HOW YOU CAN TREAT KNINKLES
Dermatologist DR KIRAN LOHIA enlightens us about the various ways in which knee wrinkles can be treated
L ips, eyes, jawline, cheeks, cleavage, these are all common areas that we look at rejuvenating when we go to the dermatologist, right? After all, when we look in the mirror, these are the first things we notice, so when a little sagging starts, or wrinkles emerge, our first stop is the skin doctor. So now that these areas are taken care of, what are the areas that show the signs of age? Where does one look now when you are trying to figure out how old someone is? The hands, the feet, and you probably never guessed it, the knees!
Celebs and socialites around the world are now aghast at the site of their kninkles, or knee wrinkles. After Gwenyth Paltrow shocked the world a few years ago with photos of her in shorts exposing her wrinkled knees, women started to get self-conscious about these often ignored utilitarian joints. Demi Moore is known to have gotten this area rejuvenated, and Dr. Simon Ouriane, cosmetic doctor to the Kardashians also regularly treats this new hot problem area of the body.
Now what exactly is this all about, and is it just a fad? Well, knees will never be the new erogenous zone, but for gorgeous women used to wearing whatever they want, rapidly appearing cellulite and sagging fat around the knees can be traumatizing. Skin is well known for being elastic, and proteins like elastin and collagen keep it elastic and able to stretch and mold without any issues. However, areas like the knee are constantly causing skin stretching and recoiling. And, as one gets older, the skin just doesn’t bounce back like it used to.
Collagen production reduces, and whatever protein building blocks are still there just become simply more damaged. Then, as this tissue becomes weaker and weaker, wrinkles form, and cellulite starts to happen. The cellulite occurs because that strong connective tissue that used to be there, now has fat poking through its weaker version, making the skin look lumpy and bumpy as well. So, one can imagine how stressful it becomes to even wear a pair of shorts! Models and celebs like Elle Macpherson, Victoria Beckham and even Catherine Zeta Jones have all suffered from this telltale sign of aging. And it doesn’t go away cheap!
Doctors around the world recommend a slew of treatments for the area around the joint, and it is definitely not easy. First, you have to start by working on the deeper layer to reduce sagging – methods like radiofrequency are favored by Dr. Ouriane, while Ulthera is commonly used in New Delhi for those socialites that must wear the latest Dolce & Gabbana dress. Other options include fat reduction with technologies like NYSlim or Cooltech Complete fat freezing. These procedures work on reducing excess adipose tissue (fat) while also strengthening the connective tissue, so the skin doesn’t sag. Now, that is step 1, and it can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to up to 5000 USD. Yes, you heard me right, those young knees don’t come cheap!
The next step is to work on the wrinkles and skin texture and discoloration. With age, comes skin experience, and unfortunately, that shows up a lot as age spots, larger pores, and a lot of lines. This is actually quite easy to treat with resurfacing lasers that actually work by stimulating the skin to create new skin. So lasers like CO2 Resurfacing or Pixel Perfect, can rejuvenate the skin all around the knee, making it truly look younger. Another option is gentle Hydrolifting, where little droplets of hydrating filler is injected into this area to make it more buoyant and suppler.
Finally, for those of you who have heard of the Vampire Facial with PRP or Platelet-Rich Plasma for the face and for hair growth, kninkles are a new top area for PRP to be used as well. Naturally rejuvenating with no side effects, PRP can definitely keep the knees looking fresher. Now, while not as expensive as fat and sagging reduction, these therapies can run you up to a thousand USD as well. So start saving up girls and boys!
Finally, for all this talk of kninkles, while it’s a cute word, and no one wants to feel shy wearing shorts this summer, the fact is that its hard to really remember to get time to treat this area. Plus, how many things can one do anyway right? It’s a never ending struggle! For those of you who want to prevent the inevitable sag and wear chanel miniskirts for life, start maintaining your knees now. Do squats and leg presses regularly to keep the musculature strong, and make sure to heavily moisturise regularly with strong upwards motions! This will keep this area younger and more toned. And for those who already suffer from this newly perceived issue, there is a lovely solution – camouflage makeup, or the ever elegant Katherine Hepburn pantsuit! Stay gorgeous everyone.