Lines and Wrinkles

Wrinkles are usually the first things we begin to notice when we look in the mirror.  Wrinkles are caused by two primary issues dynamic facial movement and loss of facial support structure.  As we age changes in the skin’s elasticity don’t allow it to ‘snap’ back the way it used to so lines and wrinkles cause by movement become etched in the skin.  In addition, as illustrated in the diagram the loss of bone and fat beneath the skin is what produces much of what we associate with an aged appearance.  Notice the change in the diagram and how the support structure within the face changes. 

Solution

Lines and wrinkles can be corrected by eliminating the cause of the wrinkle, such as movement or anatomical changes, or by stimulating the skin to ‘grow’ or improve itself.  For wrinkles caused by movement we inactivate targeted muscles responsible for creating lines and wrinkles to smooth the skin and help prevent permanent etching of lines in the skin. 

Some deeper wrinkles and folds are caused by changes in the underlying structure of the skin.  The changes can include both loss of bone and fat, the structure beneath the skin.  We restore that structure using fillers, fat transfer, or procedures.  The skin itself is treated by a variety of different tools used to stimulate the skin to regrow collagen and improve the structural elements that can smooth lines and wrinkles.

Procedures

Fat transfer is a quick procedure with very little ‘downtime’.  It involves harvesting a patients own fat from the thighs or buttocks and reinjecting it into areas where fat loss has created an aged appearance.  Fat transfer is used throughout the face to restore both restore and beautify facial contours. 

For deeper lines and wrinkles a minimally invasive procedure like the Microlift or Extended Microlift is used to restore the position of the skin and muscle to improve the underlying structure without the downtime associated with typical facial surgery. 

Treatments

Many treatments can help with fine lines and wrinkles depending on the depth Botox and fillers are perhaps the greatest combination of treatments that produce the best outcome for patients with concerns about lines and wrinkles. 

Botox is used to inactivate muscles that create dynamic facial wrinkles, like those around the eyes and forehead, and help to prevent the permanent imprint of wrinkles. 

Fillers are useful for a variety of different areas of facial wrinkles.  Take a look at the illustration to see an example of where fillers are commonly used.  Fillers allow us to restore natural, youthful contours without downtime.  We use pictures of our patients from their younger years to help guide our technique and provide us a goal for treatment outcomes.  Some patients are reluctant to try fillers because they have seen friends with ‘bad filler’.  At FAC we perform more botox and filler than anyone else in Orange County, so our staff is highly experienced, and we take a conservative approach to give our patients a natural, refreshed look.

In addition to Botox and filler, we have a broad variety of technologies that stimulate the skin to produce collagen which improves the skin structure and minimizes the appearance of lines and wrinkles.  We use radio frequency technologies such as Thermage, Pelleve, and ThermiSmooth to stimulate and smooth skin texture. We also use light based technologies such as lasers and IPL to stimulate collagen which improves the texture and appearance of the skin.

Back to Top