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Our skin is ours for a lifetime, but as we get older, unfortunately, so does it. Over time, we lose dermal elasticity, radiance, and lift, but there is no reason why our skin should easily tell our age. There are so many tips and tricks that claim to preserve perfect ageless skin, but how many of these are just a hoax? Read on to find out the most effective and highly recommended medical treatments and topical techniques to keep your skin looking as youthful as you feel at heart.
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1. Botulinum Toxin Therapy (Botox)
Botulinum Toxin injection therapy, or Botox, is one of the most common anti-aging cosmetic treatment procedures available. Originally thought only to be necessary for individuals in their forties and fifties to reduce the appearance of prominent wrinkles and lines, Botox is now on the rise and readily available for patients in their thirties and even worthwhile for individuals in their twenties. In these cases, Botox injections prematurely prevent aging processes like wrinkles and fine lines from forming at all, thus increasing the treatment’s appeal and effectiveness. Botox prevents or erases signs of aging by stopping the injected muscle-areas in the face from scrunching and tightening, and can be effective in combating smile or frown lines, crows feet by the eyes, and the notorious “eleven wrinkle” between the brows. These injections have virtually no down or recovery time, and the results develop fully after about a week, remaining for about four months; Botox injections are low-risk, low-maintenance, and highly effective when tackling or prematurely preventing the early signs of aging.
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2. Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion
Signs of aging can go beyond just wrinkles and fine lines; though sunscreen is an important part of keeping your skin looking youthful and healthy, sometimes it's not enough to keep our faces from revealing our years spent in the sun. Luckily, treatments like dermabrasion, which uses a spiraling device to remove the layers of skin that are damaged by the sun or hyperpigmented due to age spots, and microdermabrasion, which focuses on the same imperfections but removes only the uppermost layer of skin, are available and minimally invasive. Microdermabrasion is definitely less invasive and intensive than its counterpart, but both treatments achieve positive results. With microdermabrasion, there is little downtime, and results can be seen immediately or a few weeks after the treatment, but many patients require more than one session in order to achieve their final desired results. With dermabrasion, more healing time is necessary; there may be scabbing and redness for a few weeks, but afterward, the new skin will be replenished and youthful. Both of these procedures can treat significant signs of aging, facial acne scars, and sun damage pigmentation.
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3. Retinol Topical Cream
For those with sensitive skin, anti-aging products and treatments may be frightening, though the aforementioned treatments can absolutely work well for these patients and their sensitive skin, many skin concerns can be treated with simple, effective, topical solutions. The use of retinol cream works miraculously in terms of treating and reversing signs of aging. Retinol creams are concentrated with Vitamin A and serve to reduce wrinkles and tighten the skin by stimulating collagen production, allowing for new cells to get to the surface of the skin sooner, and also improve complexion and skin evenness by promoting blood vessel production in the applied area. Retinol cream can be applied daily and is safe for sensitive skin, but should be first, spot tested before full application, and can dry out the skin so a pea-sized amount is all that is necessary.
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4. Non-ablative Laser Rejuvenation
Laser treatments have a lot of power, various target uses, and potential benefits; non-ablative laser treatments rejuvenate the skin by creating heat in the treated area without causing dermal damage or scarring. This procedure is very non-invasive as it does not require any stripping of the layers of the skin. There is little to no recovery time needed, and the non-ablative laser treatment is very effective in evening out skin tone, eliminating minor scars from acne, sun damage, age spots, and smoothing out wrinkles.
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5. Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid has recently become renowned and established for its wonderful skin-tone evening, wrinkle and fine line improving, and redness-reducing properties. Hyaluronic acid is an acid that retains moisture naturally in various parts of the human body. The acid is found in our skin, and the use of this acid in a topical serum form can calm irritated, angry, and/or aging skin by keeping it hydrated and supple, and by speeding up the process of wound healing. Injections of hyaluronic acid are also available, they are a form of dermal fillers and with them, results are achieved immediately. These hyaluronic acid fillers work from the inside to smooth facial folds, lines, and wrinkles, and give shape back to an aging face for six to twelve months.
