What is the best skin wrinkle treatment for me?
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29th January 2025
What is the best skin wrinkle treatment for me?
As we go through life, with all of our experiences, lifestyle and, simply, years behind us, come the inevitable fine lines and wrinkles; evidence of a life well-lived! Unfortunately, while these lovely lines are perfectly normal, these changes to our skin can bring with it a knock to our self-confidence, and so we may start looking for a way to reduce their intensity for a more youthful appearance. But where do we start? What is the best skin wrinkle treatment for me? In this blog we’ll discuss the different options available and what will best suit your skin concerns and deliver the refresh you’re looking for.
The type of treatment you’ll require will depend on a number of factors including age, skin type, overall health and skin concerns. Are you looking to treat deep wrinkles, the early signs of ageing or a few fine lines due to smiling or frowning? At Elixir Skin Clinic, we understand that there are no two skin profiles alike, and so we will always work to a fully personalised treatment plan, tailored specifically to you and your needs.
Professional Treatments for Wrinkle Reduction – the best wrinkle treatment for me?
If you are searching for the best wrinkle treatment for me, you may want to consider a professional treatment to reduce your fine lines and wrinkles. Professional wrinkle treatments, such as Muscle Relaxing Injections and Dermal Fillers, offer numerous positive effects for those looking to enhance their appearance and restore a youthful look. Let’s take a look at the different treatments available and when they may work best for you.
1) Muscle Relaxing Injections
Muscle Relaxing Injections is a toxin that, when administered in small doses by a professional, temporarily relaxes or paralyzes specific muscles or nerves. This makes it an effective treatment for cosmetic purposes, such as reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
Muscle Relaxing Injections is most effective for the treatment of dynamic wrinkles caused by repetitive facial expressions such as smiling or frowning. Popular areas of Muscle Relaxing Injections treatment include frown and forehead lines and “crow’s feet”.
The treatment includes administering small amounts of Muscle Relaxing Injections with a fine needle into targeted muscles (e.g. the forehead) which creates a temporary relaxing effect to the muscle, preventing the contractions that cause wrinkles. Whilst many people believe this treatment is painful or dangerous, the procedure is minimally invasive, practically pain-free and when administered correctly by a professional, a low risk procedure.
Muscle Relaxing Injections is a temporary treatment and its effects will usually last around 3-6 months, depending on factors such as the patient’s metabolism and dosage. Side effects may include mild bruising, redness or swelling but these will usually subside within a few days.
2) Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are injectable substances designed to restore volume, smooth lines, and enhance facial contours. They are commonly used in aesthetic medicine to address signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of facial fullness, as well as to enhance features.
Dermal Fillers are best for static wrinkles that remain visible when the face is rested and also for enhancing facial volume, usually around the eyes, lips and cheeks, which can create a more youthful appearance.
Examples of Dermal Fillers include;
Hyaluronic Acid: This treatment is the most popular type of dermal filler used and is found in products such as Juvéderm and Restylane and works by retaining the skin’s moisture and adding volume.
Calcium Hydroxyapatite Fillers: These provide more structure to the face and promote natural collagen production and are found in products such as Radiesse. These are best for deeper lines and wrinkles and facial sculpting.
Poly-L-Lactic Acid Fillers: Found in products such as Sculptra, this treatment gradually stimulates collagen and offers long-lasting results by restoring volume into larger areas of the face.
Permanent or Semi-Permanent Fillers: Found in products such as Bellafill, these are designed to provide long-lasting or indefinite results. Unlike temporary fillers discussed above, these fillers are not absorbed by the body over time, making them a more enduring solution for addressing wrinkles, restoring volume, and enhancing facial contours.
Dermal fillers are a minimally invasive treatment that offers immediate and noticeable results with little to no downtime after the procedure. They are a temporary solution and usually last anywhere between 6 months to 2 years (depending on metabolism, dosage, etc.).
3) Chemical Peels
A chemical peel is a skin-resurfacing procedure that uses a chemical solution to exfoliate and remove damaged outer layers of skin. This treatment can effectively reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging by stimulating collagen production and promoting the growth of new, healthier skin.
Chemical peels are most effective for fine lines, static wrinkles and skin damage-related wrinkles.
Examples of chemical peel treatments available include:
Superficial Peels: This treatment uses mild acids such as glycolic or lactic acid to target the outer layer of skin and is best for mild texture issues and fine lines.
Medium Peels: These chemical peels use Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or a combination of acids and penetrate deeper layers of the skin to produce more noticeable results. These are best to treat moderate wrinkles, sun damage and uneven skin tone.
Deep Peels: This treatment uses Phenol or high concentrations of TCA to penetrate the deepest layers of skin, producing dramatic results for deeper wrinkles and significant sun damage. These require longer downtime after the procedure and are usually administered under medical supervision.
With proper care and professional guidance, chemical peels can provide significant anti-aging benefits and complement other treatments for a comprehensive approach to wrinkle reduction.
4) Microneedling
Microneedling is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging. It involves the use of a device with fine, sterile needles to create tiny punctures in the skin, stimulating the body’s natural healing process and promoting collagen and elastin production.
This treatment is best for fine lines, mild to moderate wrinkles and overall skin rejuvenation.
There are 3 types of Microneedling available:
Traditional Microneedling: This treatment uses a mechanical device or roller to administer micro-injuries to the outer layers of skin.
Microneedling with Radiofrequency (RF): This combines traditional microneedling with RF energy to deliver heat deep within the skin to promote collagen production and offer more noticeable results.
Microneedling with Serums or Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP): This combines traditional microneedling with platelet-rich plasma or other specialised serums to boost skin healing.
Microneedling is a minimally invasive treatment that can offer long-term results due to its ability to stimulate the body’s natural collagen production. It is a great option for those looking to achieve smoother, firmer skin and can be fully personalised to address your skin concerns. Multiple sessions are required to achieve noticeable results, usually around 3-6 treatments spaced out over 4-6 weeks.
Although Microneedling is an excellent solution for anti-wrinkle treatment, it may not be suitable for those with certain skin issues such as acne, eczema or rosacea.
5) Laser Treatments
Laser treatments are advanced skin-resurfacing procedures popular in the anti-aging industry. They work by using concentrated beams of light to penetrate the skin layers, stimulate the production of collagen, promote natural cellular turnover and improve the skin’s overall texture and tone.
This treatment can be used to address multiple skin concerns and both mild fine lines and deep wrinkles.
Examples of laser treatments available include;
Ablative Lasers: Ablative Lasers such as CO2 and Erbium lasers work by removing the outer layers of skin and offer dramatic results for deep set wrinkles. These require longer recovery time, of up to 2 weeks, compared to other laser treatments available.
Non-Ablative Lasers: Non-Ablative Lasers such as Fractional lasers and Nd: YAG (Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet) lasers work beneath the skin surface, without removing the top layer of skin. They are most effective for mild to moderate wrinkles and require a shorter recovery time.
Fractional Lasers: This treatment can be ablative or non-ablative and works by treating a minuscule area of skin at a time, leaving the surrounding areas unaffected, allowing a faster healing process. This is most effective for fine lines, texture and overall skin tone.
Topical Treatments – the best wrinkle treatment for me?
Before considering professional treatments, you may want to first try a topical treatment such as a retinoid or peptide to try and improve your skin concerns. So, let’s take a look at what’s available and when these could be the best wrinkle treatment for me.
1) Retinoids
Retinoids refers to Vitamin A compounds and are popular within the skin care industry due to its ability to increase healthy skin cell turnover, improve the skin’s texture and a range of skin concerns, including fine lines and wrinkles. They work by stimulating collagen production, accelerating cell turnover, regulating melanin production which reduces hyperpigmentation and by helping prevent the breakdown of collagen.
Retinoids are best for: mild to moderate wrinkles, improving skin texture and those looking to prevent new wrinkles. Over-the-counter treatments you may come across include Retinol and Retinaldehyde and prescribed treatments may include Tretinoin, Adapalene, and Tazarotene for those who require a stronger treatment.
In some cases, they may cause dryness, redness, irritation or sometimes peeling at the beginning of your treatment but this should stop after a few days when used correctly.
To get the best results from Retinoids, you should:
- Start slowly by using a pea-sized amount every other evening. You can increase usage once you have built up a tolerance
- Use at night as the Retinoids breakdown with sunlight
- Pair with a quality SPF as Retinoids can make you more sensitive to the sun
2) Antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize unstable molecules called ‘free radicals’ that are caused by environmental factors including pollution, UV rays and lifestyle habits such as drugs and alcohol. These free radicals can cause damage to the skin’s collagen and elastin production which can lead to signs of aging.
Antioxidants work by; neutralising free radicals to protect the skin’s structure and function, boosting skin repair where damage is already present, helping improve the skin’s health and resilience and by enhancing the skin barrier allowing it to better absorb and retain moisture and defend against environmental factors.
This treatment is best for early prevention of fine lines and wrinkles, as they work by protecting the skin before the visible signs of aging occur.
Examples of Antioxidants include;
Vitamin C which works to brighten the skin tone and reduce dark spots, stimulate collagen production and works with sunscreen to enhance UV protection
Coenzyme Q10 which energise skin cells, promotes skin repair therefore reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, best for those with mature or stressed skin
Niacinamide which can strengthen the skin barrier, improve texture and reduce redness, working well for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin.
If you are considering using Antioxidants, for best results, you should aim to use these consistently and in combination with other protective treatments such as SPF, which will help reduce the effects of those free radicals.
If prevention is your goal, incorporating antioxidants into your skincare routine might be the best wrinkle treatment for me.
3) Peptides
Peptides are amino acids that support the production of essential proteins in the skin such as collagen and elastin. They are best for improving hydration and increasing collagen production making them ideal for those looking to maintain youthful, healthy skin.
Examples of Peptide treatments include:
Matrixyl which works to increase collagen production, improve elasticity and reduce the intensity of wrinkles and is best for anti-aging
Copper Peptides help promote skin healing and regeneration and promote collagen and elastin production. They are most effective for those looking to refresh dull or damaged skin and increase skin health.
Peptides are a gentle treatment tolerated by most skin types and are a great way to increase hydration within the skin. They work well when used with antioxidant treatments but do become less effective when used with highly concentrated acids. They take a little longer than other treatments to see results but do provide long-term benefits.
So, what is the best wrinkle treatment for me?
As you can see, there are many options to consider and as previously mentioned, there are no two skin profiles alike and so choosing the best wrinkle treatment for me may not be as easy as plucking one off this blog and going with that! Ultimately, the most effective approach may involve a combination of treatments tailored to your specific needs.
Consulting with a qualified dermatologist or aesthetic nurse is essential to assess your skin, discuss your goals, and create a personalised plan that achieves natural, long-lasting results while aligning with your preferences and budget.
Contact our expert team today at Elixir Skin Clinic to find the best wrinkle treatment for me, one that’s perfectly suited to you and your skin goals and take your first step towards a more confident, refreshed and youthful you!