A wrinkle patch is a piece of adhesive paper worn overnight to keep your muscles in place, with the aim of lessening or preventing wrinkles, says Kathleen Suozzi, MD, a dermatologic surgeon and the director of aesthetic dermatology at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
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People typically apply these wrinkle patches to various parts of the upper body, including around the eyes, forehead, mouth, neck, and chest. Some contain popular skin-care ingredients like retinol, resembling popular sheet masks on the market, Dr. Suozzi says. Retinol can improve skin by promoting an even texture, pigmentation, and tone, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). “Many other instant formulations have a silicone base that confers an instant wrinkle-smoothing property,” she adds.
Most wrinkle patches are reusable and relatively affordable, as skin-care products go, with popular brands like Frownies and Wrinkles Schminkles. You can also splurge on luxury patches like Natura Bissé, which are infused with what the brand calls “powerful anti-aging ingredients,” including octamioxyl, conotoxin, copper, and collagen peptides.
Despite the popularity of wrinkle patches and the fact that they may leave skin feeling instantly smoother, there’s little evidence they provide lasting effects, Suozzi says.
Dr. Sobel agrees. “They’re more gimmicky than effective,” he says. “Wrinkle patches appear to work by constricting the ability to make deep facial expressions, which exacerbates the appearance of wrinkles. Rest assured, the wrinkle-reducing results are temporary and will only last a few hours at most.”
Nevertheless, wrinkle patches that are saturated in numerous ingredients focusing on hydration and reducing premature signs of aging may offer more lasting benefits. “These fall more into the category of regional sheet masks, using the patch as a means of delivering products onto the skin like a sheet mask would,” Suozzi says.
In general, wrinkle patches are safe. One group that may want to avoid them: those with sensitive skin or an allergy to adhesives. Wrinkle patches may cause redness and irritation, Sobel says. Those patches with the active ingredient retinol can also make your skin more sensitive to the sun, and the AAD advises women who are pregnant or nursing to avoid this ingredient.
As for whether they’re worth your money, it depends on your goal. If you want to temporarily reduce physical signs of skin aging, these products may help. “Wrinkle patches are great for an important event when you want to look your best,” Sobel suggests. Just don’t expect sustained effects.
For that, Suozzi says, talk to your dermatologist about preventative Botox, laser treatments, or soft tissue fillers.
The more expensive wrinkle patches with skin-healthy ingredients can complement injectable treatments such as Botox, Suozzi says. That said, you can garner similar skin-smoothing effects from cheaper products with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, retinol, vitamin C, and alpha hydroxy acids, she adds.
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There are a host of treatments that may be able to reduce the appearance of wrinkles or other signs of aging. But beyond chemical peels, creams, laser therapies, and injections, social media users claim there's a less invasive product that can achieve similar results: silicone face patches.
Silicone or wrinkle patches have gone viral on TikTok—videos featuring the products have racked up nearly 150 million views. Some users have even dubbed the patches a “Botox alternative,” and others claim consistent use can help reduce wrinkles over time.
While this beauty hack sounds encouraging, experts are skeptical of silicone face patches’ efficacy long-term.
Here’s what experts had to say about the health and safety of silicone face patches, and best practices for keeping skin looking youthful.
How Do Silicone Patches Impact the Skin’s Appearance?
Wrinkle patches are typically made of either adhesive paper or silicone patches, and they can actually improve the appearance of wrinkles, Emily Wood, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology, told Health.
“Silicone patches can be applied overnight while sleeping to improve one’s appearance the following day,” Wood said. “It is also trendy to apply silicone patches around the crow’s feet [fine lines around the eyes] before an event, which can help lessen the appearance of these wrinkles.”
The patches can cover either large or small areas of the face, depending on someone's specific skin concerns. On TikTok, patches that cover the under eyes, smile lines, and forehead seem to be most commonly used, but some use silicone patches to improve chest or neck sagging, too.
Once applied to the face, silicone wrinkle patches may reduce some signs of aging by increasing hydration to the skin, Wood explained.
With wrinkles in particular, silicone patches can also prevent mobility of the skin throughout the day or night, and hydrate the top layer of the skin. This lessens the appearance of creases and lines
Silicone patches can improve the appearance of any facial scars, too. The patches provide an occlusive barrier—or physical barrier on the top layer of the skin—which decreases water loss, and increases hydration and plumpness, said Mary Alice Mina, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon at Baucom and Mina Derm Surgery.
The goal is somewhat similar to that of slugging, a technique where people use thick ointments such as Vaseline or Aquaphor as a final step in their nighttime skincare routine. Wrinkle patches can help the skin retain more of its moisture, keeping it hydrated overall, Mina said.
“In effect, this improves hydration and decreases fibroblast growth, which can increase scar thickness by increasing collagen production,” Mina told Health in a statement. “These patches also provide subtle pressure on the scar which can help improve the scar overall.”
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Do Dermatologists Recommend Silicone Wrinkle Patches?
While silicone patches can provide hydration to the skin and help minimize the appearance of lines, wrinkles, and scarring, the effects are short-lived, according to Brendan Camp, MD, a board-certified dermatologist of MDCS Dermatology. Because of this, many dermatologists remain skeptical.
“Silicone patches provide a temporary plumping effect to the skin because they draw water to the epidermis. This helps minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles,” Camp told Health. But “once the water content on the skin returns to normal, lines and wrinkles reappear as they did prior to applying the patch.”
The products are relatively affordable and available over-the-counter, unlike other skincare treatment such as laser treatments or Botox, Mina said. Still, they may not be worth most people’s time, since wrinkles will come back shortly after the product is applied, she explained.
In some cases, silicone or wrinkle patches might actually even irritate people’s skin rather than help it.
Some people who use these products, such as those with sensitive skin, may experience “irritation from the adhesive backing on the product” or may develop a rash if the product is “used daily for weeks or months at a time,” Mina said. Patches sometimes contain active ingredients such as retinol, which could also be an irritant, she cautioned.
Reusing patches multiple times might also spark breakouts for those with acne-prone skin. This can also occur with slugging, so “if you are prone to breakouts, it’s best to avoid this trend,” Mina said.
“There are better options for people looking to improve their skin texture and [to] treat or prevent fine lines and wrinkles than the burdensome use of sleeping in silicone all over the face at night, every night,” Mina said. “But if someone wants to try them, they are not harmful and can show temporary benefits.”
Best Practices for Managing Wrinkles and Fine Lines
If someone decides that they want to give silicone wrinkle patches a try, Mina recommends only buying those made with medical-grade silicone—this means that they’ve been produced in a chemically-stable way and have been tested to interact safely with the human body.
People with sensitive skin or a latex allergy should find products that use a hypoallergenic adhesive or a latex-free adhesive backing, Mina added.
Before trying any new skincare product, it’s important to see how the body reacts to it, Wood said. In this case, she recommends “patch testing a small area of skin” before applying wrinkle patches to the body.
And of course, using silicone or wrinkle patches is not the only way people can prevent or manage wrinkles and fine lines.
“While I’m ok with people trying silicone patches on wrinkles and stretch marks, please know there are other potentially more effective options out there,” Mina said. Those include:
Experts also recommend exercising daily, drinking plenty of water throughout the day, and eating a balanced diet that consists of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, fruits, and vegetables.
“There are a ton of ways to manage wrinkles, fine lines, and skin texture,” Mina said. “If you want to know the best ways to be proactive with aging, definitely seek out expert advice from a board-certified dermatologist.”
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