Nobody likes having wrinkles form on their skin. Wrinkles make us look older and less attractive, but it is also a sign of the aging process. Can we somehow treat the aging skin and make ourselves look younger and attractive? While we can't fight our biology and genetic makeup, there are ways to combat our aging skins. I will come to these possible treatment options later, but to combat aging skin, we need to understand how skin ages and what contributes to wrinkle formation. Basically, the key substances that give our skin its elasticity and firmness are collagen and elastin. As we get older, the content of collagen and elastin gradually decreases, resulting in skin that is less elastic, loose, markedly drier, prone to sagging and wrinkle formation. Of course, there is a genetic component to this over which we have no control. However, there are also several external factors that contribute to skin aging. Some of these include:

• Exposure to sun and the accumulated sun damage because of it, also known as photoaging.
• Damage caused by chemical effects from cigarette smoking. People who smoke can develop a yellowish tinge to their skin, also are prone to leathery skin.
• Excessive repetitive facial expressions. Ironically, some people use facial exercises to look young, however it can have the exact opposite effect. Each time you use one the facial muscles in these exercises, you end up leaving a groove beneath the surface, which is what you see in some people as lines on the face. These can become etched permanently if the same area is used repeatedly.
• Sleeping with one side of your face resting on the pillow/bed continuously over a number of years can also lead to wrinkle formation. These are called sleep lines and can become a permanent feature on the surface of your skin.

To prevent aging of your skin prematurely, one can take the following steps:

• Tanning is a strict no-no (do not use artificial tanning methods as well).
• Try not exposing your skin to sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is the time period during which the sun's rays are the strongest and most likely to cause sun damage.
• Use appropriate clothing and accessories, like a wide-brim hat and long-sleeved clothes.
• Using sunscreen with SPF of 15 or greater. Ideally, sunscreen should be applied about 15-20 minutes before venturing outdoors and should be reapplied if you sweat a lot or have taken a dip in water.

Treatment Options For Those With Visible Signs of Aging Skin:

For those who already have aging skin and wish to reverse it, there are a few treatment methods that can work well. These include:

• The drug Retin-A (also known as tretinoin) can reverse fine wrinkles and sun-damaged skin.
• Injections of botulinum toxin (Botox) also is effective in reducing wrinkles. The effects of Botox treatment starts becoming apparent anywhere from 3 to 7 days and the effects can last for 3 to 4 months, after which the injection has to be repeated.
• Chemical peeling:  This treatment method can literally peel away many of the apparent, visible signs of aging on areas such as the face, neck, hands, etc. Once healing has occured, an improved skin texture and markedly diminished wrinkles can be expected.  This method works by removing the top-most layers of skin. It can diminish scarring/freckles/other imperfections and generally has to be repeated 4 to 5 times.
• Dermabrasion:  As the name would suggest, this method basically abrades away damaged skin. Once the damaged skin is abraded away, the new skin that appears is generally more radiant and smoother.  Dermabrasion is a good option to treat scars caused by chickenpox or acne for example.  Also, can be used to treat wrinkles, especially those that form above the lips. The effects of dermabrasion though depends greatly on the skills of the physician performing the procedure and therefore it would be a good idea to do your research well. If you do plan on undergoing this procedure, find out about the physician performing it and be assured of his/her skill level.

Apart from the treatments mentioned above, there are also other procedures such as laser resurfacing, use of fillers, microdermabrasion, which can be considered for combating aging skin.  As with all medical procedures, do ask your doctor about the potential side effects of each of these procedures before choosing the option that you feel most comfortable with.