2021’s Most Efficient Skin Tightening Treatment
Youthful-looking skin is every women’s dream. In today’s technologically advanced era, this is achievable with ease. From non-invasive procedures to surgical options, skin tightening has become the go-to cosmetic treatment for women.
Non-Invasive Skin Tightening Treatments
Noninvasive procedures rely on devices rather than scalpels to eliminate excess skin. These devices stimulate collagen production and work to shrink tissue that has lost its elasticity. These treatments don’t only target the face, multiple areas of the body can be corrected including, your neck, abdomen, arms, thighs, and buttocks. Treatments often vary according to patient needs, body area, and device. Other areas that can also be treated are eyelids and your chest.
Before considering a non-invasive treatment, please let your physician perform a physical examination alongside discussing risks, procedural outcomes, and expectations. Regardless, other lifestyle ailments should always be taken into consideration when opting for non-invasive skin treatments. Patients not applicable for non-invasive cosmetic treatments are pregnant moms if they suffer from blood clotting problems or have an infection in the area of treatment.
Side Effects of Non-Invasive Treatments
Patients are likely to experience mild swelling, bruising, and redness after the procedure. Swelling and bruising usually lasts up to two weeks while redness goes away within hours. Most noninvasive procedures do not have extended periods of recovery time and can resume their normal activities as usual.
Uncommon side effects include infections, skin burns, muscle weakness and numbness, changes in contour, and inflammatory reactions. In this case, contact your clinical personnel to prevent further damage.
When Can We See Results?
Most non-invasive procedures work on the principle of collagen stimulation for its enhanced production. Therefore, results can take at least three to six months to manifest and see their full effect.
The number of treatments required varies according to the technology and device you use and the degree of skin aging your skin is at. It also depends on the treatment area, the condition that is being treated, and the individual patient characteristics as well.
Types of Treatments for Skin Tightening
Till the age of twenty-five, our skin continuously produces two very important proteins namely elastin and collagen. These proteins are known to provide the skin with structure and elasticity. But as we age, the production of these proteins starts to slow down, and as a result of that, our skin losses its elasticity and starts to sag. In young skin, collagen is seventy percent of the normal dermis’s dry weight.
Apart from aging, other factors play a part in collagen reduction overtime. The most common one is UV damage. UV radiation damages cell DNA that makes collagen. It is also responsible for the production of free radicals that damage collagen directly. Likewise, stress and inflammation activating diets also affect reserves of collagen and their production. Stress often results in the production of the hormone cortisol which decreases collagen production. On the other hand, inflammatory foods high in sugar and carbohydrates activate the immune system and promote inflammation throughout the body. While eliminating these stressors can aid, they do not necessarily promote collagen production.
There are two types of treatments: in-office procedures performed by trained personnel and at-home devices you can use to treat your skin by yourself.
In-Office Skin Tightening Procedures
Plasma Fibroblast Therapy
Our skin has several layers, the one directly underneath the outer layer is known as the dermis and houses Fibroblasts, a collagen-producing cell. Plasma Fibroblast therapy targets these cells to stimulate collagen production.
Fibroblasts also help in skin healing along with maintaining skin firmness and tightness. This skin tightening therapy uses a pen-shaped device that emits a high-frequency electric current to small portions of your skin.
The “plasma tip” does not make contact with the skin, instead, it releases a targeted current above the skin. These hot currents create small holes or “micro-injuries” in our skin.
Fibroblast therapy aids in breaking down skin proteins, prompting tissue regeneration, encouraging collagen production by stimulating fibroblasts and skin tightening (tissue contraction).
Plasma fibroblast therapy apart from skin tightening also treats skin conditions like acne scars, damage due to sun exposure (age spots), “seborrheic keratosis” and wrinkles and fine lines including crow’s feet. Some cosmetic practitioners also use this as an alternative to lip fillers to make them look plumper.
- Recovery Period: the micro-injuries done during the procedure scab up and fall off after 7 days. Over the next couple of weeks as the skin heals, it also appears to be tighter and firmer. Results are usually visible after one treatment and can last three to five years. Follow-up treatments are required after 8 to 12 weeks but this depends on various reasons such as skin’s age, elasticity, depth of wrinkles, and your lifestyle.
- Side effects: the practitioner must tell you what the procedure entails, with its benefits and side effects. Side effects may manifest as redness, swelling, light and dark spots (hyper and hypopigmentation), and crusting and peeling of the skin.
Radio Frequency:
Radiofrequency is also known as “thermalift”. It was the first technology to use the concept of restoring lost collagen. Thermalift also uses a device to apply controlled radio waves to your face where you would like to make your skin firmer without any side effects. RF has been around since 2001 and is now known by several names such as Exilis, Thermage, Thermi, and Profound RF.
Regardless of what you refer to it, all of these work in the same principle: Radiofrequency waves penetrate past the outer layer to the dermis and heat it between 50 to 75 degrees. Maintaining a temperature of 46 degrees of over 3 minutes causes our body to release “heat-shock” proteins. These stimulate the production of collagen fibers. It makes the skin firm and also makes existing proteins grow stronger. The best part is that it is noninvasive, quick (takes less than an hour) and it’s done topically without anesthetics or recovery time.
Results usually take 4 months to become visible regardless of the number of treatment sessions you take. Apart from skin tightening and eliminating wrinkles, RF therapy also combats sun damage. Likewise, other benefits may include face contouring and face slimming.
- Side effects: although considered safe, it can have side effects if not performed correctly. As it deals with heat, you can get burned. Common side effects include tingling, redness, and mild yet temporary swelling. People with darker skin tones are at higher risk of side effects from heat treatments such as RF.
Micro-Channeling:
Micro Channeling is a new and evolved technique of micro-needling. Micro channeling is a noninvasive collagen induction therapy that focuses on collagen stimulation. Micro channeling prompts cytokines, delivers peptides, and stimulates growth factors.
Previously, micro-needling techniques like pens and rollers damaged skin to activate our body’s natural repair and healing response.
Micro channeling as a procedure involves microfilaments that are gently applied to the skin to create thousands of micro-channels in the skin. These invisible perforations are filled by the body by producing collagen and new elastin. This helps achieve skin tightening and antiaging benefits. This procedure too has negligible recovery time.
Potential benefits of micro channeling include improving the appearance of aging skin. An increase in the skin’s vitality alongside the reduction of the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and acne scars. It also helps even out skin tone.
Side effects: the most common side effect of micro channeling is minor skin irritation. Redness may also appear for a few days. Severe side effects may include bleeding, infection, skin peeling, and bruising.
Micro–Current Therapy
Micro-current therapy is also a noninvasive procedure that sends “low voltage” currents similar to our body’s natural electrical currents. These micro-currents then stimulate energy production to produce elastin and collagen which “lifts” our face’s appearance.
Micro-current facials are basically like a five min workout for the muscles on your face. This workout results in stimulation of collagen and tightens skin appearance. Apart from muscle stimulation for collagen development, it also encourages Adenosine Triphosphate cell growth. This increase in cellular activity gets rid of fine lines and wrinkles.
Microcurrent therapy has been in use for decades and has plenty of research backing its results. It is safe, effective, and targeted. Microcurrent is a painless process. Benefits include a reduction in the puffiness of the skin, face lifting, and redefinition of the jawline.
It is worth mentioning that it takes more than one session to see your desired results. Consistency is key here. The results are cumulative at best.
Microcurrent therapies are often paired with LED Therapy for more visible results in a short time.
At Home Procedures/Devices
Most suppliers now provide an at home device that helps perform skin tightening procedures in the comfort of your own home. A micro-current device sends micro-currents of electricity to our skin to perform a facelift in just five mins.
Micro-current devices have taken the cosmetic industry by storm. Their benefits include increased lymphatic drainage, a boost in radiance, stimulation of collagen alongside a reduction in wrinkles and fine lines.
While it is not a replacement for in-office treatments it does help maintain healthy and youthful skin. Most dermatologists recommend using this after an in-office treatment to maintain and prevent skin from re sagging and in helping your treatment last longer.
At home, devices are expensive costing more than a few hundred dollars. Your options for at-home devices include:
- NuFace Trinity ($199)
- Ziip Ox ($495)
- Touch Beauty 3-in-1 Facial Beauty Device.
- Skin Care Experts Microcurrent Face Lift ($102)
- Biosincron Microcurrent Face Lift Device ($130)
Procedural Combinations
Most often, aesthetic clinics often combine two in-office procedures to accelerate the overall process and garner better results. Not all face lifting technologies are created equally. That is partly because not all skin ages due to a single factor alone. Micro-current therapy is often paired with all three of the above mentioned in-office cosmetic treatment.
Treating aged skin needs to be a comprehensive approach. Our skin has many layers and penetrating deep is a must to generate collagen. Topical treatment treats the epidermis and enhances muscle stimulation. Dermal heating generates the production of collagen. Therefore addressing each layer with its specific treatment helps achieve the skin tightening results we desire.
Combining Micro–current and Radiofrequency Treatments
This is a very compatible duo. They enhance each other’s results by targeting different skin layers, muscles, and areas of concern. At Fibroblastbeauty, treatments are performed simultaneously with micro-current therapy or before it. This enhances your cumulative results alongside allowing muscles a period of rest.
As mentioned above, RF uses dermal heating for collagen production while microcurrent stimulates muscles for skin tightening. These both together bring a holistic result of more youthful-looking skin.
Combining Micro-Current and Micro Channeling Treatments
These two together have a complete esthetic system. Not only does it improve collagen and elastin in the skin it also repairs and eliminates sun damage along with vanishing acne scars.
When the probes are placed on the skin, a circuit of current travels stimulating tissues in the skin to help restore their functionality. Microcurrent therapy is often done after micro-channeling treatment.
Combining these two will help zap away fine lines and wrinkles. The low voltage electricity targets facial muscles to promote new cell growth and stimulate the development of new collagen development to help tighten the sagging skin.
The good thing about both these procedures is that they can be performed both in-office and at home. Either way, they’ll help achieve smoother, younger looking you with no pain.
Conclusion
Non-invasive cosmetic treatments and procedures have become quite the norm. Millennials and Generation Z alike flock towards aesthetic clinics to reverse signs of aging. Everyone has a different skin aging process depends on several factors from their environment to their lifestyle. Regardless, the treatments and therapies mentioned above eliminate signs of aging as stand-alone or in combination.
Each skin tightening technology has its own set of benefits to offer with the cumulative effect of enhancing collagen and elastin production in our skin to tighten it. Moreover, all procedures rely on our body’s natural healing process to bring firmer youthful-looking skin.
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/skin-tightening-treatment#at-home-devices
https://www.allure.com/story/at-home-microcurrent-facial-toning-devices
https://www.fibroblastbeauy.com/facial-radio-frequency-with-microcurrent/
https://www.fibroblastbeauy.com/fibroblast-plasma-pen/
https://www.fibroblastbeauy.com/microchanneling/
https://www.healthline.com/health/microneedling#risks-and-side-effects
https://www.healthline.com/health/plasma-fibroblast#finding-a-provider
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/microcurrent-facial#cautions
https://mynewa.com/the-ultimate-skin-tightening-showdown-rf-vs-microcurrent/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-reasons-collagen-declines-how-to-support-it-naturally
