The anti-aging procedures available include a wide range of surgical and nonsurgical options. These treatments can address various problems, including fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, sun damage, and sagging skin.

Anti-aging treatments can help preserve youthfulness; many of these procedures are safe. Among the most popular are facials, injectables and fillers, laser treatments, and microneedling.

Botox

When you hear Botox, you may think of celebrities with too-tight faces or people called out in tabloids for “having work done.” However, this cosmetic anti-aging facial procedures has many medical benefits as well. Derived from the Clostridium botulinum toxin, Botox is FDA-approved to freeze certain facial muscles that cause wrinkles and lines temporarily. When injected, this formula limits movement within these muscles, softening fine lines and wrinkles and creating a smoother complexion.

Botox works best on dynamic wrinkles, which appear when you smile, frown, or squint. It also effectively minimizes lines on the forehead, such as those between your eyebrows or horizontal creases. The process of injection is painless and only takes 10 minutes. Your doctor will inject Botox using a small needle after applying topical anesthetic. The grid-like pattern of injections ensures that every muscle is treated.

Other medical benefits of Botox include treating chronic migraines, reducing excessive sweating, and decreasing urinary incontinence. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if this treatment suits you. Some patients experience bruising, swelling, or pain at the injection site after the procedure. It is important to avoid activities that require you to move the muscles around the injection area for one or two days after treatment. This will prevent the toxins from dislodging and traveling to places where they aren’t needed.

Fillers

The skin’s natural “scaffolding” — collagen — decreases production as you age, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles. Fillers add volume where needed, smoothing these wrinkles and restoring a youthful appearance. Dermal fillers can be made from a wide range of materials. These include hyaluronic acids (a sugar naturally found in the skin that plumps it up) and calcium-hydroxylapatite in the bones. The type of filler you use depends on what your concern is. These fillers are injected quickly, and the results can last up to one year. Examples include Radiesse(r) or Restylane(r).

ThermiTight is a nonsurgical method that can tighten loose skin on the neck. It uses radiofrequency to melt fat cells and stimulate collagen. It is one of the safest and most comfortable anti-aging treatments.

Another popular treatment is chemical peels, which remove the outermost layer from the skin. This can improve acne and reduce wrinkles. Your skin will be sensitive after a peel and may need some time to recover. However, you’ll see a noticeable difference in your complexion.

Lasers

Lasers are a good anti-aging procedure for patients looking to eliminate dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles and even unwanted hair. They also treat acne scars, rosacea and broken capillaries. Laser treatments are non-invasive, painless, and safe. They are an excellent alternative to oral analgesics (including Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and acetaminophen/Tylenol) and opiate pain medications such as OxyContin and Oxycodone that can be addictive, toxic, and have serious side effects.

Photons of laser light penetrate deep into the tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth, closing wounds quicker, reducing scar tissue and repairing damaged cells faster. Lasers increase blood flow to the area by causing temporary vasodilation.

Laser treatment results are usually long-lasting, whether used to remove unwanted hair, reduce fine lines and wrinkles or tighten the skin. However, some treatments may require regular maintenance to ensure the desired results remain.
 
Lasers are versatile and come in various shapes, sizes, and power levels. You can find lasers in surgery in hospitals, in dermatology clinics, and even on the device that reshapes the cornea of your eye during LASIK surgery. As you age, you may find your eyesight declining, and the need for laser eye surgery to improve your quality of life. Before you receive this treatment, you will want to do your research into recovery time, the procedure itself, and finding out figures for how much does lasik really cost, and comparing prices across different providers. 

Microneedling

This skin treatment encourages the production of collagen, which helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, and other signs of aging. It is similar to laser skin resurfacing and deep chemical peels but doesn’t involve removing tissue or significant downtime. The procedure is minimally invasive and takes 10 to 20 minutes. The practitioner will apply a numbing lotion and then use a rolling or pen-shaped tool that contains tiny needles to move around your face. The pinpricks injure the skin and trigger your body’s healing response. According to a study from 2018, the body sends collagen to the area to heal small wounds. This results in thicker and healthier skin. It may take multiple sessions of microneedling to achieve the desired results. You may need two or three sessions to remove fine lines and wrinkles, but five or more for stretch marks or burn scars.

Also, it can be used to reduce dark spots that may result from sun damage or scarring. The product has also been proven to reduce the appearance of large pores by increasing collagen production. The treatment also helps reduce hyperpigmentation by improving the expression matrix metalloproteases. This balances the melanin level in the skin. This treatment suits the face and other body parts, like the abdomen and thighs.