Your Skin-Tightening Treatment Questions Answered
As you age, you may notice your skin change. Reduced elasticity leads to wrinkles and sagging, which can affect your self-confidence and make you look older than you really are. Luckily, skin-tightening treatments are available to help make skin look more youthful and healthier. If you would like to know more, keep reading.
Why Choose Skin-Tightening Treatments?
Skin-tightening treatments usually target the face and neck, but other patients may use them on other parts of the body, such as the upper arm and the inner thighs. Skin-tightening treatments help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and moderately loose skin.
The procedure, however, is not permanent, and it takes some time before you can see the full results. This is because the procedure typically promotes collagen production, so your body naturally smooths the face and neck. Since the procedure is non-invasive, however, you won't have to worry about changing bandages and keeping the incisions clean.
What Types of Skin-Tightening Treatments Exist?
There are four main types of skin tightening procedures: ultrasound, radiofrequency, laser, and intense pulsed light. Ultrasound and radiofrequency both work by stimulating collagen production, but ultrasound penetrates deeper than radiofrequency. Both are great for the face and neck.
Laser treatments are helpful for fighting sagging. While laser treatments can be used on the face, they are commonly used on the upper arms and stomach area. However, you may need multiple treatments to get the desired results. Last, intense pulsed light treatment is usually performed in conjunction with radiofrequency to boost the results.
What About Surgical Options?
Ultrasound, radiofrequency, laser, and intense pulsed light treatments are non-invasive, but surgical options also exist. Surgical facelifts usually provide better results that last longer, but there is significant downtime. Plus, surgical facelifts can be incredibly expensive.
In addition, all surgeries come with potential risks like coma, bleeding, infection, nerve damage, etc. During recovery, you may have drainage tubes to remove excess fluid. You'll need to keep these tubes clean and remove any clots.
Even if you want a surgical facelift one day, non-invasive skin tightening treatments can help postpone the need for surgery. Plus, they come with significantly fewer risks and side effects than surgery. Some people may experience mild redness, swelling, or tingling. Less often, people experience scarring or changes in skin color.
What About Botox and Fillers?
Botox and fillers are other alternatives to surgery and skin-tightening treatments. Like skin-tightening treatments, they are non-invasive and affordable, but they are also only temporary. Since Botox uses the botulinum toxin from animals, there is a potential risk of allergy.
Derma fillers pose less of a risk than Botox, but they don't promote your body to heal itself. Instead, fat, collagen, and hyaluronic acid are injected to plump the skin.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Skin Tightening Treatments?
Of course, not everyone is a good candidate for skin tightening treatments, and each treatment has its own pros and cons. Intense pulsed light treatments, for example, are not a great choice for people with darker skin tones. Darker skin tones can experience permanent damage or hyperpigmentation from these treatments.
You are also not a good candidate if you have unrealistic expectations or are pregnant. Some medications and medical conditions can affect your ability to get skin-tightening treatments, but you'll want to speak with your provider to learn more.
Skin tightening is a great choice for people who are unhappy with wrinkles and sagging skin. While it is commonly used on the face, it can be used on just about any part of the body. The procedures are non-invasive and have few side effects. If you would like to know more, contact a provider in your area today.