What Are Fine Lines And How Can You Get Rid Of Them?

While fine lines and wrinkles are often used interchangeably, they're actually slightly different. Fine lines are small, superficial lines on the surface of the skin that develop with age (via InStyle).

Caused by the breakdown of your skin's natural structure, fine lines develop as the elasticity of your skin weakens and is no longer able to straighten out and resume its previous form. They typically form around the eyes and mouth, but can appear anywhere on your face, including your cheeks. Unlike wrinkles, however, fine lines are faint and subtle, especially when they first begin to form.

"The main difference between fine lines and wrinkles is the depth of the crease in the skin. Fine lines are very mild, while wrinkles are deeper set," Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, told Instyle. "Some refer to wrinkles as expression lines and feel they apply only to skin folds that appear in areas [of] facial expression."

Since fine lines and wrinkles are so similar, they're pretty much treated the exact same way. One way to get rid of facial lines and creases is to use retinoids. Retinoids are topical medications that reduce fine lines and wrinkles by boosting the production of collagen in your skin (via WebMD). While retinoids are a proven and effective treatment, they may cause some redness and peeling of the skin. 

You can also get rid of fine lines with microdermabrasion — a minimally invasive procedure that gently exfoliates the skin. This is done by removing the outermost layer of the skin and stimulating collagen production in the many layers of the skin below the surface.

Botox is yet another effective treatment. Botox injections target specific areas of the face, like the forehead or the creases of your eyes, by temporarily freezing and relaxing the facial muscles causing the lines. This treatment needs to be repeated in order to maintain the desired effect.