Wrinkles are the battle scars of age that show the wisdom and experience that can only come with time. In today’s day and age, one of the best ways to get rid of wrinkles is through a facial laser procedure. This may sound painful and time consuming, but the fact of the matter is that you can take advantage of this procedure without minimal discomfort on an outpatient basis. During this procedure a laser will help to correct imperfections in your skin. Of course you will be able to talk about the side effects and results with your doctor before getting started.

Why Do You Develop Wrinkles?

As a person ages, the skin undergoes significant changes. The inner layer of the skin begins to thin and the cells begin to divide more slowly. Fat cells begin to lessen or die beneath the dermis.

The network of collagen fibers and elastin which provide a sort of scaffolding for the surface layer begin to loosen and unravel. Skin then loses its elasticity. It tends to droop and forms furrows.

The oil secreting and sweat glands atrophy, and the skin cannot retain its moisture. Therefore, it becomes dry and scaly. Constant facial expressions form characteristic lines. Gravity makes the situation worse and contributes to the formation of drooping eyelids and jowls. Also, eyebrows tend to move up as someone ages perhaps because of forehead wrinkles and the skin has less of an ability to repair itself so wounds heal more slowly.

There are other forces at play that can make your skin suffer, such as :

1. The sun damages collagen fibers and causes an accumulation of abnormal elastin. Metalloproteinases, or enzymes, are produced that are able to repair most of the damage, however, it is this repetition of the rebuilding process that is done over and over again that causes skin problems.

2. The sun's UV radiation promotes oxidation. This also leads to the development of skin abnormalities.

3. Cigarette smoking causes the thickening and fragmentation of elastin, reduces circulation and the amount of oxygen that is supplied to the skin, and leads to less Collagen formation and reduced water content in the skin. Lastly, smoking compromises the ability of the skin to fend off free radicals causing cell destruction.

Wrinkles are the most noticable signs of aging. As tissues sag, these lines form a type of canvas that is covered with cracks that have varying depths. As time marches on, they deepen and reach the dermis. As the dermis loses its elasticity, it becomes slack which leads to the formation of more pronounced wrinkles over 0.05 mm in depth.

Here is the normal progression of wrinkles characterized by age group:

20-25 – Vertical wrinkles on one's forehead and even between the eyebrows may already be visible. Fine lines at the external edges of the eyes are not yet noticeable.

25-40 – In the epidermis, wrinkles begin to deepen. They are less than 0.0005 mm in depth. They are caused by the superficial drying out of one's skin as well as the slowing down of cellular renewal.

40-50 – Fine lines around the lips, crow's feet, furrows alongside of the nose and the line between the eyebrows are all beginning to deepen. The skin loses it elasticity and the facial contours are not less well defined.

50 and over – Hormonal secretions end as menopause appears and this speeds up the aging process. The skin's surface begins to modify and intermediary lines are replaced by ever deepening furrows.

The older you become, the more wrinkles you get. You can minimize this damage by taking good care of your skin.

Anti Aging Skin Care Treatments: here are a few promising treatments for sagging skin. There are some new wrinkle creams and topical lotions, like Avotone or Revitol, that contain natural ingredients that may help lessen this problem. For example:

1. Argireline - this is a safer alternative to Botox. It is not derived from any poisonous substance, but from naturally occurring amino acids. This element relaxes facial tension because it is able to reduce the excessive release of neurotransmitters which are also known as catecholamines. These make your facial muscles become tense. If your muscles are not tense, they do not contribute to wrinkles. Also, it may slow down the degeneration of elastin and collagen which normally occurs with aging.

Helpful Tips and Hints:

1. Be sure to drink enough water.

2. Mist your skin throughout the day with warm water.

3. Don’t smoke. Some of the research is still controversial, but more and more studies are confirming that cigarette smoke ages skin -- mostly by releasing an enzyme that breaks down collagen and elastin, important components of the skin. Sibling studies done at the Twin Research Unit at St. Thomas Hospital in London found the brother or sister who smoked tended to have skin that was more wrinkled and up to 40% thinner than the non-smoker.

4. Get adequate sleep. Yale dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, MD, says that when you don't get enough sleep, the body produces excess cortisol, a hormone that breaks down skin cells. Get enough rest, Perricone says, and you'll produce more HGH (human growth hormone), which helps skin remain thick, more "elastic," and less likely to wrinkle.

Dermatological treatments for wrinkles

If the wrinkles have reached a stage of being too pronounced then more advanced wrinkle treatments might be necessary. These treatments are chemical peels and laser treatment administered by a dermatologist.

A dermatologist will usually use chemical peels to reduce wrinkles. Light, TCA, glycolic acid – based, phenol or laser peels, all of different strength are used for the same purpose: reduce wrinkles.