Definition Skin wrinkles are grooves in the skin. Wrinkles can be on the surface of the skin or be quite deep.
What is the information for this topic?
Wrinkles are caused by:
sun damage.
repeated facial movements.
natural effects of gravity causing sagging.
loss of elasticity with age.
Symptoms of wrinkles include deeply formed lines and fine, crinkling crosshatch marks.
People at highest risk for wrinkles include:
fair skinned people.
people who spend a lot of time in the sun.
people who have family members with a lot of wrinkles.
people who smoke cigarettes
The long-term effect of wrinkles is an aged, leathery appearance.
Treatment can include:
topical products such as tretinoin, or alpha-hydroxyl acids.
chemical peels.
procedures such as dermabrasion.
injection of substances such as collagen, which is a gelatin-like substance, fat, or laser resurfacing. (use of a laser beam to reduce the wrinkled layers of skin)
The more likely the treatment is to help wrinkling, the more likely it is to have side effects. Side effects can include:
colour changes.
redness.
scarring.
Topical products can cause irritation that looks and feels like chapping. Injectable substances can cause allergic reactions.
Improvement of the condition can be minimal and temporary. Some treatments can take 5 to 10 years of "ageing"off the skin.
Author: Lynn West, MD Reviewer: eknowhow Medical Review Panel Editor: Dr John Hearne Last Updated: 12/06/2005 Contributors Potential conflict of interest information for reviewers available on request
