With age comes the onset of lines and wrinkles, but what causes them and which treatments are now available to postpone the visible signs of ageing?

As a person ages there are significant changes to the skin. Cells divide more slowly and the inner layer of skin – the dermis – becomes thinner. Collagen, which is a protein that binds cells together and makes up 75 per cent of our skin and elastin that gives skin the resilience to stretch back into shape, both lose their effectiveness over time. The fat cells beneath the skin also start to diminish.That’s when every day facial expressions begin to leave lines and wrinkles, primarily around the eyes and mouth and across the forehead.

Performing regular facial exercises and applying creams that enable the skin to retain much-needed moisture can help improve the skin’s appearance but there are now other treatments that are increasingly being used both here and in the US.

FACIAL SCULPTING

Apart from wrinkles, ageing skin may also develop hollow cheeks and eyes and for this facial sculpting is a solution. There are several products available as injections including New-fill, Perlane and Restylane.

New-fill is a synthetic version of lactic acid which is itself a natural component of the body. New-fill works by plumping up facial hollows and wrinkles by laying down more of the collagen that has been lost in the ageing process.

The areas that can benefit are lines around the mouth, between the nose and the mouth and the lips themselves. While it does not provide instant results, New-fill lasts longer than other facial sculpting agents and the effects can still be seen up to 12 months after treatment. It is also fully biodegradable meaning that, after a time, the product breaks down and is absorbed by the body.

It may take up to 20 days before the effects of the New-fill treatment are noticed and many patients need further injections at the end of this period to ensure longer lasting benefits. As with other facial sculpting treatments side effects may include lumpiness of the skin, especially if the injections have not gone deeply enough. To avoid this the physician will recommend the patient massages the skin a couple of times a day for several days.

PERLANE AND RESTYLANE

These products are classified as fillers and are used to re-sculpt the contours of the face. They recreate a substance called hyaluronic acid which occurs naturally in the skin and provides support for the collagen. Restylane is used for fine wrinkles around the mouth and those lines running between the nose and mouth. Perlane is slightly thicker as it has a larger molecule and is used to plump up the lips and cheeks.

As with New-fill, one side effect can be lumpiness but a reputable physician will massage the patient’s skin correctly before he or she leaves the clinic to ensure this does not happen. Unlike New-fill, prolonged massage is not necessary.

Side effects of all three treatments can include bruising and redness, but these are caused by the needles and will disappear quickly after the procedure. For facial sculpting, follow-up treatment is usually needed after six to 12 months and after six months for lip shaping.

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Skin Deep Beauty Clinic
Lodge Avenue, Elstree, Herts WD6 3NA
Tel 020 8236 0429 • E-mail
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