Fine Lines & Wrinkles

Fine lines and wrinkles tend to form in areas like the face, arms, neck, chest, and back of the hands. These areas experience the most sun exposure throughout our lives.

Fine lines and wrinkles can form almost anywhere, but they often bother people most when they appear on the face. They form because collagen and elastin, protein fibers that give our skin strength, structure, and resilience, begin to break down as we age. We also lose fat under the skin, causing it to sag.

The primary cause of fine lines and wrinkles is aging, with age-related loss of collagen, elastin, and fat. UV exposure from sunlight contributes heavily to the aging of the skin and the development of wrinkles by directly damaging vital collagen and elastin proteins.

Repeated facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, or creasing the brow can cause lines to form in the skin around these areas. Smoking also causes significant damage to the skin itself as well as creating lines around the mouth.

At Albuquerque Vein & Laser Institute, we use two popular methods to treat fine lines and wrinkles. Depending on your unique concerns, we will suggest the treatment that works best for you.

Botox^®

Known generically as botulinum toxin, Botox^® acts as a neuromodulator. It blocks signaling between nerves and muscles, keeping the nerves from telling muscles to contract. This allows the skin attached to these muscles to relax, smoothing out lines and wrinkles.

Botox^® works especially well for lines between the eyebrows, forehead lines, and crow’s feet around the eyes. Your provider will inject the Botox^® directly into these muscles. Results will become obvious after about two days and should last for four to six months.

Opus™ Plasma

Opus™ Plasma is a radiofrequency microneedling system that uses a unique control system to maximize your comfort and customize the intensity of your treatment. Radiofrequency microneedling creates areas of micro-damage in the skin, which triggers a natural healing process and stimulates the development of collagen.

As your skin heals over the next 24-48 hours, minor flaking and irritation fade to reveal younger-looking, rejuvenated skin. Results will continue to develop over the next few weeks as your body keeps building new collagen. Most people require a series of several treatments to see the fine line and wrinkle results they want.

Both of these treatments have been well-established as safe. In both cases, almost anyone can be a good candidate. If you have expression lines around the eyes and forehead your doctor may recommend Botox^®, while for more widespread wrinkles they may recommend Opus™ Plasma.