Introduction

There are lots of treatments for wrinkles, but few have been properly tested. Be sure to ask about possible side effects before starting any kind of skin treatment for wrinkles.

You'll find all sorts of anti-ageing creams on sale in shops. Common ingredients include moisturiser, a sunscreen or vitamins. Unfortunately, there's very little published research on most of these products, so we haven't been able to include much information about them. Most of the treatments we've looked at are available from a doctor, nurse or beautician.

• There's no proven way to prevent wrinkles. You're almost certain to get them as you get older. But we do know that ultraviolet rays (from the sun or sunbeds) and smoking both make wrinkles worse. To read more, see Preventing wrinkles.
• Skin creams or gels containing retinoids (a type of vitamin A) can reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles, but they have side effects. Creams containing retinoids include the prescription drugs tazarotene and tretinoin.
• Lots of cosmetics promise to improve or cover up wrinkles. Some contain vitamins that the makers claim can help the appearance of wrinkles. Lots of people use these, but there's not much evidence that they work.
• Other treatments for wrinkles include chemical peels, removing the top layer of skin (which is called dermabrasion), laser treatments and facelifts. But these haven't been properly tested in high-quality studies.
• In the UK, treatments for wrinkles aren't usually available on the NHS. You'll probably have to pay for private health care.

We've looked closely at the research and ranked the treatments into categories, according to how well they work.

Treatments that work but whose harms may outweigh the benefits

Tazarotene gel

Tazarotene gel can help reduce fine wrinkles and lines.^[1][2][3] You need to rub it on your skin every day.

The active ingredient is related to vitamin A. Some doctors think it works by stimulating your skin to produce more of a protein called collagen.^[2] Collagen makes up a large part of your skin. Tazarotene may also help new skin cells to grow and replace old ones.

Chemicals that come from vitamin A are called retinoids. Many beauty products contain vitamin A (sometimes called retinol). This is a much milder chemical than tazarotene. You can only get tazarotene on prescription from a doctor. Its brand name is Zorac.

In the biggest study we looked at, about 42 in 100 people said their fine wrinkles improved after 24 weeks' treatment with a cream containing tazarotene.^[2] This compared with 18 in 100 people who used a dummy cream (a placebo) without any tazarotene.

About 15 in 100 people using tazarotene noticed their deeper wrinkles getting better. This compared with 8 in 100 people who used a dummy cream.

We don't know if the benefits last once you stop using tazarotene. The studies we found only lasted six months.

All retinoids can irritate your skin. If you use creams and gels containing tazarotene, your skin may go red, itch, or even peel. These side effects can be unpleasant, but they're rarely serious. Any irritation usually stops after a couple of weeks.^[2]

Tazarotene can make your skin get sunburnt faster than normal.^[4] You need to avoid the sun or wear sunscreen while you're using tazarotene. And don't put the gel on sunburnt skin. Ask your doctor for advice about using this treatment safely.

If you're pregnant, using tazarotene could harm your baby.^[4] If there's a chance you could become pregnant, make sure you use contraception.