Last updated January 2024

What are the common signs of ageing that people want to treat?

Expression wrinkles

Expression wrinkles refer to smile or laugh lines that occur due to making facial expressions. They tend to show up around the mouth, between the eyebrows and around the eyes. Muscle contractions, such as squinting, cause expression wrinkles. They can be treated with surgical and non-surgical procedures.

Compression wrinkles

Compression wrinkles can be caused by how you sleep and occur on the face, ears, neck and chest. Non-surgical treatments such as injectables can improve their appearance.

Atrophic Wrinkles

The ageing process depletes our fat, bone, collagen and elastin. This causes the face and skin to lose volume making wrinkles and creases more noticeable. These can be treated with non-surgical treatments, such as dermal fillers, Rejuran, energy based devices such as Infini, and topical skin care, especially retinoids.

What causes facial wrinkles?

Facial wrinkles are caused by a number of factors;

  • Sun damage – Chronic UV exposure is the most common cause of premature skin wrinkling. Besides being the cause of skin cancers and skin pigmentation, UV radiation causes premature ageing by thinning the epidermis (the top layer of skin) as well as causing breakdown of collagen. A good sunscreen is an imperative in the prevention of premature ageing.
  • Expression lines – These are wrinkles that are caused by the contraction of the muscles of facial expression. This leads to the compression of skin that results in wrinkle formation. Initially, these wrinkles can only be seen when the muscles contract e.g when you smile/frown, however, as the skin becomes progressively creased, the lines may often appear at rest. Anti-wrinkle injections can help reduce expression lines.
  • Loss of facial volume – Fat around the eyes, cheeks, and forehead are depleted. This loss of volume leads to some laxity of skin and the formation of wrinkles. Loss of facial volume also results in an older, more gaunt appearance. Non-surgical facial reshaping with dermal fillers can help to replace this lost volume – improving both wrinkles and the overall youthfulness of the face.
  • Gravity – The inescapable pull of gravity draws the skin downwards on the face. This leads to drooping of the cheeks and formation of nasolabial lines (the lines from the corners of the mouth to the nose) and jowls, drooping of the eye skin and formation of upper and lower lid laxity and wrinkles.
  • Sleep lines – This is caused by the compression of the skin from contact of the pillow to the face when sleeping. Pillow contact puts pressure on these attachments and causes sleep lines. Sleep lines include those on the forehead, around the eyes, cheeks and upper lip.
  • Smoking – Smoking can speed up the ageing process of the skin, and contribute to reducing the production of new collagen. The lack of new collagen results in wrinkles and other changes to the facial appearance, including fine lines between the eyebrows, deep creases and crow’s feet.

How can wrinkles be treated?

Taking precautionary measures can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

By wearing a good sunscreen everyday, it protects against UV radiation and can reduce further premature damage to the skin. In conjunction with a good sunscreen, wrinkles can be treated by regularly using treatments such as Retinol and Glycolic Acid, to regain smoother looking skin.  Products such as Aspect Retinol Brulee and  Mesoestetic Glycolic Acid Ampoules work to remove the top layer of the skin, and helps smooth and reduce deeper wrinkles, firm skin texture and restores skin elasticity.

If there is significant damage, there are several non-surgical and surgical wrinkle treatments available to assist with smoothing wrinkles, or making them less noticeable. Some studies indicate that a combination of treatments may yield the most pleasing results. Consult with our experienced team of doctors and nurses about which treatment and approach would best suit your expectations.

Wrinkle reduction treatments

Non-surgical and surgical treatments are available.

Non-surgical wrinkle procedures

Expression lines are generally treated with anti-wrinkle injections that relax the muscles causing the compression of the skin. This is most commonly performed in the muscles between the brows and around the eyes. Anti-wrinkle injections generally last for 3 to 4 months. By stopping the movement/expressions that cause wrinkles, the injections can also prevent static lines from becoming deeper by stopping the compression of skin. If static lines or lines at rest are already present, then anti-wrinkle injections generally do not reverse these. However, the application of regular injections gives the skin a rest from compression, and often static wrinkles may improve slightly over time.

The other cause of wrinkles is facial volume loss. An analogy to this is when we are young, our faces are full, like a grape. As we get older, our faces lose volume and form wrinkles, more like a sultana. Replacing this volume is an effective means of reducing wrinkles and revolumising the face.  Dermal fillers add volume to areas that have lost volume, due to expression formation, gravity, sleep or just ageing. Mostly, dermal fillers are temporary in their effect and last from 4 to 24 months. Also, by strategically adding volume to certain areas of the face such as the cheeks, under eye hollows (tear troughs), lips, and brows, it is possible to rejuvenate or shape the face non-surgically.

For estimated volumes and costs of anti-wrinkle and/or dermal filler treatments please visit the cosmetic consultation and treatments pricing page.

Surgical procedures and other techniques

For wrinkles caused by skin laxity and droop, a surgical lift may be required e.g. facelift, brow lift, or blepharoplasty (eyelid reduction surgery).

Wrinkles that are etched into the skin and skin textural irregularities can be treated with skin resurfacing. This can be done with lasers such as the Lumenis Ultrapulse fractional carbon dioxide laser and chemical peels. Laser resurfacing techniques, although effective, often require a period of downtime or recovery.

For more information and a comparison between the various skin resurfacing techniques, click here.

For costs of surgical procedures and other treatments please visit here.

Results will vary depending on the treatment, depth and location of your wrinkles. The ageing process of skin can’t be stopped, so it is likely some clients will require repeat treatments to maintain the benefits.

FAQs

Who is the best candidate for wrinkle treatments?

The ideal candidate for wrinkle treatments are those with one or more of the following concerns:

  • Lines or wrinkles under or around the eye, forehead, or mouth areas
  • Smoker lines around the mouth
  • Frown lines
  • Sunken cheeks
  • Migraines
  • Droopy, tired eyes
  • Droopy mouth
  • Dark under eye circles

To ensure you are a suitable candidate for wrinkle treatment, we will examine your health history and check your overall health, to deter any complications.

How can I remove wrinkles from my face?

Wrinkles can be removed, but it won’t be a complete removal. A variety of preventative measures are available to prevent premature skin ageing. Through the consistent use of sunscreen and cosmeceuticals, wrinkles can be reduced.

Alternatively, non-surgical and surgical procedures are available for deeper wrinkles and may require a number of treatments to ensure effectiveness.

Are wrinkle treatments permanent?

Ageing is a natural process, the procedures can help to diminish the appearance of wrinkles, however the effects of the treatment are not permanent. The effect of the treatments will depend on the client, the type of treatment, treatment area, and number of treatments, as some require regular maintenance to ensure efficacy.

What are the side effects of wrinkle treatments?

As with any procedure, both non-surgical and surgical, there are some side effects of wrinkle treatments that you should be aware of:

  • Burns
  • Scarring
  • Changes in skin pigmentation
  • Bacterial infection
  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Nausea
  • Bruising

Most side effects resolve themselves within a few hours to days, depending on the treatment. If there is any progressive redness or pain, please consult your provider immediately.

Why choose the Victorian Cosmetic Institute to provide your wrinkle treatments?

The doctors at Victorian Cosmetic Institute are specialised in the area of non-surgical rejuvenation of the skin. We will listen to your concerns and help you to decide what treatments suit you best by considering your goals and the amount of downtime or recovery that can be tolerated. We will discuss with you what is a realistic and achievable outcome, and what to expect from your treatment.

For your initial consultation simply click the “book online” button above or phone us directly on 1300 863 824.