Saturday, January 24, 2009

Anti-wrinkle Cream Advances

By Jen Hopkins

From the very earliest beginning of the human race, both women and men have tried to prevent and reduce the undesirable consequences of aging on the body. Many substances, ranging from dung to acidic solutions, have been used in an attempt to gain a more youthful appearance for the user.

The vast majority of these so called treatments did little to prevent wrinkles. In reality, many of these potions caused allergic reactions and sometimes even led to death. However, as human medicinal and chemical knowledge has improved, anti-wrinkle creams have become more effective at treating wrinkles and other signs of aging.

Even after scientific study, research, and investment by drug companies, no treatment has been able to permanently reverse the physical signs of aging. However, some creams can temporarily hide wrinkles and other signs of aging to reveal a better appearance.

Current anti-wrinkle creams can be categorized as one of two main types. The first type sloughs off dead skin to reveal healthy, living skin underneath. The other type of anti-wrinkle treatment makes the skin expand slightly, to disguise the wrinkles.

Some of the anti-aging products today use several active ingredients to fully utilize both methods. Depending on these ingredients, anti-wrinkle creams can cost from a few dollars a bottle to over $1000 per ounce. Even after extensive research, no solid proof exists showing the more expensive products to be more efficacious.

The fundamental flaw with the current anti-wrinkle products on the market is that they mask wrinkles rather than treat the problems that aging causes the human skin. Because they must be used for long periods of time, even cheap products can quickly strain a budget.

Anti-aging lotions on the market may suddenly improve if and when new concoctions that pharmaceutical companies are investing cash in to develop reach consumers. Some studies show that the new ingredients are remarkably effective at stopping aging in its tracks.

As humans continue to grow old, they will continue to wish to appear a little younger. In the near future, an anti-aging product may exist that will stop and maybe even reverse the detrimental effects of time on the human body. - 17943

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