Injectables & Wrinkles: The Three Types of Wrinkles

In order to treat wrinkles effectively, knowledge is power! Most people think of wrinkles as a single problem – but actually, there are three kinds of wrinkles with different solutions.

There are three types of wrinkles: dynamic wrinkles, static wrinkles, and wrinkle folds.

Dynamic wrinkles are caused by contraction of muscles that are attached to the overlying skin. Each muscle contraction causes the skin to bunch together, forming lines between the bulk of the muscle. The most common locations for dynamic wrinkles are between the eyebrows (frown), across the forehead, and crow’s feet.

Weakening these muscles will cause a reduction in the severity of the facial wrinkles, or can prevent them altogether when muscle weakening is done before wrinkles form. Some of the muscles can be weakened temporarily with an injection of Botox or Dysport into targeted muscles to temporarily decrease the muscle action for approximately 3-4 months, preventing wrinkle formation.

Static wrinkles are due to lack of elasticity of the skin caused from sun damage, smoking, genetics, poor nutrition, or from prolonged dynamic wrinkling. Static facial wrinkles are visible regardless of muscle contraction. Static wrinkles can be treated with hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like Juvederm.

The third type of wrinkles, called wrinkle folds, is often due to sagging of the underlying facial structures, most notably causing the naso-labial groove (the deep grooves between the nose and mouth). The folds can be camouflaged temporarily by plumping up the groove from beneath with hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane, Radiesse and Perlane. These materials typically last for anywhere from 3 to 9 months, depending on the material used and the location of the injection.

Most people have a combination of all three types of facial wrinkles, especially as we advance in age. In our current state of immediacy and on-the-go attitude, injections to dynamic wrinkles, static wrinkles and wrinkle folds seem to be the easiest and most effective solution to revive the face without any downtime.