None — As we get older, the effects of time become more evident, especially on the face. Natural skin fibers (collagen and elastin) weaken and the skin becomes thinner and looser. Gravity adds to the problem, pulling on the sagging skin causing it to stretch further.
While the process of skin aging starts in our 20's, the effects usually don't become visible for many years. The rate of skin aging varies from one person to another. Heredity, sun exposure, smoking and skin care all play a role in skin damage and the formation of wrinkles. Even sleeping position can influence wrinkle formation because "sleep lines" eventually become permanently etched into the face.
A "New" Wrinkle Treatment?
There are many different types of treatments for aging skin, from topical products and fillers to lasers and facelifts. One potential medication that may eventually show promise as a wrinkle-fighter is a cancer treatment drug, called 5-fluorouracil. When given intravenously to cancer patients, doctors noticed an unusual side effect in those with actinic keratoses (red or brown scaly spots that can develop into skin cancer). Patients developed redness and inflammation around the area of the skin lesion, and eventually, the actinic keratoses would disappear.
Those findings led to the development of a topical form of 5-fluorouracil for actinic keratoses. Then, researchers noticed another side effect, softening and smoothing of the skin in the treated area, giving the appearance of younger-looking skin.
Investigators at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor recently completed a study of topical 5-fluorouracil (EFUDEX®) that looked into the drug's anti-aging effects. 21 participants with actinic keratoses and sun-damaged skin applied EFUDEX to their lesions twice a day for two weeks. Then biopsies were taken of the treated areas.
When applied to the skin, 5-fluorouracil causes an intentional injury to the tissue, stimulating wound healing and skin remodeling. In fact, Dermatologist Dana Sachs, M.D., says the effects of 5-fluorouracil were comparable to that seen with mild to medium chemical peel or laser skin resurfacing.
Sachs says the study needs to be repeated in a larger number of people to confirm the results. In the meantime, she cautions against use of topical 5-fluorouracil as a wrinkle fighter. The treatment causes a great deal of skin redness and inflammation that lasts for several weeks. She also says patients with fewer actinic keratoses had a less vigorous reaction to the treatment, so it may not produce the same results just for wrinkles.
For general information about wrinkles or facial rejuvenation:
American Academy of Dermatology, http://www.aad.org, or http://www.skincarephysicians.com/agingskinnet
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, http://www.asds.net