Turning
back the hands
of time: five ways
the face ages
Newswise —
You may look in the mirror and notice a wrinkle here or there that
you would like to be a little less obvious. Or you may note the
overall changes to your face as you age and want a more youthful
appearance. No matter what your needs, dermatologists can provide
treatment options to revitalize the appearance of the skin.
Speaking at the 63rd Annual
Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Melvin
Elson, M.D., of Nashville, Tenn., discussed the five types of aging
that occur on the face and how dermatologic treatments can improve
the skin’s texture and return its youthful glow.
“Dermatologists evaluate a patient
with aging facial skin for many different factors, including how
well the face is aging overall; is there obvious damage to the
skin’s surface; what does this damage look like; and how deep does
it go,” stated Dr. Elson. “Once we have a picture of what has
occurred on the face over time, dermatologists can identify the
steps necessary to reverse the damage – whether that be through a
single treatment or a combination of several treatments.”
Dr. Elson has identified five
independent factors that act together to affect the appearance of
the aging face.
Intrinsic Aging
Intrinsic aging is the natural process of aging that begins late in
life and is characterized by a loss of substance to the skin and the
underlying fat resulting in a gaunt, thin look with hollowed cheeks
and eye sockets. The treatment options for this type of aging are
aimed at replacement of the lost tissue, such as solid implants,
which are surgically placed under the skin, or fat transfer, where
fat and tissue from other parts of the patients’ body are used to
fill in deeper wrinkles and contour the “hills and valleys”
associated with aging.
Sleep Lines
Much as a napkin gets a crease when it is folded in a drawer too
long, sleep lines etch the surface of the skin and occur from
putting the face into the same position on the pillow every night.
“Even though these lines may seem to diminish or disappear once a
patient is no longer lying in bed, if the patient assumes the same
sleeping posture every evening, these lines will return creating
more damage,” said Dr. Elson. Due to different sleep patterns, women
tend to see these types of lines on their chin and cheeks, while men
notice them on their foreheads.
Since changing sleep positions is
challenging for some patients, dermatologists recommend the use of
botulinum rejuvenation to hold the skin taut. Botulinum rejuvenation
is an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure where dermatologists
carefully inject a low dose of botulinum toxin into a patient’s
facial muscles, causing temporary relaxation of the injected
muscles. The procedure is non-invasive, features practically no
recovery time and can safely and effectively reduce the appearance
of facial lines, crow’s feet and wrinkles when performed by a
qualified physician.
Expression
Lines
Every smile, frown and laugh affects the face, especially the
collagen fibers beneath it. Expression lines are commonly referred
to as “laugh lines” and are most noticeable around the large muscles
of the eyes and the mouth. While most people do not find these types
of lines funny, there is no way to change the way the face reacts to
emotion.
One of a dermatologist’s most
effective treatments for softening or removing these lines is the
use of botulinum rejuvenation. Another treatment option is
soft-tissue augmentation and a dermatologist can assist patients in
selecting from the variety of Food and Drug Administration-approved
wrinkle fillers which produce immediate, yet temporary, results to
improve the appearance of lines.
Gravity
No one is immune to the effects of gravity on their body. For the
face, this means that as soon as we stand, everything moves
downwards – the eyelids fall, the jowls form, the nose tip points
downward, the upper lip disappears while the lower lip pouts and
even the ears get longer. These facial changes related to gravity
become more pronounced as we age.
“No amount of facial exercises or
‘good genes’ can offset the pull of gravity,” stated Dr. Elson.
“Dermatologic treatments for the everyday effects of gravity remain
surgical, such as a blepharoplasty, a surgical procedure to correct
the "droopy" look of eyelids. Because surgical procedures are
invasive and require extensive downtime, it’s important to discuss
with your dermatologist the option that is right for your
lifestyle.”
Photodamage
More than 80 percent of the damage on an aging face is from
photodamage which occurs from overexposure to the elements,
including the sun and the wind. Individuals with fair skin, light
eyes and a history of long-term sun exposure are more susceptible to
photodamage, which is represented by blotchy pigmentation, wrinkling
and scaling.
Dermatologists have a variety of
innovative techniques which can improve the appearance of
photodamaged skin, including laser resurfacing, a treatment option
where heat or light pulses from a laser are used to rejuvenate the
skin’s tone and texture and minimize fine lines. Depending on the
type of laser used, moderate to advanced fine lines and deeper
wrinkles can be treated with very little downtime.
An alternative to lasers are chemical peels which remove levels of
the skin to stimulate rapid rejuvenation. The strength of chemical
peels can vary from very superficial to deep, and this strength
determines the benefit to the skin and the downtime following this
procedure.
“Aging skin is a fact of life, but
patients today need to know that dermatologists can offer them more
options than ever before,” said Dr. Elson. “It is important that
anyone considering a cosmetic procedure for the treatment of the
aging face consult with a dermatologist to discuss their
expectations and select the best treatment available.”
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill.,
the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), founded in 1938, is
the largest, most influential, and most representative of all
dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 14,000
physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the
diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin,
hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice,
education, and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing
patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. For
more information, contact the Academy at 1-888-462-DERM (3376) or
http://www.aad.org.
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