Staying Young Secret of the Week

Smooth Your Face with Wrinkle Fillers

Everyone knows about botox, the toxin that, when injected in minuscule amounts, has the effect of paralyzing facial muscles that cause wrinkling. Once those muscles are "frozen," the wrinkles smooth out, and you get a younger-looking appearance. In the past few years, however, a new approach to erasing wrinkles has gained ground, and one of the things that make it so attractive is that it doesn't involve any poisonous substances.

The idea behind products marketed under such brand names as Restylane and Juvéderm is to fill in wrinkles from behind by injecting a synthesized version of a naturally occurring substance called hyaluronic acid. Restylane first became known as a lip plumper, and anyone who reads the gossip magazines may remember seeing unfortunate photos of certain starlets who were overenthusiastic in their pursuit of the bee-stung-lip look. Since 2003, such treatments have been approved not only for lip work but also for the repair of any facial wrinkling.

The typical human body contains about 15 grams of hyaluronic acid. It's a so-called "gooey" molecule that acts as a skin elasticizer at the cellular level. It also keeps your joints lubricated and protects your retinas. It first attracted attention as a skin helper in Japan, where elderly women in some small villages were found to have amazingly healthy and elastic skin, and skin cancer was a rarity. Their diets were analyzed, and while some attention was directed at starchy root vegetables, it's more logical to assume that soup broths make from animal parts such as joints and tendons might be a good addition to anyone's diet. In fact, some arthritis patients take oral hylauronic acid supplements to help their joints.

Because hylauronic acid can retain 1,000 times its weight in water, it's an excellent hydrator, helping to keep skin looking smoother. Like so many other things, however, it diminishes in the body over time, and that's one cause of wrinkling. The injections are therefore meant to turn back the clock, revitalizing tired and aging skin. Like botox, Restylane and Juvéderm are injected beneath the skin with tiny needles, and the effect lasts up to six months. Treatments are quick, but a few days of bruising can follow. One treatment can cost from $300 to $500, but since the effect lasts longer than botox, it can be seen as a relatively economical way to erase those smile lines and crow's feet.