat: The body's own fat is taken from thighs or buttocks, processed, and injected under the wrinkles. The advantage of this method is its absolute tolerance. However, the treatment is quite complex. The autologous fat treatment is particularly suitable for deep wrinkles and for padding sunken facial areas. Small superficial wrinkles can be treated less well with this method.
Lactic acid: A substance that is also produced naturally in the body, but is synthetically produced for the injection of wrinkles. Lactic acid is particularly suitable as a volumizer for sunken skin areas and for padding individual deep wrinkles. Lactic acid works by stimulating collagen production at the injection site. The effect lasts for about one year.
Calcium hydroxylapatite: This substance, which is present in bones and teeth, has only recently been used for wrinkle treatment and is also produced synthetically for this purpose. It forms a kind of scaffold for the body's own cells and is suitable for correcting wrinkles and balancing tissue defects. According to initial studies, the treatment is effective for about two years.
Microspheres and plastic threads, for example, made of Goretex, are available as artificial fillers. They remain permanently in the body because the organism cannot absorb them. For this very reason, physicians advise against using these substances. Even after years, they can still trigger late effects such as noticeable and visible nodules in the tissue.
For some years now, the wrinkle treatment par excellence has been botulinum toxin, better known as Botox. The anti-wrinkle active ingredient is particularly suitable for smoothing out expression lines. Botulinum toxin is a protein extracted from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The specialist injects the agent with a very fine needle directly under the skin of the affected area. After one to two weeks, the Botox begins to take effect: it paralyzes the local facial muscles, the wrinkles are smoothed out. The effect lasts about four months.