Can Anti-Wrinkle Patches Reduce My Fine Lines?

Everyone loves a quick fix. Face patches are especially appealing when some claim you can go to sleep wearing one and wake up with hydrated, plump skin that’s free of fine lines. But are these anti-wrinkle patches too good to be true? Or are they a worthwhile investment for your skin care routine?

According to Dr. Azza Halim, M.D., a board-certified physician and founder of Azza MD Beauty, anti-wrinkle patches work by delivering skin care ingredients directly to the fine lines you want to conceal.  They usually contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid “that draws moisture to the skin,” peptides to “stimulate collagen,” and vitamin C to “help brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of lines.” The material that many wrinkle patches are made from, hydrocolloid, helps to create a “moist environment that promotes healing and temporarily reduces the depth of wrinkles,” she adds.

So, yes, wrinkle patches can help deliver instant skin-smoothing and brightening results. The only caveat? Dr. Halim says the results won’t be permanent. The patches she likes the most are ones with microdarts. “Microdart patches work by delivering active ingredients directly into the skin to target fine lines and wrinkles more effectively via tiny, dissolvable microneedles,” Dr. Halim says. However, “they don’t reach deep layers of the skin and can only penetrate the outermost layer.” Basically, you might see smoother skin (as hydrated skin has less obvious wrinkles), but the results aren’t like Botox. 

There’s another popular patch that works differently than the rest. These act as a splint or cast to help hold the skin relaxed while you sleep. Simply, they involve taping down your wrinkles and restricting your movement; they don’t have any skin care ingredients. When you remove the sticky patch, skin looks as if it has fewer lines. But as with other patches, the results are temporary. As soon as you start moving your muscles again, the lines come back. The patches won’t hurt, and can help make your makeup go on smoother, but it might be better to put the money toward Botox — or appreciate your wrinkles just as they are.