Wrinkle Treatment Consultations

What is involved in the treatment of facial wrinkles?

If you’re considering treatment for facial wrinkles, the first step is a comprehensive medical consultation with one of our experienced doctors. This ensures we understand the underlying causes of your wrinkles and can recommend the most suitable treatment plan.

  • Your doctor will take a detailed medical history to ensure the treatment is suitable and appropriate for you.
  • A thorough examination of your facial skin will be conducted, focusing on skin laxity, volume loss, texture, and expression lines.
  • We take standardised clinical photos and videos of your face, followed by a VISIA skin analysis to assess your skin at a deeper level.
  • Based on your assessment, we will provide a customised treatment plan, including detailed pricing. To give you time to make an informed decision, a cooling-off period is required before proceeding.
  • Your doctor will thoroughly explain the proposed treatment, ensuring you understand the process, expected results, and any necessary aftercare.
  • Before starting treatment, we will discuss the potential risks and benefits, and you will be asked to complete a consent form to confirm your understanding.

Our doctors offer consultations for the treatment of wrinkles at our Lower Templestowe and Berwick clinics. To book an appointment, contact us today 1300 863 824.

What causes facial wrinkles?

Facial wrinkles can develop for a variety of reasons, often due to a combination of natural ageing, lifestyle factors, and environmental influences. Understanding the different types of wrinkles can help in choosing the most effective treatment.

  • Atrophic wrinkles – These occur due to the loss of underlying skin structures, including subcutaneous fat and volume. As a result, the skin becomes thinner and more prone to creasing.
  • Dynamic wrinkles – These form during facial muscle contractions, such as when you smile, frown, or squint. They are most noticeable when expressing emotions.
  • Static wrinkles – Over time, repeated muscle movements cause collagen and elastin to break down, leading to wrinkles that remain visible even when the face is at rest.
  • Sleep wrinkles – These develop due to repeated compression of the face against pillows during sleep, leading to fine lines and creases over time.
  • Laxity wrinkles – A combination of gravity, sun exposure, and natural ageing weakens the skin’s structure, resulting in sagging and the formation of deeper wrinkles.

By understanding the different types of wrinkles and their causes, you can take proactive steps to maintain youthful looking skin. If you’re concerned about facial wrinkles, a professional consultation can help determine the best treatment options for you.

Choosing the most beneficial wrinkle treatment

Selecting the right wrinkle treatment requires a comprehensive understanding of several factors, ensuring that the approach aligns with your unique skin needs and aesthetic goals. By considering the following key aspects, you can make a more informed decision about suitable treatment options for you.

Age and Skin Condition

Age plays a significant role in determining the most suitable treatment. Younger individuals may benefit more from preventative treatments, such as a high-quality skincare routine with retinoids and peptides. In contrast, older individuals with deeper, static wrinkles may require targeted in-clinic wrinkle treatments to restore lost volume, boost collagen production, and improve skin elasticity.

Understanding the Types of Wrinkles

It’s important to differentiate between dynamic and static wrinkles to choose the most effective treatment:

  • Dynamic wrinkles are caused by repetitive facial movements, such as smiling or frowning. Treatments targeting muscle relaxation are typically recommended.
  • Static wrinkles form due to collagen breakdown and skin laxity, leading to wrinkles that remain visible even at rest. Treatments that restore volume and stimulate collagen production are more suitable.

Desired Results and Expectations

The ideal treatment depends on the results you hope to achieve:

  • If you prefer gradual improvements with minimal downtime, skincare products enriched with retinoids and peptides, or light chemical peels, may be the most suitable.
  • If you seek faster, more dramatic results, in-clinic treatments like laser skin resurfacing or targeted wrinkle procedures may be more effective. While results vary, a tailored approach can help achieve a more youthful, refreshed appearance.

Non-Surgical Treatments vs. Skincare Solutions

Deciding between non-surgical procedures and topical skincare treatments is another crucial factor:

  • Non-surgical treatments, such as laser resurfacing, injectables, or microneedling, target visible signs of ageing, including wrinkles, fine lines, and volume loss.
  • Skincare-based approaches, including high-quality serums, chemical peels, and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments, help with wrinkle prevention and long-term skin maintenance by improving collagen production, skin texture, and tone.

Addressing the Root Causes of Wrinkles

Instead of focusing only on visible wrinkles, treatments that target the underlying causes of skin ageing can provide more sustainable results. For instance, boosting collagen production and skin elasticity helps maintain firmer, smoother skin over time.

Prevention and Long-Term Maintenance

For long-term results, combining preventative measures with in-clinic targeted wrinkle treatments can help slow down the ageing process. To maintain healthy looking skin, consider:

  • Daily sunscreen use to protect against UV damage
  • A well-balanced diet rich in antioxidants
  • Adequate hydration to support skin elasticity
  • A consistent skincare routine with active ingredients
  • Preventative treatments like light chemical peels, IPL, or microneedling to maintain collagen levels
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Wrinkles caused by muscle movement

This diagram illustrates muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles through repetitive contraction, with the green arrows indicating the direction of muscle movement. Repeated skin creasing, along with volume loss from fat depletion, can lead to the formation of static wrinkles.

Types of face wrinkles

Understanding the types of face wrinkles, including where in the skin they occur, is essential for both prevention and treatment. The skin, our body’s largest organ, is composed of three main layers: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis serves as a protective barrier, while the dermis, rich in collagen and elastin fibres, provides strength and elasticity. The subcutaneous layer consists of fat and connective tissue that cushions and insulates the body.

Wrinkle formation is primarily due to the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the dermis, often exacerbated by repetitive muscle movements, sun exposure, and ageing. This degradation leads to reduced skin volume and elasticity, resulting in visible lines and creases.

Dynamic vs static wrinkles

Wrinkles can be broadly categorised into dynamic and static wrinkles.

Dynamic wrinkles, also known as expression lines, form due to repetitive facial muscle movements. These lines are most noticeable when we make facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, or squinting. Common areas affected by dynamic wrinkles include around the eyes, frown lines between the eyebrows, and horizontal lines on the forehead. Typically fine and shallow, dynamic wrinkles become more pronounced with movement but may be less visible when the face is at rest. Treatments for dynamic wrinkles will often focus on relaxing the underlying muscles.

In contrast, static wrinkles are present even when the face is at rest. These deeper lines result from a combination of ageing, repetitive facial movements, and the loss of collagen and elastin. Over time, the skin loses its ability to bounce back, leading to permanent creases and folds. Static wrinkles commonly appear on the cheeks, around the mouth, neck, and can overlap with dynamic wrinkle areas such as the forehead and frown lines. Addressing static wrinkles typically requires treatments that restore volume and stimulate collagen production.

What are the most common facial areas treated?

Other common areas assessed when considering suitable wrinkle treatments include;

  • Forehead: Repeatedly raising the eyebrows creates wrinkles on the forehead. Over time, these lines can deepen and become more prominent. Additionally, the natural ageing process can lead to fat loss in the forehead area, making these wrinkles more noticeable. This combination of repetitive muscle movement and volume loss contributes to the development and visibility of forehead wrinkles.
  • Glabella: Glabella lines are vertical lines that form between the eyebrows. These lines are primarily caused by repeated muscle movements such as frowning, squinting, or concentrating. Over time, the repeated contraction of the muscles in this area, specifically the corrugator and procerus muscles, leads to the formation of these lines. As the skin loses elasticity with age, these lines can become deeper and more pronounced, even when the face is at rest.

  • Brows: Loss of skin elasticity, redistribution of fat pads and bone reabsorption due to ageing can lead to eyebrows drooping. Droopy brows can push the upper eyelid skin downward, creating a hooded appearance, and contribute to the formation of wrinkles at the outer corners of the eyes. Evaluating the brow height and shape when assessing wrinkles around the eye area will assist in determining whether drooping of the eyebrows is contributing to skin wrinkles around the eye area. Also, with the descent of the eyebrows and eyelids, often an elevation of the frontalis (forehead muscle) ensues, and this forms forehead wrinkling.

  • Melomental Folds: These are lines running from the corners of the mouth down to the chin, creating a downturned expression. Medical treatments are available to stop the mouth corners from pulling down which helps reduce the pull of muscles on the mouth and lower face, making the melomental folds less pronounced.

  • Upper Lip: The same factors that contribute to upper lip lines can also contribute to wrinkles in nearby areas. For example, frequent puckering or pursing of the lips and smoking can exacerbate lines around the mouth and contribute to melomental folds.

  • Neck Lines:  The platysma muscle is responsible for vertical bands or cords that can form on the neck as we age. While the primary effect of treating the platysma muscle is on the neck and jawline, there can be secondary benefits for facial wrinkles. For example, treating the platysma can indirectly affect the appearance of wrinkles around the mouth and chin by reducing downward tension, therefore minimising the drag of the platysma muscle on the face.

  • Chin: A more prominent mental crease (horizontal crease underneath your lower lip and above your chin) or dimples on the chin with expressions such as pursing of the lips, can coincide with changes in other facial areas due to shared ageing mechanisms, such as decreased skin thickness, reduced subcutaneous fat, bone reabsorption and diminished muscle tone. Treatments to reduce dimpling of the chin or to decrease the appearance of the mental crease may be considered when assessing the face for suitable wrinkle reducing treatment options.

A consultation and assessment with a doctor are required prior to any form of treatment to determine the most suitable plan for your needs.

What to expect from wrinkle treatment

Expectations for wrinkle treatment can vary significantly depending on the specific treatment chosen and individual skin characteristics. Treatments can range from medical wrinkle reducing procedures, laser treatments, chemical peels, microneedling and IPL, as well as at home skin care regimens.

While expectations for wrinkle treatments can vary based on the specific procedure, understanding the steps and processes involved when looking for wrinkle reducing treatments helps you know what to anticipate, no matter which treatment is chosen.

Medical Consultation: Patients seeking to reduce wrinkles receive a comprehensive consultation with a medical practitioner. During this consultation a VISIA Skin Analysis scan is performed and clinical photographs are taken. Using this information, your practitioner will assess your skin condition, review your medical history, discuss your concerns, and create a personalised treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. This plan may include a combination of in-clinic treatments and at-home skincare regimens.

Treatment Process: Upon arrival for your treatment, you will have clinical photographs taken, as well as a VISIA Skin Analysis Scan. These are performed every visit to track the progress of your skin.

Numbing cream will then be applied in preparation for your procedure, if it is required. Some wrinkle treatments, including collagen stimulating treatments, require you to attend earlier for the application of numbing cream. Some examples include skin needling, microneedling and other collagen stimulating treatments. Other wrinkle reducing treatments do not require numbing prior and are relatively quick to perform.

Risks and side effects of wrinkle treatment

It is important to understand that treatments for wrinkles do carry risks and will likely require a recovery period or downtime.

The risks of treatment may include; bruising, swelling, infection, redness of the skin, scarring, and other risks. There are also cosmetic risks, that include an undesirable outcome, over-treatment or under-treatment.

 

FAQs

Who is a candidate for wrinkle consultations?

Candidates for wrinkle consultations are those with one or more of the following concerns:

Can wrinkles be removed permanently?

It is important to understand that ageing is a natural and ongoing process. The effects of the treatment are not permanent, nor do they stop the future formation of wrinkles. The effect of the treatments will depend on the client, the type of treatment, the treatment area, and the number of treatments performed.

Why choose Victorian Cosmetic Institute to provide your consultation for wrinkles?

The doctors at Victorian Cosmetic Institute are trained in all areas of non-surgical skin rejuvenation. We will listen to your concerns and help you decide what treatments suit you, considering your goals and the amount of downtime or recovery that may be involved. We will discuss with you what is a realistic and achievable outcome and what to expect.

For your initial medical consultation you can book online or phone us directly on 1300 863 824.

Last updated July 2024