how does skin tightening work

Our world today is flooded with ways to look younger. It’s no surprise, considering that nearly all of us have times when we look in the mirror and feel disappointed by the wrinkles we see. But these many options can feel like a burden when you’re trying to find the right one for you. To help you navigate your choices, I’ve used my experience as a double board-certified plastic surgeon to create a series of helpful blogs. You’ll find them all (and more) on my John L. LeRoy, MD Facebook page, but this latest addition helps you understand the difference between two popular treatments: nonsurgical skin tightening and facial filler injections.

 

Nonsurgical Skin Tightening

Sagging and thinning skin is just a natural part of the aging process, but fortunately, there is a solution that uses a very natural process. Collagen is the main component of skin that is responsible for keeping the skin firm. Our skin has less and less collagen as we age, but we can tell the body to produce more by initiating the healing process. Nonsurgical skin tightening (specifically my Band Aid Skin Tightening) does this with radio frequency (RF) energy. We use a handpiece that glides across your skin, and it sends targeted warmth into the deep layers of the skin while keeping your surface skin cool and comfortable. When the RF energy heats the deep layers of the skin, it triggers the healing process so your body begins to produce more collagen in the treated area. After a series of five quick sessions, your body continues to build more collagen for several months, with results continuing to improve for three to six months.

Facial Fillers

Also called dermal fillers, facial fillers are injectable materials that add volume to the face. They can be used to fill in specific wrinkles, like the nasolabial folds, laugh lines, and marionette lines. Or, fillers can be used to restore youthful volume to areas that have become hollowed with aging, like the cheeks. In a very quick and convenient procedure, I’ll use a syringe to inject the Restylane®, Juvéderm®, or other filler depending on your needs. Facial fillers allow me the precision to build the evened, youthful contours of your face. The results begin to appear immediately, although the final results won’t be apparent until all the swelling and bruising has resolved (this usually happens within a week, but up to two weeks is possible). These side effects generally don’t affect your ability to go to work or do your other daily activities.

How to Choose Between Nonsurgical Skin Tightening and Facial Fillers

Both of these procedures have some of the same advantages: they’re both nonsurgical, they both help you look younger and more rested, and they both require little or no recovery time. Here are a few tips to help you choose your facial rejuvenation treatment:

• If your primary concern is sagging skin around the jowls, you’re probably a better candidate for nonsurgical skin tightening.
• If you want to target specific wrinkles rather than the amount of skin you have, facial fillers are likely your best option.
• If you’re a candidate for either procedure, but you want a more immediate result, facial fillers do show results more quickly. Nonsurgical skin tightening, on the other hand, generally offers longer-lasting results.
• These treatments aren’t mutually exclusive – they actually complement each other very well, so a combination of the two can offer great results.
• The only way to truly know which procedure is best for you is to have an in-person consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Getting the facial rejuvenation results you want starts with two choices: finding the right procedure and finding the right provider. If you’re ready to get started toward becoming your most confident, beautiful self, schedule a facial rejuvenation consultation with me today. I would be honored to guide you along your aesthetic journey.