SKINCARE TREATMENTS FOR ANTI-AGING. APPROVED BY DERMATOLOGISTS.
What Causes Wrinkles?
Any discussion of anti-aging skincare and treatment starts with understanding how skin ages and wrinkles develop. There are a whole host of factors involved, but we can group them into 2 categories: intrinsic and extrinsic:
Intrinsic
Intrinsic aging simply results from the passage of time. It is genetically-programmed, and results in cells slowing down and becoming less responsive. Skin cell turnover in the epidermis slows, along with the skin’s ability to repair itself (so treat it gently!).
There is less natural exfoliation of skin cells from the skin surface, caused by changes to the type and amount of moisturising substances (ceramides, fatty acids, cholesterol) produced in older skin. Dried skin cells accumulate, giving skin a rough, dry, dull appearance.
Female hormones like oestrogen also play a part. Skin cells (including fibroblasts – cells that make collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid) have receptors that bind oestrogen. Around menopause, less circulating oestrogen means there’s less around to bind to cells, resulting in thinner, more wrinkled, frail and drier skin. This is more obvious in facial skin as these cells have more oestrogen receptors than other areas of the body (the reason signs of aging accelerate around menopause, and we start searching in earnest for the best anti-aging treatments and anti-wrinkle skincare).
Hormonally aged skin has:
Less collagen: 30% of skin collagen is lost in the first 5 postmenopausal years, with an average decline of 2% per year over a period of 15 years. Hormone replacement therapy can reduce this: one study of oestrogen replacement showed 33% increase in skin thickness over 12 months of therapy.
Decreased water content in the skin: xerosis (dry skin) is a common complaint in menopausal women, leading to loss of the skin’s barrier function and increased susceptibility to contact dermatitis reactions – in short, this means that this age group has more sensitive skin (one study also reported increased skin sensitivity in premenstrual and menstrual women, possibly as a result of lower oestrogen in this phase of the menstrual cycle)
Reduced skin elasticity – Degenerative changes in elastic fibres of menopausal women give rise to skin wrinkling and sagging.
Extrinsic
External lifestyle factors that contribute to aged skin include: sun exposure, smoking, pollution, diet, stress. These are typically things we can control versus the intrinsic factors. Read more about how diet can help with ‘future proofing’ your skin HERE.
Of these, the most important aging factor is damage caused by chronic UV exposure (also called ‘photodamage’ or ‘photoaging’). Around 90% of the changes we see in aged skin (rough, dry, deeply wrinkled, saggy skin with uneven texture and tone, depigmented white spots called ‘guttate hypomelanosis’ and broken vessels) are caused by the sun!
Chronic exposure the sun’s UV rays:
Tricks skin into overproducing skin cells (‘epidermal hyperplasia’) to thicken the epidermis to protect itself from the sun (called ‘hyperkeratosis’). The resulting appearance is rough, thickened skin without any glow.
Triggers melanin pigment production and the appearance of the dreaded ‘age spots’ and uneven skin tone (if you don’t believe us, compare the skin on your torso that doesn’t see as much sun vs the skin on your arms, chest, face and hands!)
Causes dilated and broken blood vessels (called ‘telangiectasia’ or ‘spider veins’)
Upregulates hormones in the skin that break down collagen and elastin – contributing to deeper wrinkles and saggy skin
Damages skin cell DNA both directly, and indirectly by producing DNA-damaging ROS (‘Reactive Oxygen Species’, also called ‘Free Radicals’). At the same time, it depletes our skin’s own supply of antioxidants (like vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, Coenzyme Q10 and others) so they can’t prevent free radical damage.
Don’t Forget Anti-Wrinkle Treatments For Your Neck And Decolletage!
Photodamage doesn’t just affect the face – your neck and chest are also in the firing line! A good reason to take your anti-wrinkle skincare past the jawline.
Click HERE to read more about neck/chest sun damage
What’s The Best Anti-Wrinkle And Anti-Aging Cream?
It’s no surprise that the least sexy and inexpensive anti-wrinkle skincare product in Australia is… SUNSCREEN!
Click HERE to read our tips for how to use sunscreen as part of your overall anti-aging skincare routine.
Pro Tip
You don’t need a specialized anti-aging eye cream or serum – the best anti-wrinkle eye cream in Australia is… (you guessed it) SUNSCREEN! Don’t forget to apply it around your eyes which are often the first place to show signs of aging.
HOW DO WE TREAT LINES & WRINKLES AT QR8 MEDISKIN?
We don’t just give you access to the best customised anti-aging skin treatments. We are the Australia’s go-to medical service for support so you can use them safely and effectively to get results:
We ask about triggers like occupational sun exposure and hormonal influences in our medical questionnaire so our doctors can invest time during your 1:1 video consult explaining the impact of these on your wrinkle and pigmentation treatment.
Our Skincare Support Team provides advice to all our patients on the best sun protection behaviours to protect against our harsh Australian sun, including support for the initial stages of retinoid treatment and tips to minimise retinoid dermatitis and purging that can sometimes happen when you start treatment. Our detailed written instructions also give advice on how to use your cream as an anti-wrinkle eye cream and antiaging neck cream. Our patients also receive personalised recommendations for sunscreens, and a guide for using sunscreen based on the best and latest evidence.
We design the best anti-wrinkle treatment cream for you – Our doctors use clinical guidelines developed by our in-house medical and scientific team, based on the most current and best-available evidence. They use these to design the best treatment for you – a skincare product with a customised blend of active ingredients that can be adjusted to suit your skin’s tolerance, allergies and sensitivity level, available only on prescription.
Can Over-The-Counter Anti-Aging Moisturizers, Eye Creams And Anti-Wrinkle Serums Really Produce Wrinkle-Free Skin?
No they can’t. At best, cosmetic anti-wrinkle moisturisers , serums and eye creams simply plump skin with added moisture to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It’s a temporary fix.
Our anti-aging products include a prescription retinoid – the only anti-aging ingredient backed by 100% of dermatologists, with scientific evidence that it works to reduce lines and wrinkles, improve sun damage, increase skin cell turnover and restore collagen production. If pigmentated age spots are present, we can also add fading ingredients like hydroquinone to target anti-aging and hyperpigmentation in the same cream.
Hydroquinone
Licorice
Prescription Retinoids
Resorcinol
Aza Acid
Niacinamide
Alpha-Arbutin
Resveratrol
Kojic Acid
HydrocortisoneRead more about how our prescription skincare service works in Body+Soul HERE
QR8 MEDISKIN VS COSMETIC SKINCARE
| Qr8 MediSkin | Over-the-counter/Cosmetic/ Cosmeceutical Skincare |
||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Fully customizable from 15 different evidence-based ingredients |  |
One product suits all |
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Penetrates through all skin layers to change skin’s function | |
Acts on outer skin layers to temporarily improve skin’s appearance |
|
Decades of scientific evidence and rigorous clinical trials proving safety and effectivenes | |
Doesn’t affect skin function so effectiveness studies not required |
|
Effective dose of ingredients | |
Low (often ineffective) dose of ingredients |
|
Only basic cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen required to support your treatment | |
Marketed as needing an extensive routine of products to get results (with constant new additions) |
|
Prescribed by medical doctors who know you and your skin, using the latest evidence-based protocols | |
Can be purchased over the counter or online without expert diagnosis |
|
Skincare support from a team of scientists, nurses, doctors and pharmacists | |
Minimal follow-up support |
HOW LONG BEFORE PRESCRIPTION RETINOIDS WORKS TO IMPROVE WRINKLED SKIN?
Here’s what science says about how long it takes for wrinkle (and other signs of photoaging) improvement with daily use of a prescriptions retinoid:
It’s possible to notice a difference this early. The skin cells within the skin barrier become compacted and epidermal water retention increases, resulting in overall smoother texture (if retinoid dermatitis is well managed). What you don’t see is the early changes to your skin cells’ turnover mechanism – they are getting ready to send fresh skin cells to the surface more frequently.
An overwhelming number of studies show that 0.05% of a prescription retinoid applied daily produces significant reductions in signs of photoaging like fine wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and roughness when compared to a cream that doesn’t contain a prescription retinoid. These results are after *daily* use – which is why we help you manage side effects to get you to an effective dose as quickly and safely as possible. In reality, if you’re a retinoid novice you will likely notice results closer to 6 months than 3.
Again, a vast array of studies show continued improvement in fine and coarse wrinkles, skin laxity and roughness at the 6+ month point, even when starting dose is low (0.025%) and increases (to 0.1%) during this time period. Daily use and the maximum tolerable dose is key to getting maximum results. This doesn’t mean that you need the highest dose if your skin doesn’t tolerate it – studies show significant improvement over 12 months, even with daily application of a low dose of a prescription retinoid (0.01% or 0.02%). Pigment reduction (age spots, PIH, freckles, melasma) become significant during this period, by the 10 month mark.
A 2 year study of daily 0.05% prescription retinoid use showed continued improvements in signs of photoaging, without untoward effects. A 4 year study showed continued clinical improvement and sustained results, again with no untoward effects on skin, the health of test subjects, or microscopically on skin cells or melanocytes.
Myths About Retinoids And Retinol
We discussed this with UK dermatologist, Dr Natalia Spierings in our Instagram Live Skin Sessions Series.
Click HERE to watch part 1.
Anti-Aging Skincare Starts With A Great (And Minimal!) Skincare Routine
Read what our founder, Dr Michele Squire, told our friends at UltraViolette about designing your best skincare routine ever!
References
