What’s the difference: anti-wrinkle injections & anti-wrinkle creams

For many, anti-ageing creams and home treatments may seem like an easier and cheaper option than anti wrinkle injections – but does that assumption live up to fact? And can creams really be as effective as injections like Botox? Read on to see what we found out.

Anti-wrinkle creams

The variety of anti-ageing and anti–wrinkle creams, scrubs, lotions, balms, serums, and masks available is bewildering. Each product claims to help reverse, or at least slow, the effects of ageing on the skin, and you’d be forgiven  for assuming that the more expensive a product is, the more effective it is. With pots of cream that may last you up to a month going for as much as £750 at high end retailers, or as little as £10 on the high street – where do you begin?

Many creams use pentapeptides to encourage the production of collagen in the skin. Collagen is primarily used in the body for healing wounds; but it also plays a role in how the skin ages. Collagen is the support structure of the skin, and when we have plenty of it our skin appears young, fresh, and firm. When it declines – as we age – these levels drop and wrinkles form.

But can a cosmetic cream induce the production of enough collagen to have a visible impact? A lot of anecdotal evidence offered by cream companies, magazines, and beauty bloggers suggests that users of the products see improvements of varying degrees. Nevertheless, the effects of collagen and pentapeptides in creams have never been proven scientifically. In fact, it seems highly unlikely that they can have the same impact on collagen production and regrowth as seen during wound repair.

Anti-wrinkle injections

Anti wrinkle injections, including Botox and dermal fillers, are a more direct approach to fighting the signs of ageing. Where creams attempt to stimulate collagen growth under the skin, anti wrinkle injections can more precisely target the locations of wrinkles and their causes.

Botox injections work by injecting tiny amounts of botulinum toxin into the facial muscles. The Botox has the effect of blocking signals from nerve cells activating these muscles, ensuring that these wrinkle-causing muscles remain relaxed.

This tried and tested approach to anti-ageing has quick results within the two weeks after a single treatment, offering results that last up to 6 months. The anti wrinkle injection procedure itself lasts up to half an hour, depending on how many areas are being treated. The injections are only a minor discomfort as the needles are so tiny they are barely felt. And as these treatments are not at all related to surgery, there is no recovery period and you can continue with your day afterwards.

So do they compare?

Anti-ageing creams and other skin creams have a place in everyone’s health and beauty regimes. Maintaining healthy skin is a key preventative measure to slow the signs of ageing, and even reduce them, but the impact that cosmetic creams can have is very limited. To be effective, the creams must penetrate deep into the dermis. They can help hydrate the skin and improve texture, but it is unlikely they can reduce wrinkles and fine lines – particularly when the face is moving.

For a more effective and reliable impact on fine lines and wrinkles, anti-wrinkle injections offer a happy medium between cosmetic home treatments and the far more drastic and invasive surgical options. By relaxing the muscles under the skin, fine lines and wrinkles are prevented from being formed at all – particularly when the face is moving. The result is a reduction in wrinkles and a more youthful appearance.

Find out more

Still not sure if you could benefit from anti-wrinkle injections? Pop in to one of Meliór Clinics branches for advice on anti-wrinkle injections in London, Huntingdon, Peterborough, Cambridge, Sevenoaks, Reading, or Richmond. Our professional and friendly medical team offer free, no-obligation consultations prior to any treatment to discuss your options and to understand your needs and wants.

Book an appointment today by calling us on 0330 024 1300!