Wrinkle treatments

There are no miracles wrinkle treatments when it comes to helping skin look smoother and reducing the appearance of lines.

Yes, like many others, I have...or rather....had my fair share of wrinkles too.

Of course, I did my research and took steps to eliminate them...and I'm happy to share with you how!

The classic wrinkle treatment for sun damage, one with fairly impressive, well-researched and substantiated results, involves the following products:

1. RETIN-A OR RENOVA (prescribed by your doctor or dermatologist) to change abnormal cell production (caused by repeated sun exposure) back to some level of normalcy.
   
   
   
   
2. AN EFFECTIVE AHA OR BHA PRODUCT to exfoliate the top layer of the skin.
   
   
   For AHA, I recommend glycolic or lactic acid with a concentration of 8% to 10%. Higher concentrations can cause irritation and inflammation (and should only be applied by a professional in the skin care field).
   
   
   For BHA, which exfoliates the skin’s surface and inside the pores, I recommend salicylic acid, the only effective form of BHA, in a concentration of 0.5% to 2%.
   
   
   
   Both AHA and BHA require a pH of 3 to 4 to be effective to exfoliate the top layer of skin.
   
   
   
   
3. A SKIN-LIGHTENING PRODUCT. That includes at least 1% to 2% Hydroquinone (over the counter) or 4% or greater (available from physicians).
   
   
   Hydroquinone improves the appearance of brown discolorations by inhibiting melanin production.
   
   
   AHA or BHA in the formulation is also beneficial to encourage cell turnover, but is not necessary if a separate AHA or BHA product is used.
   
   
   Many plant extracts are hyped as effective for blocking melanin production; however, the research for these extracts has not been done on human skin but rather in vitro (a test tube or Petri dish), and that doesn't necessarily translate to effectiveness when used by humans.
   
   
   
   
4. A GREAT, RELIABLE SUNSCREEN. The only way to determine the quality of a sunscreen is to check the SPF number on the label (it must be SPF 15 or greater), and the active ingredient label to make sure it has UVA
   -blocking ingredients of either titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and/or avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789 or butylmethoxydibenzone), and, outside of the U.S., Mexoryl SX.
   
   
   This must be used every day for the rest of your life.
   
   
   
   
5. A GENTLE CLEANSER used twice a day won't change wrinkles, but keeping your skin clean and irritant-free helps the healing process.
   
   
   
   
6. A SOOTHING, LIGHTWEIGHT MOISTURIZER used over dry areas.
   
   
   Moisturizers help make skin look smoother, especially if it's dry, but use only the lightest texture and consistency that makes the skin feel soft.
   
   
   
   Overmoisturizing with layers of lotions and serums or using moisturizers that are too emollient and heavy for your skin type can hurt your skin.
   

All other so-called miracle wrinkle treatments may be bogus, misleading, and completely without substantiation or proof for their claims. It's not that there aren't great wrinkle treatments out there, there certainly are, but they won't permanently change wrinkles.

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