What gets rid of wrinkles?
Start with daily SPF 30, then add retinol if you’re not pregnant. Sunscreen slows new lines and retinol softens fine ones. Deep lines need clinic treatments, matched to what made them.
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What is the best treatment for wrinkles?
For fine lines, two things you do at home have the best trials. Sunscreen slows new damage. Retinol, a form of vitamin A, softens lines you already have.
In one trial, 903 adults under 55 used sunscreen daily or now and then. After 4.5 years, the daily group had 24% less skin ageing.
| Option | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Daily SPF 30 sunscreen | 24% less skin ageing over 4.5 years in one trial. | Everyone, every day. |
| Moisturiser | Can plump up fine lines at once. | Fine lines and dry skin. |
| Retinol cream | Fine crow’s feet lines 44% better after a year in one trial. | Fine lines. Not in pregnancy. |
| Botox or fillers | Botox relaxes frown lines. Fillers fill deep creases. | Deep lines. Ask who will inject you. |
| Peels (an acid that lifts off the top layer of skin), microdermabrasion (gently sanding the top layer) or laser | Used by skin doctors on sun-damaged skin. | Lines with sun damage. |
Sources: Hughes 2013; Randhawa 2015; AAD
Start with sunscreen. US skin doctors say other treatments may not work as well without it.
What causes wrinkles and fine lines?
Some lines come with age for all of us. US skin doctors say your genes largely control when that happens. The rest you can change.
| Cause | Can you change it? | What the evidence says |
|---|---|---|
| Age and genes | No | With time, everyone gets visible lines. |
| Sun | Yes | Plays a major role in early skin ageing. |
| Tanning beds | Yes | Users often see changes within a few years. |
| Smoking | Yes | Greatly speeds up skin ageing and causes wrinkles. |
| Frowning or squinting for years | Partly | Lines from the same muscle can become permanent. |
| Scrubbing or stinging products | Yes | Irritated skin ages faster. |
Sources: AAD: premature skin ageing; AAD: sun damage
A study of 186 pairs of identical twins backs this up. The twin who smoked longer, or got more sun, tended to look older. It shows a link, not proof of cause.
Sugar and alcohol may add to it. Your best move today is shade and sunglasses. Sunglasses can also help cut lines from squinting.
What is the best skincare for wrinkles?
No source we read names a best brand. Price is no guide either. US skin doctors say a dearer product isn’t always better.
Look at the label instead. You want SPF 30 or higher with at least 4-star UVA for the day, and retinol for the night. Retinol suits mild fine lines, but probably not dry or allergy-prone skin.
On darker skin, irritation can leave dark marks, so go slowly.
Your daily skin routine for wrinkles
- Each morning, use SPF 30 or higher with at least 4-star UVA protection.
- Find shade from 11am to 3pm, March to October, and wear sunglasses.
- Start retinol every other night, at night only, with the mildest one you can find. Skip it if you’re pregnant.
- Test a new product on your inner forearm twice a day for 4 to 5 days first.
- Use one anti-ageing product at a time, and stop any that stings or burns, unless a skin doctor prescribed it.
- Give a cream at least 6 weeks, and up to 3 months, before you judge it.
Sources: NHS: sunscreen and sun safety; AAD: wrinkle remedies; AAD: retinoids
New to retinol? See retinol for beginners. For a plain moisturiser, see skincare for ageing skin.
What is the best treatment for deep wrinkles?
No source we read says a cream removes deep lines. Treatments work on what made the line, so match the fix to the cause.
| The line | What made it | What skin doctors use |
|---|---|---|
| Frown lines between the brows | A muscle that tightens again and again | Botox. For most people it works within a week and lasts about 3 to 4 months. |
| Deep creases, hollow cheeks | Lost fullness in the face | Fillers, which restore fullness to deep creases. |
| Lines with blotchy, rough skin | Years of sun | Chemical peels, microdermabrasion or laser resurfacing. |
Sources: AAD: wrinkles; AAD: Botox; AAD: fillers; AAD: sun damage
Skin doctors often combine treatments. Keep using sunscreen too. Without it, treatment may not give the results you want.
Who treats you matters. Between June and August 2025, 41 people in England got botulism, a rare poisoning that weakens muscles, after cosmetic jabs. Evidence so far points to an unlicensed product.
Before you book an injection
- 1
Licensed product
Botox is prescription-only. Ask what they use.
- 2
Over 18
In England it’s illegal to inject under-18s for looks.
- 3
Take your time
You should be offered a cooling-off period.
- 4
Watch for 4 weeks
Botulism signs can take up to 4 weeks to start.
Cosmetic surgery is not routinely provided on the NHS, so budget for repeat visits to keep the look. Lines round the eyes? See crow’s feet.
Can you get rid of wrinkles?
Not fully. Much sun damage is permanent, but treatment can soften some of it.
It’s never too late to start. Protect your skin from the sun and it gets a chance to repair some damage. Smokers who stop often notice their skin looks healthier.
Think of sunscreen as a brake, not a rewind. It slows new lines, while retinol and clinic treatments soften old ones.
For the trials, see sunscreen and skin ageing. Then put sunscreen by your toothbrush tonight.
When to speak to a GP
Wrinkles on their own don’t need a GP. Get help if:
- A growth on your skin is getting bigger or has changed colour or texture. Or a patch hurts, itches, bleeds, crusts or scabs for more than 4 weeks.
- You have dry, scaly patches on sun-damaged skin. US skin doctors say these can be a pre-cancerous growth.
- A product leaves skin itchy, blistered, dry and cracked, and it’s persistent, keeps coming back or is severe. A pharmacist can help with milder cases.
- You had Botox recently and have trouble swallowing or breathing. Signs can take up to 4 weeks. Contact NHS 111 and get treatment.
Prescribed a skin cream? Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.