Wrinkles
Wrinkles
Best Defense against Crinkles and Creases
There has never been a shortage of products that cosmetic manufacturers claimed could stop or erase wrinkles but didn't live up to their promises.
Now, there are plenty of options to choose from, many of which have the blessing of women dermatologists.
TWO KINDS OF WRINKLES
A short refresher course on how wrinkles form in the first place will help you determine your best strategy against wrinkles.
"There are two types of skin aging, intrinsic and extrinsic, and both contribute to wrinkling," says dermatologist Ellen Gendler, M.D., director of New York University's Center for Skin Health and Appearance in New York City. Intrinsic aging is something that happens as the genes we've inherited from our parents trigger a reduction of two connective fibers, collagen and elastin. Collagen supports the skin and elastin gives it flexibility. Together collagen and elastin give skin its structure and tone. After age 30, connective fibers start to break down, and the skin starts to become more lax.
Extrinsic aging is aging that comes from environmental factors, especially sun damage, says Dr. Gendler.
"If you want to know how much genetics contributes to skin aging and how much is caused by the sun, just look down at the top of your forearm, then flip it over and check out the underside," suggests Anita Cela, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York City.
"Genetics is responsible for the skin on the underside," says Dr. Cela. "Sun exposure is responsible for the skin on top." In particular, ultraviolet A and B, the invisible rays of the sun, penetrate below the skin surface and encourage wrinkles, because they damage connective fibers. These are the same rays that stimulate production of melanin and produce a tan, a look that is, ironically enough, pursued in the interest of looking young and sexy.
SMOOTHING THINGS OVER
It's not enough to try and fix what's already wrong with your skin. You also need to think about the future and try to prevent more damage from occurring.
Fortunately, "we have the power to prevent most of what we don't like about our skin," says Debra Price, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine and a dermatologist in South Miami. Here's how.
Shop for a product with AHAs. To erase fine wrinkles and prevent more from forming, make alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) the foundation of your daily skin-care regimen, suggests Eileen Lambroza, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.
What Women Doctors Do
A Regimen That Works Ellen Gendler, M.D. Every morning, dermatologist Ellen Gendler, M.D., director of New York University's Center for Skin Health and Appearance in New York City, practices what she preaches. She does everything that she can to make sure that she won't face the day--or any other day--with wrinkles. Dr. Gendler's routine includes: * Washing her face with a foaming cleanser * Smoothing on an alpha hydroxy acid lotion that removes old cells and uncovers new ones * Stroking on a sunscreen that also doubles as a moisturizer * Applying her makeup "I use my sunscreen as a moisturizer, so I just apply makeup over that," she says.
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These acids are derived from sugarcane, fruit and milk. They loosen old wrinkled cells on the skin's surface, peel them off, then uncover the younger, fresher cells underneath. They also plump the skin's surface--in essence, filling in the "dents" that you see as wrinkles. In lotion or cream form, AHAs also act as excellent moisturizers.
Glycolic acid (made from sugarcane) is the most widely used alpha hydroxy acid. Sold in different strengths according to the percentage of acids that they contain, AHAs are also available as gels. Gels are for younger women who do not need the moisturizing properties of lotions, lotions are for those who need a lightweight moisturizer and creams are for those who need a heavier moisturizer to keep their skin from drying out and causing tiny lines just from the dryness, says Dr. Lambroza.
The same AHAs are used in inexpensive products found at discount drugstores as the more elaborately packaged and expensive products found in department stores, says Dr. Lambroza.
Test first. To start using AHAs, smear a drop of a 5 percent AHA preparation on a small section of skin under your jaw, says Dr. Lambroza. If there is no sign of redness or irritation by the next day, the next morning you can wash your face, pat it dry, apply the AHA preparation to your face, then apply your usual sunscreen.
Do the eye area last. Smooth the AHA preparation over your entire face, but no closer to your eyes than the length of your eyelashes, says Dr. Lambroza. "I recommend that you do your face first and your eye area last, so that you don't apply too much to your eye area," she says. "You can use it underneath your eyes, but not on your eyelids. And be sure to follow up with a moisturizing eye cream."
Repeat daily. If no redness or irritation occurs, begin using the preparation once a day, says Dr. Lambroza. You may experience some tingling as the AHAs begin to work, but the tingling should subside within a few minutes. If no irritation develops after several days, you can increase your use of AHAs to twice a day: once in the morning and once at night, says Dr. Lambroza.
NO MORE LINES, EVER
Women doctors say that unless you take steps to protect your face against wrinkle-forming forces, your antiwrinkle efforts will be less than optimally effective. Here's what women doctors advise.
Double up on sunscreen. "I generally recommend that women use two sunscreens at the same time if they plan on spending the day outdoors," says Dr. Gendler.
Sun protection factor, or SPF, only refers to the product's ability to screen ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. But UVB rays only penetrate the top layers of skin. You also need to protect against ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, which penetrate to the deeper layers of skin, also causing wrinkles.
There are not many products that specifically protect you from UVA. The best product available is called Shade UVA Guard, says Dr. Gendler. It also has an SPF of 15 to guard against UVB rays. For day-to-day use it's all you need. But if you're going to be spending lots of time in the sun, apply a second sunscreen with a higher SPF over top to give you added UVB protection.
If you go swimming or participate in outdoor sports that make you sweat, adds Dr. Price, use a waterproof SPF sunscreen and reapply it every 1½ hours.
Forget tanning booths. Tanning salons should be called wrinkling salons. Tanning parlor operators and tanning equipment manufacturers claim that tanning booths and tanning beds give a "safe tan." The truth is, tanning equipment produces rays that can cause premature wrinkling of the skin and skin cancer, says Allison Vidimos, M.D., a staff dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. No woman who values her skin should set foot inside a tanning booth.
Keep your weight steady. Gaining and losing even small amounts of weight can create fine wrinkles by the constant stretching and tightening of skin, says Margaret A. Weiss, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. So try to get your weight down and keep it down.
(For effective ways to banish crow's-feet, see page 149. For ways to minimize frown lines, see page 234.)
