Types of Wrinkles & How to Treat Them at TPS

Most men and women would say they do not like growing older. Or, at the very least, they do not like the signs of aging that accompany it. This is why treatments to prevent or eliminate wrinkles and other signs of aging are some of the most popular we perform at Toronto Plastic Surgeons. Read on to learn more about the different types of wrinkles, what causes them, and how the TPS team can treat them.

Types of Wrinkles

Before we talk about specific types of facial wrinkles, you should first know there are two main types of wrinkles: Static and Dynamic.

Dynamic wrinkles are caused by our facial expressions. Until you’re older, you won’t see them when your face is in its neutral position. As we age and our collagen production dies down, these dynamic wrinkles eventually become more permanent, ultimately becoming static wrinkles.

Static wrinkles are wrinkles that stay in the face even in its neutral state. These wrinkles can begin in our late 20’s and 30’s and only deepen over time. Some common areas that wrinkles appear include the following:

Forehead Lines
Raising our eyebrows, which happens naturally as we emote and speak, moves the skin of the forehead up and causes these dynamic wrinkles.

Marionette Lines
These are static wrinkles running down from the corners of the mouth to the chin, caused by laughing and smiling.

Crow’s Feet
These dynamic types of eye wrinkles are found in the outer corner of the eyes and are caused by squinting and smiling.

Bunny Lines
A bunny line is one of the dynamic types of wrinkle that appears on the sides of the nose. This can happen when we frequently scrunch our faces from laughing, smiling, sneezing, or coughing.

Vertical Lip Lines
These lip lines can be both static and dynamic types of wrinkles. They are caused by things like sun damage, talking, and smoking.

Nasolabial Folds
These types of wrinkles are vertical wrinkles that run from your nostrils to your lips. These are static wrinkles, meaning they can be present even when the face is neutral.

Frown Lines
These types of facial wrinkles begin to form between the brows and are caused by furrowing the brow when we are concentrated, squinting, and of course, frowning.

What Causes Wrinkles?

Wrinkles are a deeply unfortunate part of the aging process. In simple terms, your body produces less collagen and elastin for your skin as you age. These are the two proteins that allow your skin to stay firm yet plump enough to bounce back.

What causes wrinkles to show up on some faces faster than others? There are a number of factors involved.

Sun Damage
You want a nice healthy tan, but you also need to keep in mind that too much sun can cause your skin to age prematurely. You need to always remain very mindful of the sun as you age, and know that exposure to its ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause wrinkles, particularly when your skin is older and has less collagen.

Experts will recommend that you take your sun exposure seriously and always spring for a high quality SPF sunscreen (SPF 15 -30 plus) and find some shade wherever possible.

Pollution
If there is a lot of pollution in your city’s air, there is also a lot of pollution touching your skin. As a matter of fact, a study by the Journal of Investigative Dermatology revealed that women in urban cities had more wrinkles than women living in rural areas over a 24-year period. They also had 20% more pigment spots on their foreheads and cheeks.

Fortunately, Toronto has done a lot to fight airborne pollution over the years. Many of us remember how bad things were in 1988 when the smog index hit a disgusting range between 80-90. However, after taking serious measures to clean up the air, we got it down to the 50s in 2005 and saw our first smog-free summer in 2014.

Sleep
Get your beauty sleep, people! If you can’t convince yourself to turn in early and turn off Netflix, you should know that fatigue causes wrinkles.

You probably already knew that a lack of sleep can make your face look puffy the next day, and you will start to see bags under your eyes. Prolonged periods of inadequate sleep can also make those bags deeper, darker, and more pronounced. And as your body ages, you lose the ability to get rid of those bags, even if you do start sleeping more.

At the same time, not getting enough sleep has a negative impact on the pH levels in your skin and hurts your cells’ ability to remain properly hydrated.

Hydration
Like a lack of sleep, if you’re not getting enough water, you’re going to run into a whole host of health problems. Dehydrated skin looks… well… dehydrated. Your skin needs water to maintain its elasticity and youthful glow.

How much water should you be getting? You may have heard the 8-glasses-a-day-standard thrown around pretty regularly. However, according to The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the proper numbers are:

• About 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) of fluids a day for men.
• About 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) of fluids a day for women.

Cigarettes and Alcohol
There is no health benefit to smoking cigarettes—only drawbacks. But it can be particularly bad for your face. Smoking can hurt your face’s ability to get enough blood, which can lead to wrinkles and other signs of aging. In fact, research has revealed that the average smoker looks about a year and a half older than the average non-smoker.

Meanwhile, prolonged alcohol usage is also not good for your skin. As anyone with a hangover will tell you, alcohol dehydrates your body, which can hurt your skin in all the ways we described above. At the same time, alcohol also prevents you from getting the restful sleep you need.

Stress
They say that you wear your stress on your face and there is so much truth in that.

Let’s start by revisiting our last 3 categories. When you’re stressed, you’re more likely to:

• Struggle with your sleep patterns.
• Fail to drink enough water, but…
• Drink more alcohol and smoke cigarettes as a way of coping.

You’re also most likely going to spend a lot more time squinting and frowning. Both expressions can lead to wrinkles, particularly as you age and your body is not producing as much collagen or elastin.

How to Fight Wrinkles

Luckily, there are a number of effective ways to reduce aging in the face and take a few years off of your appearance.

Here are some of our most popular wrinkle-reducing procedures offered by Toronto Plastic Surgeons.

Facelift

Despite the growth of the non-surgical facial procedure market, the traditional facelift is still immensely popular and one of the most impactful ways to fight wrinkles in the face.

In fact, the facelift may actually be more popular than ever. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s (AAFPRS) annual survey revealed that 69% of surveyed surgeons said they have seen an increase in the demand for facelifts during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Overall, 70% said they saw an increase in overall business, and 90% of those respondents said that their increase was 10% or higher. Interestingly enough, over 80% attributed their spike in business to the Zoom Boom.

The facelift is for people that are tired of anti-aging masks or creams, and want something that actually works. They are pretty sure they want a facelift, but they may not know what kind.

Our clinic currently offers 3 different types of facelift procedures:

Full Facelift
Of course, wrinkles are only one of the ways aging impacts your face. You could also be dealing with:

• Unwanted extra volume or a lack of volume
• Sagging turkey neck skin or double chin
• Deep and dark bags under your eyes

A facelift is a comprehensive way to address all of these issues, while giving you a tighter and more youthful appearance.

Dr. Bell has elevated the facelift to an art form, and knows how to create restorative, yet natural-looking results. He knows how to completely avoid the overdone or overstretched look that has become associated with bad facelifts. He knows how to simply make you look like the best version of yourself.

Mid Facelift
If most of your wrinkles and sagging show up in your mid-face area, the mid facelift can actually give you a more targeted treatment.

This procedure focuses on the unwanted signs of aging in the nose and eye area. This could include:

• Wrinkles
• Deep furrows
• Crows feet
• Bags or puffiness under the eyes

This would give you more precise attention to these areas than a traditional facelift.

Mini Facelift
This procedure is very popular among people in their 30s and 40s. They are looking to stay ahead of the aging process with some rejuvenation treatments to keep their youthful glow, or they aren’t quite seeing enough wrinkles or sagging for a full-blown facelift just yet.

It involves a very small incision and a very short scar, and it can take years off of your face.

A Lunchtime Facelift
This is essentially a nonsurgical mini-facelift. It can give you immediate results with no downtime, and can be done in about an hour (hence the name).

The procedure involves Botox treatments treating the frown lines in the forehead area, while dermal fillers are used to treat the lower face. We also use a unique combination of laser procedures to remove bumps, age spots, and scars.

Other ‘Lifts’ and Wrinkle Solutions

The facelift is a remarkably effective way to fight wrinkles in the facial area, but it’s not the ideal solution for everyone.

Our clinic offers a number of other procedures that may be a better fit for your specific goals. They are more targeted to a specific area, yet more affordable, so they may be exactly what you need.

Brow Lift (Forehead Lift)

This procedure really locks into the upper face and brow area for both men and women. It can address wrinkles, deep furrows, frown lines, and any other forms of unevenness. Your surgeon will skillfully treat the areas on your brow, forehead, and eyebrows.

This is a very popular procedure with people that are struggling with sagging or hooded upper eyelids that can make you look far older than you are, or perpetually tired.

Neck Lift (Chin Lift)

Extra fat or skin in the lower jaw and chin area is one of the most popular complaints that people come to us with. This has been a particularly prevalent issue during these work-from-home days and more people are hating the way they look on video calls.

A neck lift can:

• Tighten and lift loose or sagging skin
• Give you a more defined chin and jawline area
• Tighten lax neck muscles
• Remove unwanted fat

Our team’s esteemed Dr. Thomas Bell has been recognized as one of Toronto’s premier neck surgeons. At the same time, his meticulous approach and personal level of care have created some of the best neck lift outcomes in the city.

Non-Surgical Wrinkle Treatments

FaceTite

FaceTite is a non-invasive skin-tightening, fat-melting, and wrinkle-reducing procedure that improves skin laxity in the face and neck to create a more rejuvenated look. The procedure uses an internal, “under-the-skin” probe to directly heat the skin’s sub-dermis, causing it to tighten and lift the skin.

Fractional CO2 Laser

The CO2 Fractional Laser offers incredible non-surgical results in skin rejuvenation. Using advanced laser technology, the CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser works to remove the outermost layers of damaged skin to reveal softer, smoother, younger-looking skin underneath.

Fractional Erbium Laser

Fractional Erbium Laser resurfacing is deeper and the most advanced laser procedures available for aging skin, acne scarring, and sun-damage. Erbium Laser procedures stimulate collagen to promote skin tightening, removing fine lines, and wrinkles in the process. It is a safe and non-surgical option for obtaining youthful skin with minimal downtime.

Fractora

The Fractora handpiece sends 24 silicone coated needles into the depths of the skin (dermis). The tip of each Fractora needle is uncoated and releases radiofrequency (RF) energy deep in the dermis. This thermal RF injury is fractional (leaves some skin uninjured) and causes a breakdown of surrounding tissue which heals with new collagen and elastic from undamaged adjacent skin. The coated needle also preserves the outer layer of the skin, for less downtime.

Morpheus8

The Morpheus8 is a fractional Radiofrequency device that uses silicone-coated needles to lift and tighten fat and support tissues of the face, neck, and body. The Morpheus8 is a new and innovative industry-leading technology that is used to lift, tighten, contour, and smoothen soft tissue skin laxity and irregularity. The Morpheus8 has many applications and one of which is the non-surgical neck-lift, facelift, blepharoplasty, and brow-lift.

Non-Facelift Procedures

Not everybody wants or needs a facelift. This is why our clinic offers other procedures to help combat wrinkles.

Facial Fat Grafting

Facial fat grafting, also known as micro fat transplantation, is an injection-based procedure for wrinkles that takes fat cells donated from another area of the body designated by you and your surgeon. This donor area is usually a location where you have unwanted excess fat, such as the stomach or legs. After the fat is removed, the fat cells and stem cells are separated from the other unwanted elements, such as blood anesthesia.

Then, the fat is injected through small incisions into the required area, such as your cheek, temple, lips or forehead. This helps to minimize wrinkles, plump the injected area, and revitalize the youthfulness of the skin. You also get the added benefit of slimming the area from which the donor fat came.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal soft tissue fillers are the best alternative to facial fat grafting. These types of injections for wrinkles include HA gel, Juvederm, Revanesse, Restylane or Teosyal.

There are a few advantages to using these Dermal soft tissue fillers. Firstly, they do not require a fat donor site to be taken from to inject. Secondly, they often provide less facial swelling and bruising after the procedure. Finally, an often-appealing effect is that results are immediate. However, unlike facial fat grafting, where the cells can survive for many years, the disadvantage of gel dermal fillers is they only last about 9-14 months before wearing off and require reapplication.

Botox

Botox is an injectable purified non-animal protein derived from the bacterium clostridium botulinum. Botox temporarily relaxes muscles, helping to soften lines.

You’ve probably heard of Botox and its cosmetic use of reducing and removing fine lines from the face, and for a good reason: it works. And it’s not just for the celebrities anymore! It’s one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the world for removing concerns like crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead wrinkles.

Rewind the Clock with Toronto Plastic Surgeons

Our incredibly skilled surgeons have helped countless people just like you. Dr. Bell is one of Canada’s most sought-after and in-demand facial surgeons because of his incredible outcomes and his uniquely personalized level of care.

At The Toronto Plastic Surgeons, we specialize in helping to reduce and remove lines and wrinkles on the face for both men and women. We perform our procedures with integrity, expertise, and professionalism.

If you’re ready to see what’s possible, we’re ready to show it to you. Book a consultation today with one of our experts to see how attainable looking 10 years younger can truly be.