Pittwater Life March 2017 Issue

Hair & Beauty
Don’t let wrinkles – life’s
roadmap – get you down
with Sue Carroll
As we age our skin loses
volume and begins to
show wrinkles, mostly
due to a loss of collagen and
elastin which are essential
substances that keep skin
firm, supple and elastic.
Lines and wrinkles may
make a person look older
and detract from their best
features, while volume loss
can cause sagging skin as
well as unflattering hollows –
especially around the cheeks,
jawline and temples.
Wrinkles may be caused by
a variety of reasons including
the way we sleep. Because
wrinkles are not created
equally, understanding the
cause means it can be easier
to correct their appearance.
1) Mechanical distortion
wrinkles are created while
we sleep, or from the way
we sleep. These wrinkles can
appear on the face, neck and
chest in the morning when
we get up. Compression or
mechanical distortion wrinkles
tend to be perpendicular to
expression lines, and they
don’t respond significantly
to animation. When we are
very young these wrinkles will
disappear very quickly, but as
we get older they tend to stay
for longer and then become
permanent fixtures. The best
way to treat these compression
wrinkles is to sleep on your
back and then the face and
chest will not be squished into
the pillow. If this cannot be
done there are silicone patches
that can be applied prior to
going to bed on the facial and
chest area. These will stop the
wrinkle from forming and will
reduce those that are already
there. Failing this, often a filler
can be injected to plump up
the wrinkled area.
2) Expression wrinkles can
be seen in the forehead as a
frown, around the eyes from
laughing (known as crow’s feet)
and also around the mouth
(from laughing). These wrinkles
are caused by repeatedly
making the same expressions.
Most people do not want to
appear expressionless, and
therefore a small amount
of Botox or Dysport can be
injected to reduce the amount
of movement in a specific area.
This means you do not have to
look frozen, just a little more
relaxed.
3) Atrophic wrinkles are
deep parallel lines on the
forehead that appear when
the eyebrows are furrowed.
These wrinkles often make
the person appear angry or
worried, when in fact they
have no idea their muscles
are creating this movement.
With this type of wrinkle,
again the use of Botox alone
or in combination with a
filler are the best methods of
treatment. Hydration of the
skin with good quality skin
care can assist with reducing
the appearance slightly.
4) Gravitation wrinkles often
appear as saggy skin created
by loss of collagen and elastin.
This may be due to the natural
aging process, sun damage,
genetic predisposition,
menopause or a combination of
these factors. Treatments such
as radio frequency, ultrasound,
skin needling or a facelift may
be the best solutions.
5) Elastic wrinkles appear as
tiny creases on the cheeks,
lips and neck. These wrinkles
are formed from too much
direct sunlight. The UV
damage thins the skin, and
fine lines, wrinkles and
hyperpigmentation result.
The best way to prevent these
wrinkles is to avoid the sun,
wear sunscreen daily (and
reapply every 2-3 hours), and
use a prescribed cosmeceutical
skin care program specifically
for your skin condition. Intense
Pulsed Light, Fractional Lasers,
Skin Microneedling and peels
are the best clinical treatments.
Facial wrinkles, lines and
folds are not formed purely
from the expressions that we
make. While having a little
wrinkle here and there tells
part of the story of our life
journey, it is not necessary to
have a road map criss-crossing
from one side of our face
to the other! With a healthy
lifestyle, the blessing of good
genetics, practised sun safety,
the regular use of prescribed
home care and a little clinical
intervention, our skin can be
kept in an enhanced condition
we can be proud of.
Sue Carroll of Skin
Inspiration writes on
beauty trends and treatments
for Pittwater Life.
She has been a fully qualified
Aesthetician for 33 years.
Sue has owned and
operated successful beauty
clinics and day spas on
the Northern Beaches.
info@skininspiration.com.au
www.skininspiration.com.au
MARCH 2017 47
Hair & Beauty