Fine Lines: How To Diffuse Their Appearance

Everyone Will Experience Wrinkles

“Lines and wrinkles form on our faces for a few different reasons,” explains skincare expert Dr Sophie Shotter. “Movement causes creasing in mobile areas of the face, and some fine lines are simply textural due to elastin and collagen loss. The latter is particularly important to focus on – we move our facial muscles when we’re 18 but we don’t get wrinkles. The thing that changes is the structural integrity of our skin, which causes these lines and wrinkles to become fixed in our faces even while at rest.” Dr Anjali Mahto, consultant dermatologist at Skin55 agrees: “Fine lines are common and tend to become more noticeable on the face before other parts of the body, which are usually more covered up. This is due to chronic sun exposure – in fact, roughly 80% of skin ageing occurs directly from the ultraviolet light of the sun so be mindful and always wear SPF.” 

There Is No One-Size-Fits All Approach

“When it comes to treating fine lines and wrinkles, it very much depends on their severity, alongside several lifestyle factors, like smoking,” adds Dr Anjali. “The good news is very fine lines can be tackled by certain retinoids or vitamin A. While they won’t get rid of them entirely, they will reduce their appearance by increasing cell turnover, resulting in more even tone. Deeper lines, however, often need to be targeted with injectable treatments – skincare alone cannot penetrate deep enough into the layers of the skin to create meaningful change here.” Dr Sophie adds: “Even using injectables isn’t always possible to completely erase deep wrinkles. For me, treatment isn’t an either or – topical treatments and injectables tend to go hand in hand, as we always need to keep our skin stimulated to keep our collagen bank topped-up.” 

It Pays To Invest In A Good Retinol 

“Retinol is the hero ingredient for combatting fine lines and wrinkles,” advises Dr Sophie. “It’s an anti-ageing powerhouse that’s responsible for stimulating the fibroblasts to produce more of the skin’s essential proteins, resulting in firmer, smoother-looking skin. AHAs are key as well. Fine lines and wrinkles can look worse due to a build-up of dead keratinocytes on the surface of the skin, but AHAs will exfoliate these away, resulting in wrinkles looking and feeling less deep.” Dr Anjali adds: “Retinoids can cause peeling and irritation when first used, so caution is required and usage should be built up slowly in terms of tolerance. Always apply it at night-time, too, post-cleanse. La Roche Posay’s Redermic R, Medik8 Crystal Retinal and SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5 is a great place to start.” 

You Shouldn’t Underestimate Hyaluronic Acid

“Hyaluronic acid is one of the most accessible remedies for fine lines,” claims Dr Sophie. “It works to stimulate the fibroblast cells, and regular use in a moisturiser or serum will help minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by plumping them out.” Dr Anjali agrees: “It functions well as a humectant and is able to bind 1000x its weight in water. You can also find it in injectable treatments, known as dermal fillers. Here, it can be used to add volume to areas of the skin which have become depleted to minimise skin sagging. It can help create structure and framework to the face and lips, too.” 

Where Possible, Take Preventative Measures Early 

“Collagen production switches off around the age of 25 for all skin types, and depletes gradually by 1-1.5% per year thereafter,” explains Dr Sophie. “If you are a smoker, or have used a lot of UV tanning beds, for example, you may find you have premature collagen loss. The perfect age to start working on prevention is from 25 – though the treatment you adopt will vary between individuals. As a bare minimum, good quality, medical grade skincare is the best place for everyone to start. It’s also worth avoiding the 4 S’s if you can, which includes smoking, sunlight, stress and sugar. All these things will deplete your natural collagen levels more quickly.” 

There Are Several Treatment Options

“While retinol is a great topical remedy, microneedling, laser and Botox are all effective treatments for longer-lasting results,” says Dr Anjali. “Which is best for you depends on what the main cause of concern is – as well as the extent of wrinkling. Microneedling can be used to boost collagen and improve overall skin tone, including minor scarring from acne. As for laser, this is often the most effective as it can penetrate different layers of the skin, targeting everything from redness to pigmentation and wrinkles. Finally, Botox can be useful for targeting skin creases or wrinkles if you find topical remedies aren’t cutting it. The effects aren’t permanent and usually wear off in about three months, but the treatment is simple and straightforward when carried out by an expert.” 
 Shop Our Edit Of The Best Topical Remedies Below…