How To Get Rid of Wrinkles

Just about a year ago I began to notice wrinkles appearing on my forehead. I'm 25, have always taken great care of my skin, and wrinkles weren't even something I was considering worrying about for at least another ten years.

Since I was in high school I have religiously exfoliated and moisturized everyday. Sure, I'm a beach bum, but never without sunscreen. So, why was I starting to see wrinkles? As soon as I noticed them my first thought was "genetics! This is my mother's fault!" While it's true that genetics play a part, my dermatologist assured me that the main cause of wrinkles is sun exposure. Do I wear SPF in the winter? Of course not! I live in NYC. Winter's freezing. I don't have to worry about UV rays.

Wrong!

So, much to my dismay I learned I alone am responsible for those unholy lines appearing on my forehead.

After sun exposure, the next major cause of wrinkles is smoking. I'm happy to say I'm not a smoker, nor have I ever been. Also, simply living causes wrinkles. Expressions cause wrinkles. Yes, expressions. So I decided that I would not move my face (easier said then done). I tried not to raise my brow, furrow my brow, widen my eyes, etc...it didn't work. The more I thought about it, the more my face moved.

I went back to my dermatologist (who, by the way, thinks I'm a nutcase) out of pure determination to concur my wrinkles. I wouldn't give up without a fight. My doctor went through the options with me.

Let's start with what we know. We've all heard of botox. Botox, or botulinum toxin, is a toxic protein used to paralyze facial muscles thus temporarily reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Botox is injected using a needle and syringe, and has virtually no recovery time. While Botox might be a great option for some people out there, it seems odd to me. Botox does nothing to actually get rid of wrinkles, instead it simply stops your muscles from contracting, which in effect makes your face look, well, frozen. I didn't want to freeze my face, nor did I want to temporarily hide the wrinkles. I wanted them gone.

So moving on, there is microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion is a process in which damaged skin is literally removed. It permanently lessens the appearance of scars and permanently aids in the reduction of wrinkles. At one point microdermabrasion was only available in a doctor's office or spa, but now there are rather inexpensive kits you can buy to use from the comfort of your own home. This was something that sounded promising to me, it was something I could do myself, for not very much money and it would give me lasting results. What's not to love?

Next I was told about different oils that I could use on my skin to plump it up. Basically, wrinkles appear more defined when your skin is dry. So adding moisture helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles. My dermatologist recommended silkia camellia oil which you can find easily on the internet or at specialty stores. This also sparked my interest. While it would actually get rid of wrinkles, it was a cheap solution to hold me over for a while.

Lastly my doctor recommended a product by Prescriptives called Super Line Preventer Xtreme. It sounded silly, and it's a little expensive, but she assured me many of her patients experienced excellent results. The product is sort of like a thick liquid you apply to your face. What's in it? I have no idea. My doctor told me that there is no miracle vitamin or ingredient that will get rid of wrinkles. Instead, Prescriptives loads this product with a lot of different vitamins and other things that are good for your skin. I liked that - that they weren't claiming they found some magical fix to get rid of wrinkles. I also likes that this product is also preventative.

My doctor also told me about prescription medications that help. I decided to hold off on those, and see if I could get my skin under control using over the counter products. In addition to using products, my doctor enforced what I already knew. Exfoliate daily. Mosturize daily. Use SPF in fall, summer, spring, and winter. Cold weather does not cancel out UV rays.

I decided to go for it and use most of what she suggested I use. I started with Prescriptives Super Line Preventer Xtreme. I bought it off of the Prescriptives website. Almost immediately after my first use my skin felt smoother and looked better. It was hard to explain, but I started getting compliments on my skin. I continued using it once a day on my face. Slowly over the course of a few months I started to notice my wrinkles become less and less deep. My skin become smoother and looked more alive in a way. It also seemed firmer. All around, I was very happy with this product and continue to use it everyday. As far as preventing wrinkles goes...well it's hard to say. Have I gotten more wrinkles since I began using it? No. But I'm young so my age could account for that. Either way, better safe then sorry.

About three months into using the Prescriptives product I looked into at home microdermabrasion kits. I chose Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvinator, The Anti Aging Power Treatment Kit. I've always had luck with Neutrogena products and this one got great reviews. You basically massage your face for a few minutes with a puff. It felt nice. After about two weeks I began to notice a significant reduction in my forehead lines.

Lastly I began using silkia camellia oil. I had high hopes for this product. Maybe if I had started to use it before the Prescriptives and Neutrogena products I would have noticed a difference. It didn't do much, maybe it made my skin a little smoother.

After about 5 months of using Prescriptives and Neutrogena products, I can barely see the wrinkles. They're not completely gone, and I wouldn't expect them to me but I can only see them if I really look. It's pretty amazing how far technology behind skin car has come. I was skeptical - "Could I really get rid of my wrinkles?" Well, the answer is YES!

I hope this helps anyone who is looking to lessen the appearance of wrinkles without harsh treatments or surgery.