With the progress in medical technology, there are a myriad of choices for the treatment of skin wrinkles.

There is a wide range of treatments available, including topical, cosmetic and surgical, for reducing wrinkles or even totally eradicating their presence.

Here is a list of the different cosmetic treatments that are available in the market:

Vitamin A Acid
Also known as tretinoin, with common brand names like Retin-A and Renova, is one of the most common ingredients for wrinkle treatment. This ingredient, available by prescription, has the longest history of success in the treatment of aging skin and removing fine lines, especially in the facial area.

Creams and lotions containing tretinoin must be used continually and diligently. Initial symptoms may cause redness and peeling, however the side effects may be reduced my lowering the concentration of the ingredient with the base cream and applying it less often until the skin has adjusted to it.

Alpha-hydroxy acids
Also termed as ‘fruit acids’, include active ingredients like glycolic and lactic acid. Medical preparations containing these fruit acids are safer alternatives and cause very little or no skin irritation at all, however the effects on wrinkles are not as significant.

Antioxidants
These are basically topical preparations that contain vitamins such as A, C and E, and may include beta-carotene. These ingredients are commonly combined with sun protection and provide mild treatment for fine wrinkles.

Moisturisers
There are some ordinary moisturizers that claim to reduce wrinkles. However moisturizers that do not contain any ingredients such as those listed above can only mask or hide wrinkles temporarily and only reduce the appearance of fine lines.

There are also cosmetic procedures, usually offered by dermatological experts or medical practitioners:

Glycolic acid peels
Although this form of treatment involves hands-on application, these superficial peels can only make slight effects in the intensity and degree of fine wrinkles.

Deeper peels
This skin peel process involves the use of chemical substances like salicylic acid and trichloroacetic acid that penetrates deeper into the skin. It is believed that the deeper the treatment penetrates into the skin, the more effective it gets in smoothing out the fine lines of wrinkles. However the deeper the peel, the greater risk of having side effects such as long lasting skin pigment changes and scarring.

These peels generally do not require anaesthetics, however patients can request some mild sedation to help ease any short-term pain from the treatment process.

Microdermabrasion
This process primarily involves scrubbing the skin using a machine containing silica or aluminium crystals. This gives the effect of “sanding” the skin. These services are generally offered in packages of six or seven treatment sessions and does not change skin anatomy or generally have chemical effects, but does guarantee to make the skin feel smoother.

Over the counter cosmetic products that are being sold as home microdermabrasion are just mild exfoliants and are generally harmless but are less likely to produce any significant changes in wrinkles.

Dermabrasion
This is the real surgical process usually performed by a medical practitioners such as a plastic surgeon or licensed dermatologist, under general anaesthesia. This surgical treatment uses a rotating instrument to sand the skin down. Dermabrasion can produce excellent results, however a greater risk is involved in the process since it can produce significant side effects like scarring and permanent changes in skin colour.