People who take for granted the natural elasticity of their skin are in for a surprise as they get older. Inevitably, the skin becomes looser and sags, including on the face. The good news is that several skin tightening treatments designed to add firmness to skin are available. To educate patients who may be interested in skin tightening, the team at Facial Aesthetic Concepts explains how these procedures work.

Why Does Skin Need Tightening?

Before learning how skin tightening procedures work, it is important to understand what happens to aging skin. Collagen and elastin are proteins that are naturally abundant in the skin. Both play an important role in keeping skin looking tight and youthful. However, the human body gradually decreases its production of collagen and elastin with each passing year, leaving the skin susceptible to laxness and wrinkles.

Radiofrequency Procedures

Most skin tightening procedures utilize radiofrequency, which is a low level of radiation. For context, Microwaves, WiFi and X-rays are all types of radiofrequency (RF). The RF safely heats the deepest layers of skin, with most treatments achieving a temperature between 130 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. After a few minutes at those temperatures, the body creates heat shock proteins. It is these proteins that push the body to generate additional collagen fibers, which should act to retighten the skin.

Facial Aesthetic Concepts offers multiple RF treatments for skin tightening, including:

• Dynamic Variable Depth Radiofrequency (DVD RF), which is often combined with IPL to improve the skin’s tone.
• Pelleve, which is known for achieving results with fewer treatments.
• ThermiTight, which reduces jowls and sagging on the neckline.
• Thermage, which works on both the face and the body.
• Pellefirm, which is best at treating cellulite.

Fractional CO2 Laser

Another option for skin tightening is a Fractional CO2 laser. This ablative laser not only reaches deep beneath the skin to stimulate collagen production, but also heats and removes the surface layer of the skin to reveal healthier, smoother skin beneath. It is a popular choice with patients who also want to treat sun damage and fine lines.

What To Expect from Skin Tightening

Though some effects from skin tightening may be immediately apparent, patience is critical. For most patients, the results gradually improve over the course of months; multiple treatments may be necessary to attain the best results.

Patients do not experience significant downtime and can safely resume most activities as soon as a treatment is complete. Though some skin irritation and redness can be expected, the side effects typically fade within a matter of days.

Contact the Skin Tightening Experts

Facial Aesthetic Concepts is celebrated throughout Southern California for rejuvenating patients’ skin with non-invasive treatments. If you would like to discuss skin tightening procedures with our team, please call (949) 313-2600 to schedule a consultation.