The appearance of wrinkles as people age can often be met with displeasure. One day a person will glance in the mirror to see laugh lines, crow's feet and other marks of the natural aging process. Over the years, many formulas and creams have been developed promising wrinkle reduction. The advancement in technology and surgical techniques has led to a greater interest in cosmetic surgery for wrinkle reduction. Men and women alike get wrinkles over time. Although the severity of wrinkles varies, loss of skin vitality in aging skin causes it to be less able to repair damage and retain critical moisture.

When people age, the collagen and elastin framework of the skin starts collapsing and skin cell generation slows down. Since the sebaceous glands produce less oil, the visible top layer of skin is more dehydrated and the cellular turnover become s slower causing deep creases or thin surface lines. People wishing to have wrinkle reduction will go to varying lengths in order to have these lines become less visible.

Currently, the most frequently performed cosmetic procedure in the United States is Botox, a temporary procedure for wrinkle reduction. The availability of wrinkle reduction methods like Botox has become an alternative to invasive procedures like facelifts. The ability to have wrinkle reduction without surgery yet still have pleasing results has accounted for the 153 percent increase in Botox treatments from 2002 to 2003. T his minimally invasive procedure allows people to gain wrinkle reduction without any downtime.

There are a growing number of over-the-counter cosmetic creams that claim to have effective wrinkle reduction effects. With the high prices and wide array of choices, it may be hard for consumers to determine which product will be the most effective wrinkle reduction cream. Until recently, there were no comparative studies on the safety and efficacy of Botox compared to topical wrinkle creams. Some advertisements have claimed the wrinkle reduction of some creams to be as effective as Botox and the first ever-comparative study found this claim to be untrue.

When comparing Botox to three products aimed at moderate to severe wrinkle reduction of the glabellar lines (frown lines between the eyes), the topical cosmetic creams did diminish the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines. However, the extent of the wrinkle reduction was not at the same level as the ability for Botox to improve the appearance of the frown lines. Even though Botox has been shown to have pleasing and effective wrinkle reduction, with a total of more than 887,000 procedures performed in 2003 alone, Botox is not right for everyone and some patients are uncomfortable with the idea of injecting Botulinum Toxin Type A into their skin.

People wishing to have a more permanent and drastic wrinkle reduction procedure will sometimes choose facelift surgery. In 2003, facelift surgery was the fifth most performed cosmetic plastic surgery procedure (128,667). As advances in innovation and surgical technique continue to be discovered, wrinkle reduction procedures that are more effective but less invasive will continue to be sought after. In cosmetic surgery news, nearly every day consumers can read about new techniques. Facelifts for wrinkle reduction requiring just local anesthesia has been recently made available, claiming less bruising, swelling and unpleasant effects of anesthesia.

Cosmetic plastic surgery has opened a wide range of possibilities to enhance and alter physical appearance. The growing acceptance of cosmetic surgery has allowed people of all types the ability to benefit from what there is to offer. It is important to remember that while some patients can experience more drastic results than others, all patients must be realistic about what can be achieved from cosmetic plastic surgery and fully understand there are very serious risks that must first be considered.