Also known as laser skin tightening or ultrasound skin tightening
Skin tightening procedures have become very popular in recent years because they provide a nonsurgical alternative to more invasive procedures for correcting skin laxity and improving skin quality. Today your plastic surgeon can choose among a number of different devices and technologies that provide noninvasive skin tightening solutions.
When to Consider Nonsurgical Skin Tightening
- If you have mild to moderate loose skin on your face, neck, arms or abdomen
- If you have residual skin laxity after an operative procedure
- If you would like an improvement in the quality of your skin
- If you are unable (or unwilling) to undergo a more invasive, surgical procedure to correct skin laxity
- A noninvasive, nonsurgical technique that tightens facial or body skin
- Performed with no incisions, minimal discomfort and little to no downtime
- May be used for all skin types
- Results are less extensive and dramatic than those obtained with a facelift or body contouring procedures
- Multiple treatments are usually needed for optimal results
- Skin redness, temporary swelling or numbness or volume loss around the treated area may occur
Skin tightening procedure performed
Depending on your skin quality and the area being treated, you can choose one of the treatments described below. Before the procedure begins the area to be treated is cleaned of makeup and skin lotions. Some treatments require a thin coat of ultrasound gel during treatment. Oral or intravenous pain medication may be required depending upon device, treatment area, and your individual needs.
Radiofrequency
- The treatment area is measured and marked
- Your skin is cooled for comfort and safety
- A specially designed treatment tip is placed against your skin
- Radiofrequency energy penetrates deep into the skin’s tissue, heating the treatment areas and stimulating collagen production
- You will feel a gentle vibration as well as cooling and heating sensations during each pulse
- The upper layer of your skin is cooled
Intense pulsed light (IPL)
- If your face will be treated, you will be provided with protective eye covering
- A hand piece is used to administer a continuous cooling while an infrared light heats the deep dermis (deep layer of your skin)
- One or more passes may be performed
Ultrasound
- The treatment area is measured and marked
- An ultrasound gel is applied to your skin
- A smooth handpiece is placed on your skin and an image of the tissue beneath is projected on a screen so you can see the treatment area
- The ultrasound emits small thermal bursts to stimulate the deep structural support layers of the skin without disturbing the skin’s surface
What are my options?
There are three general options for nonsurgical skin tightening. After evaluating your skin quality and the area being treated, you will choose the option that is best suited for your particular situation and will recommend an approach based upon your aesthetic goals.
Radiofrequency and intense pulsed light treatments heat only the deep layer of your skin. The epidermis or outer skin layer is not damaged. Your body’s natural wound healing response causes collagen changes in the skin which results in skin tightening. A series of treatments is usually performed.
Ultrasound treatments focus ultrasonic energy to the dermal layer (the deep layer of your skin). Your skin above the focus point and tissue below the focus point are protected. New collagen growth is stimulated, which gradually lifts and tightens the skin. Like radiofrequency and IPL, multiple treatments may be needed.
What are the brand names for nonsurgical skin tightening?
Radiofrequency
- Pixel
- Accent