Wrinkles

Home care:

To minimize skin wrinkling, stay out of the sun as much as possible. When you are outside, wear protective clothing and use sunscreen. If you smoke, stop smoking.

Call your health care provider if:

• a spot on the skin has more than one color, has an irregular shape, or is raised.

Note: Wrinkles are not usually a concern unless they occur at an early age. Consult your health care provider if you think that your skin is becoming excessively wrinkled at an early age. A referral to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon is sometimes appropriate.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting skin wrinkling in detail may include:

• When did you first notice that the skin was abnormally wrinkled?
• Has it changed in any manner?
• Has a skin spot become painful or does it bleed?
• What other symptoms are occurring at the same time?

A detailed examination of the skin will be performed. If wrinkles are accompanied by a skin lesion that has changed in appearance, diagnostic tests may include a skin lesio biopsy.

Intervention:
A dermatologist or plastic surgeon may provide choices from wrinkle creams to plastic surgery for dealing with aging problems. Current alternatives have relatively low risk but are generally expensive.

Retin-A for wrinkles and minoxidil (Rogaine) for hair growth may be recommended but aren't guaranteed solutions.

Plastic surgery (for a facelift, browlift, or other procedure) is available as an elective procedure that is generally paid for entirely by the patient (not by insurance).

After seeing your health care provider:
You may want to add a note related to early skin wrinkles to your personal medical record.