Do skin creams work? You must have seen the anti-aging skin care claims in magazines, newspapers and even on-line including ominous photos of hypodermic needles posing along side innocuous, even innocent-looking jars of cream.
The message is simple: Topical cosmetic creams promise the same age-defying, wrinkle-relaxing results as some pricey wrinkle-filling injections like Juva Derm, Restalyne or even Botox.
But can they? If you're skeptical or hesitant about what you read, you're by no means alone.
Not surprisingly, some dermatologists also question these claims and the promises.
The bottom line is that if these creams or lotions could possibly accomplish the same thing as a medical procedure, they would therefore be drugs and not cosmetics - and that's what you MUST keep in mind when deciding whether to try or buy.
Some of the new anti-aging technologies focus on compounds called pentapeptides-small groups of long-chain amino acids that function as chemical messengers throughout the body.
Among the most popular creams containing these ingredients include DERMacai, Amino Genesis and Regenerist.
And though dermatologists say there are no published medical studies showing that they work, numerous experts involved in anti-aging product testing say there is ample science behind the pentapeptide technology.
To begin with, the research on pentapeptides were carried out in relation to wound healing.
As part of the body's natural response to help skin heal, published medical studies have showed peptides are instrumental in increasing cells in the skin to produce more much needed collagen.
However collagen isn't just for healing wounds.
It also plays a very important role in how your skin ages.
Collagen is the support structure in the face that gives our skin a firm, young appearance.
When levels remain plentiful, our skin looks young, fresh and replenished and when levels decline, we lose that support and wrinkles begin to form.
While wrinkle-filling injections can only temporarily fill in the gaps, some dermatologists researchers believe that topically applying these peptides to the skin might help it make more collagen on its own.
This would therefore have a "filling" effect similar to the wrinkle injections - but without the needle! So do these new anti-aging skin creams work?