In article <5rrflj$9nv$1 at penguin.doc.ic.ac.uk>,
Alex Hunter <none at ic.ac.uk> wrote:
>wright at nospam.clam (David Wright) wrote:
>>In article <5rjm8n$gm8$1 at penguin.doc.ic.ac.uk>, Alex Hunter <none at ic.ac.uk> wrote:
>>>Hi, I was wondering if anyone could advise on the safety and efficacy
>>>of treatments which reduce skin wrinkles. I have heard of 4 different
>>>methods:
[snip]
>>>2. Another cream which can reverse the effects of sun damage (can't
>>>remember the name of this one).
>>Hard to respond to this one. There are other chemicals that can make
>>your skin appear softer or fuller, but again, their effects are
>>usually temporary.
>I wonder if you could name these other chemicals, and are they
>available over the counter; or do they need a prescription?
Oh, I was just thinking of cosmetics here. The ones that "reduce
wrinkles" are just holding more moisture in the skin, so naturally it
looks fuller and becomes somewhat softer. However, they don't do
anything permanent. (Despite the billions in advertising.)
>>>3. Chemical face peels.
>>>4. Some kind of laser treatment.
[snip]
>>They basically are a controlled burning of the skin. When the skin
>>regenerates, it will, we hope, look smoother and be softer and have
>>fewer wrinkles.
>>But this can go wrong. You can wind up looking like a burn victim
>>(which you, in effect, are). Not that this is the typical result, but
>>even if the treatment is successful, it can take a long time (a year)
>>for the burn to heal.
>What are the chances of it going wrong or of the treatment being
>ineffective?
That I do not know. It depends on the doctor who's doing it. Let's
face it, some are going to be more successful than others. I don't
have any statistics.
>Also, are there any other better ways of reducing wrinkles,e.g. such
>as injecting human growth hormone?
Not that I've ever heard of. A face lift might help some. Injecting
hgh can increase muscle mass, but I don't think it'll do anything to
repair your skin.
I have heard of some researchers who've been able to make skin (in
vitro, not in situ) immortal, but I haven't heard of any real-life
applications.
-- David Wright :: wright @ hi.com :: Not a Spokesman for Anyone
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"After all, this is still the land of opportunity. If you know
where to look." -- Jack Douglas
