One unfortunate aspect of normal facial aging is a decline in facial volume (skin, fat, and other tissues leading to loose, sagging, and wrinkled skin. As we age the skin’s connective tissues, elastin and collagen weaken and break down, so the skin loses its youthful, springy texture. In extreme cases (see “The Sagger” type), skin elasticity loss combined with gravity can make the skin appear as if it’s sliding away from the facial bone structure.
It’s no wonder that skin tightening treatments and skin care products are in such high demand. Both men and women want fresh, young and beautiful looking skin. While it may be hard to prevent facial aging, here are some of today’s most effective methods of skin tightening:
Skincare Products
There are a number of effective products that can have both immediate and long-term anti-aging benefits. Look for products made from proven anti-aging ingredients like retinol, antioxidants, growth factors, or hyaluronic acid. We offer many advanced, dermatological-grade skincare products in our clinics and through our online store, Iderma. Your provider can help you determine the best regimen to fit your skin’s needs.
Dermal Fillers
Ideal for individuals with minimal sagging, dermal fillers can provide instant volume and lift to targeted problem areas – smoothing out wrinkles and lines, plumping flat lips, and correcting hollow areas. Fillers like Sculptra, work to stimulate the skin’s natural collagen while restoring volume and fullness to the skin. Voluma, Juvederm, and fillers of the Restylane family are ideal for lifting and enhancing the contours of the face. Radiesse is a gel-like filler that can correct the appearance of aging hands. .
MicroNeedling
This treatment, also called Collagen Induction Therapy, involves the creation of microscopic channels through the surface of the skin, which leads to formation of new tissue and collagen production. By creating minor skin injury, micro-needling induces the skin’s natural healing process and initiates the production of new collagen and elastin fibers that thicken the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Laser Skin Tightening
Skin tightening lasers can effectively reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin to provide a smoother, more youthful appearance. Thermage helps prevent the signs of aging by stimulating the body’s production of connective tissues, thereby tightening the skin and reducing the saggy, aged appearance. Ultherapy uses ultrasound to stimulate the collagen within the skin, creating a lifting effect. Ablative and nonablative fractionated lasers like Fraxel and ActiveFX can also create skin tightening.
Facelift Surgery
A facelift procedure is the most effective treatment for individuals with moderate to severe facial aging. Facelift surgery enables plastic surgeons to remove excess skin and tighten facial muscles to dramatically tighten the skin. There are several variations of the facelift procedure ranging from the s-lift to a full facelift, each with the ability to treat different degrees of skin sagging and looseness.
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