Your face is constantly out there, being exposed to the elements and being subjected to the external elements through sun exposure and airborne pollutants, and to potential damage through necessary medication. While we cannot do anything to halt the ageing process, we can take steps to ensure that our skin is protected as we get older.
There are so many products and treatments out there, and it is common for people to think that anti-ageing and anti-wrinkle are the same thing. In fact, these two different types of treatments meet specific needs for your skin and should be approached differently.
In this article we are going to discuss the difference between anti-ageing treatment and anti-wrinkle treatments and help you to work out which one is best suited to your skin.
Want to know more about any of the treatments we discuss in this article? Get in touch with us for an online consultation or come in and see us in person.
Anti-ageing v anti-wrinkle — what is the difference?
A treatment that is referred to as anti-ageing is one that is a global treatment designed to target the signs of ageing in a general and holistic manner.
In order to fully discuss the various differences between anti-ageing and anti-wrinkle treatments, it is helpful at this stage to first examine how the skin is composed, and then look at how the skin ages by discussing some of the common signs of ageing.
How is the skin made up?
You may have heard that the skin is the largest organ of the body. It is true! Our skin is our largest organ and is a waterproof shield that does a great job of protecting us and keeping our internal organs and body secure.
Skin is made up of three layers:
- Epidermis: the layer you can see which is made up mainly of cells called keratinocytes (a tough protein called keratin) and which provides the waterproof barrier to the outside world, and the layer which cops the most impact from sunlight and chemicals
- Dermis: composed of tough connective tissue, and contains our hair follicles and our sweat glands
- Hypodermis: made up of fat and more connective tissue
Our skin is given its colour depending on how much melanin we have in our epidermis.
The process of ageing happens as we get older, and one of the biggest culprits in terms of ageing is exposure to sunlight. As we are exposed to sunlight, our skin loses its elasticity due to damage. Another big issue with ageing is the fact that our skin produces less collagen, and therefore bounces back less readily.
Common signs of ageing:
While this is not an exhaustive list, it does go through some of the major signs, and the ones which generally cause the most concern for people looking to refresh their skin:
- Roughness
- Wrinkles
- Spots
- Benign skin cancers
- Fragile skin
- Transparent skin
- Slackness
- Discolouration
- Thinning of skin
- Skin tags, warts, rough patches
- Bruising
Sound scary? There are ways to alter the ageing process, many of which we can provide at Victorian Dermal Group.
Anti-ageing treatments
Any treatment which is described to be anti-ageing is a treatment that targets the signs of ageing described above. There is a range of treatments that target the signs of ageing by helping to improve the collagen elasticity in your skin.
These treatments include:
- Laser treatment - a non-invasive treatment including vascular laser treatment and pigmentation removal treatment to help rejuvenate the skin
- Chemical peels - a treatment that plumps and firms the skin and leaves you feeling fresh and reinvigorated
- Dermal fillers - an injection treatment where we add volume to your skin to smooth out unwanted lines
An anti-ageing treatment is one that targets the signs of ageing in a general manner - with the note that wrinkles are one of the signs of ageing which can cause distress for some! While the above treatments will certainly target wrinkles, an anti-wrinkle treatment is one that specifically seeks to address wrinkles on the skin.
Anti-wrinkle treatments
We know that as we get older our skin loses its plumpness and elasticity. One of the impacts of this is that our skin wrinkles, specifically around the corners of our eyes, around our mouth, and underneath our eyes. Thankfully there are plenty of treatments available which seek to address wrinkles and to target these areas.
Anti-wrinkle treatments include:
- Injectable treatments - specialist wrinkle treatments administered by Dr Mobin Master, accredited physician, can help to reduce the appearance of crow's feet and laugh lines, while keeping a natural and gentle look
- Skin needling - this treatment uses fine needles to stimulate collagen production and
- Specialist anti-wrinkle chemical peels - we offer a range of chemical peels to target your areas of concern, including TCA peels and Cosmelan peels
Anti-wrinkle treatments are important to get right, especially if you are considering injectables because you want to ensure you look natural, and not frozen.
The key difference between anti-ageing and anti-wrinkle?
Anti-ageing treatments work holistically to treat MANY signs of ageing - including wrinkles - while an anti-wrinkle treatment specifically targets wrinkles and aims to reduce the appearance of lines on the face.
