4 facts for finding the right anti-wrinkle cream

Store shelves are lined with products that claim to remove wrinkles. Are they exaggerating or telling the truth? Here's some facts to help you find out.

• Anti-wrinkle creams reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but for noticeable results, you'll need a prescription.
• The fact is, almost any moisturizing cream can make your skin look and feel good for a few hours.
• Some anti-wrinkle creams do more, particularly those that contain the vitamin A derivatives in prescription products, known as retinoids.
• They won't provide results overnight, but over the course of a few months, you may see an effect.

• Used since the 1960s to treat acne, vitamin A derivatives increase skin cell turnover.
• Vitamin A derivatives also stimulate the production of collagen, the main protein in skin's connective tissue. Collagen boosts the strength and elasticity of skin.
• In one study, sun-damaged skin treated for about a year with tretinoin had an 80 percent increase in collagen formation, compared to a 14 percent decrease in skin treated with a placebo cream.

• Studies show that tretinoin, the active ingredient in Retin-A, makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable.
• Australian researchers studied a 0.05 percent concentration of Retin-A in people with sun-damaged skin.
• The study also found that over 24 weeks, treated skin was less wrinkled, tighter and smoother.
• Another study found that the use of a 0.02 percent cream over 24 weeks significantly improved fine wrinkles, coarse wrinkles and yellowing of the skin compared to a placebo cream.

• If you want results like those above, go to a dermatologist, not a drugstore.
• Over-the-counter creams — even those containing retinols — may improve the health of your skin, but the changes are barely visible to the naked eye.
• A 2006 study of a variety of creams found that after 12 weeks of use, even the best-performing creams reduced the average depth of wrinkles by less than 10 percent.
• There was no correlation between the price of a product and its effectiveness.

Potions and lotions promising younger-looking skin do one thing well: generate profits for the companies that sell them. If you want to find a wrinkle cream that works for you, it's best to find a dermatologist first.