Skin Guide
A clinic guide to wrinkles and fine lines.
Wrinkles are one of the most common things people ask us about, whether they are just starting to notice fine lines in their late twenties or dealing with deeper set-in lines later on. Some are worth accepting. Some can be softened. Most respond to the same short list of evidence-based ingredients used consistently over time.
Every skin plan at Plumerian Aesthetics Bentleigh begins with a complimentary thirty-minute consultation with an AHPRA-registered nurse. What follows is educational context, not a personal treatment plan.
Quick answer: Wrinkles and fine lines are creases in the skin caused by a combination of repeated facial expression, cumulative sun damage, natural collagen and elastin loss, and reduced skin hydration. They are treatable and preventable with a consistent routine of daily SPF, retinal, vitamin C and barrier-supporting moisturisers. In-clinic options exist for deeper lines.
What are wrinkles?
Wrinkles are creases in the skin. All wrinkles start out as dynamic lines, meaning they only appear when you move (smile, squint, frown). Over time and with enough repetition, dynamic lines become static: they are there even when the face is at rest.
Underneath the surface, three things are gradually breaking down: collagen (the scaffolding that gives skin firmness), elastin (the springiness that lets skin snap back), and the water-holding matrix that keeps skin plump and cushioned. Repeated muscle movement thins the overlying skin over decades. Sun damage, dullness, and pigmentation on top of that make lines look deeper than they are.
Why do wrinkles happen?
UV exposure
The single biggest external driver. Between 80 and 90 per cent of visible facial ageing is UV damage. Everything else is a distant second.
Age and genes
From your mid-twenties, collagen production slows by around one per cent a year. Genetics decides how noticeable that is for you.
Hormones
Oestrogen supports collagen, hydration, and barrier function. When it drops (perimenopause, menopause), the skin thins and loses elasticity noticeably.
Dry, dehydrated skin
A weakened barrier makes fine lines look more prominent than they are. Hydration and barrier repair are quick wins for how skin reads day to day.
Chronic stress
Cortisol breaks down collagen. Sustained stress accelerates skin ageing in a measurable way.
Smoking and alcohol
Smoking narrows the small blood vessels that feed the skin and directly damages collagen and elastin. Alcohol dehydrates and inflames. Both add years.
Prevention first
The single most effective anti-wrinkle move most people are not making is daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, applied properly. If you do nothing else, do this. Wear a hat. Wear sunglasses (they stop you squinting, which drives eye-area lines).
What is the core wrinkle-prevention routine?
Four active ingredients do most of the work. Everything below is stocked at Plumerian Aesthetics Bentleigh. Free pickup at the Bentleigh East clinic, or flat $10 shipping Australia-wide.
Step 1. A gentle, low-pH cleanser (twice daily)
Non-foaming, non-stripping, respects the barrier. Cleanse morning and evening. Skincare works better on a barrier that hasn’t just been stripped by a foaming cleanser.
Step 2. Vitamin C in the morning
L-ascorbic acid is the evidence-based form of vitamin C. It protects against UV and pollution, brightens dullness, supports collagen production, and evens tone. It is the single best antioxidant addition to a morning routine, and it pairs perfectly with sunscreen for daytime defence.
Step 3. Daily zinc oxide sunscreen
Broad-spectrum protection every day, applied properly. Zinc oxide is gentle, non-comedogenic, and calming to the skin, which makes it suitable for almost every skin type. This is the single highest-return anti-ageing move.
Step 4. Retinal (vitamin A) in the evening
Retinaldehyde is roughly 20 times more powerful than retinol and much better tolerated than prescription retinoids. It stimulates collagen, smooths, evens tone, and speeds up cell turnover, all of which soften the look of existing lines and slow the appearance of new ones. If you are going to add one active for ageing skin, this is it.
Step 5. Niacinamide for barrier and tone
Reduces inflammation, strengthens the skin barrier, brightens tone, and improves how well every other product works. Excellent all-year addition. Layers with everything.
Step 6. AHAs, one or two evenings a week
Alpha hydroxy acids gently exfoliate, help pigment disperse, and boost the effectiveness of retinal. Alternate with retinal on separate nights rather than layering them on the same night.
Boosts worth adding
A peptide serum for firmness
Peptides support the collagen structure of the skin. Layered over retinal, or on nights you skip retinal, a peptide serum adds real value over months without irritation.
Hyaluronic acid for plumpness
Simple, effective, sits comfortably in almost any routine. Adds hydration and softness, and makes fine lines look less pronounced almost immediately.
An overnight hydrating mask, once or twice a week
Deep hydration overnight makes skin look plumper and more refreshed the next morning, and reinforces the barrier over time.
Skincare habits to skip
- Physical scrubs. Chemical exfoliation is safer and more effective.
- Foaming, high-pH cleansers that leave skin feeling stripped.
- Layering multiple strong actives at once, especially in the first month of using anything new.
- Skipping sunscreen because it is cloudy or you will be inside. UV comes through windows.
- Switching products every few weeks. Skin turnover is slow. Give any routine at least six to twelve weeks.
Lifestyle habits that show up in your skin
- Sleep. Repair happens at night.
- Protein at every meal. Collagen synthesis needs amino acids.
- Resistance training. Muscle mass supports skin from underneath.
- Not smoking, and moderating alcohol.
- Managing chronic stress, whether through movement, breath work, or an honest conversation about what is going on.
What in-clinic treatments help?
When skincare has done what it can, in-clinic care can add another layer of results. These are options we can talk through at your complimentary thirty-minute consultation with an AHPRA-registered nurse. All are individualised, and none are booked online.
Facial muscle treatments
The most consistent way to soften dynamic lines that appear when you smile, squint, or frown. By gently reducing the strength of the muscle contraction, the overlying skin folds less each time. Prescription-only and assessed in person.
Learn more about facial muscle treatments →
Facial volume restoration
As we age, the fat pads and structural support of the face soften and shift. Restoring lost volume in nearby areas can subtly support how the whole face reads, so lines have less to fold into. A case-by-case call at consultation.
Learn more about facial volume restoration →
Collagen stimulation
Treatments that trigger the skin to make its own new collagen and elastin, gradually, over weeks and months. Well suited to skin that is losing structural support with age.
Learn more about collagen stimulation →
Skin hydration therapy
Injectable hyaluronic acid delivered directly into the skin to plump, hydrate, and improve skin quality over a series of sessions. Improves how healthy and refreshed the skin looks.
Learn more about skin hydration therapy →
Rejuran
Polynucleotide skin-healing treatment that supports the skin’s own repair processes. Popular for mature and perimenopausal skin because it improves elasticity and thickness over a course of sessions.
All of these are conversations for your consultation, not decisions from a website.
Related reading
For the eye area specifically, our crow’s feet guide goes deeper on why the skin around the eyes ages first and the small daily changes that make the biggest difference.
Frequently asked questions
What causes wrinkles?
Wrinkles are caused by four main factors: repeated facial expression (dynamic wrinkles), cumulative UV damage (photoageing), natural age-related loss of collagen and elastin, and reduced hydration in the skin. Smoking, poor sleep and chronic sun exposure accelerate all of these.
Can wrinkles be reduced?
Yes. Early and fine wrinkles respond very well to a consistent skincare routine with retinal, vitamin C, peptides and daily SPF over three to six months. Deeper set wrinkles may benefit from in-clinic treatments such as collagen stimulation or muscle-relaxing treatments assessed by an AHPRA-registered nurse.
What is the best skincare routine for wrinkles?
Twice-daily gentle cleanser, vitamin C serum in the morning, broad-spectrum SPF every day, retinal in the evening, and a barrier-supporting moisturiser with ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Add AHAs one to two nights per week for texture. Consistency for three months is where results become visible.
At what age should I start anti-wrinkle skincare?
Daily SPF should start in childhood. A basic active routine (vitamin C, retinal, barrier support) is well suited to most people from their mid to late twenties. The best time to start is before wrinkles are established, but skincare can improve wrinkled skin at any age.
What ingredients actually work on wrinkles?
The evidence-based ingredients are: broad-spectrum SPF (the single most important), retinal or prescription retinoids, vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), niacinamide, peptides, and ceramides. Hyaluronic acid helps with hydration and short-term plumping. Everything else is supporting cast.
Does drinking water reduce wrinkles?
Being hydrated supports overall skin function, but drinking extra water beyond your normal intake does not measurably reduce wrinkles. Topical hyaluronic acid, ceramides and glycerin have a much larger visible effect than internal hydration.
What are dynamic versus static wrinkles?
Dynamic wrinkles only appear when you make an expression (squinting, smiling, frowning). Static wrinkles are visible even when your face is at rest. Dynamic wrinkles respond well to muscle-relaxing treatments; static wrinkles respond better to skincare, collagen stimulation and volume restoration.
Considered care, without the rush.
Every skin plan at Plumerian Aesthetics Bentleigh begins with a complimentary thirty-minute consultation with an AHPRA-registered nurse. No pressure to book anything on the day.