It must never be overlooked that aging cannot be stopped or completely reversed. Cosmetic skin care products, or natural ingredients, however good cannot completely set back the clock. They may help to reduce the impact of aging and work best when started early.

Therefore, for those with wrinkled or mature skin, it may be a good idea to avail of anti aging therapies. Most of these therapies are expensive and are required to be repeated periodically. Yet more and more people are resorting to them in a bid to salvage their youth. Some of the anti wrinkle therapies popularized through demand are described below-

Plastic surgery/Face lifts- This surgical procedure is also known as Rhytidectomy. Here an incision is made in front of the ear and the skin is separated from the tissues. Excess skin and fat are removed while deeper tissues are addressed in accordance to the need. The remaining skin is re-draped and the suture is tucked beneath the ear to provide a taut look. This procedure, if simple, can take 2 hours while a complicated one, done under general anesthesia, can last for nearly 6 hours. The procedure can be fairly expensive and the person may need to take some time off work.

Cosmetic fillers- You may be among the many who spend sleepless nights pondering on the possibilities available to erase facial lines. Cosmetic fillers are God-sent for you as they promise to take a few years off your face by eliminating crow’s feet, wrinkles and other expression lines.

Botulinum (trade name –Botox) is a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. Commonly associated with food poisoning, this neurotoxin is also a powerful muscle relaxant which, when used as a filler, is injected into specific facial regions. This helps to plump out wrinkles and even skin tone. This procedure requires repeated sittings for best effect and is not without its share of side effects.

Restylane is the latest filler on the prowl. It is synthetic and is based on hyaluronic acid, a natural substance. It is biodegradable, FDA approved and is available in a gel form. It is also recommended to make lips look fuller, something which Botox fails to do.

Bovine collagen and human collagen are also available to be used as fillers.

Laser resurfacing- Resurfacing is a procedure used to renew the skin by removing old cells and allowing fresh ones to surface. This can be done by dermabrasion, radio frequency ablation or by using chemical peels such as glycolic acid peels or alpha hydroxy peels. Laser resurfacing is the latest to be added to the list.

During this technique laser from a hand devise is focused onto the dermis of the skin to stimulate natural collagen production. Dead skin cells are exfoliated and the skin glows anew from renewal.

The ablative laser resurfacing is effective in treating problems in the epidermis and the upper layers of the dermis, such as freckles and age spots. The non-ablative type, on the other hand, is effective in treating wrinkles by penetrating the layers of the dermis and stimulating collagen production.

Some discomfort is natural and minimal side effects may be expected. Both these procedures require many sittings to maximize the impact.