Each year, middle-aged and older individuals spend fortunes on creams and lotions, massage, hot packs, wax and mud treatments, and special soaps in the quest of wrinkle-free skin. For the most part these treatments are more beneficial to those supplying the treatments than to the individuals receiving them. Although moisturizing creams and lotions may help you look and feel better temporarily, they have no permanent effect on the skin’s texture or appearance.
During the past few years, there has been some evidence that tretinoin (Retin-A ®) cream may be effective in decreasing the wrinkling of the skin and improving its texture and appearance in a more long-lasting manner. The changes noted in the skin of some people treated with this agent have been subtle but measurable and a great deal of enthusiasm has been generated about this product. Some users develop redness, irritation, and swelling where tretinoin cream is applied but this eventually subsides. The skin may become more sensitive to the sun during treatment, so it is recommended that sunscreens be used diligently during this period.
The cost of tretinoin treatment is considerable but many people feel it is worthwhile. Whether this particular antiaging, antiwrinkling skin treatment will withstand the test of time is not yet clear. Meanwhile, if you (with medical supervision) choose to try this treatment, it does not diminish the need to eliminate cigarette smoking, cut down on sun exposure, and use protective sunscreens in an attempt to avoid further skin damage, which ultimately results in wrinkling and a more aged appearance. Prevention will always be preferable to cure; it is best to begin to care for and protect your skin as early as possible.
Some people, as part of their quest for youth, undergo many cosmetic surgery procedures. There is no doubt that such surgery can improve the wrinkled appearance of the skin, may relieve the baggy look around eyelids, and may change the sagging appearance that sometimes accompanies aging. For some people these results are very important. Such surgery does not improve the quality of the skin or make it younger, although it may improve one’s appearance.
It is possible to inject small amounts of collagen around the wrinkled sides of the mouth or sides of the eyes to decrease the appearance of wrinkling. This procedure is relatively easy and safe and can be readily done in the office by a dermatologist. If such wrinkles are very bothersome to you, it is something to consider.
Whatever procedures you carry out to improve your appearance, remember that the protection of the skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays and proper cleansing and moisturizing should be part of a total program of good skin care.
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Tags: Men’s Health
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