What is laser skin tightening?
Laser skin tightening, or ultrerapy and thermage treatment, is a non-invasive procedure. This procedure improves the laxity of the skin without the need of surgery. It does this with different sorts of laser energy. Ideally for people that have mild to moderate loose skin and which to receive a non-surgical procedure to firm their skin. This technique of skin tightening can be used on faces, necks and stomachs.
Applications of the treatment
Nonsurgical skin tightening can help patients who have mild to moderate loose skin and would like a nonsurgical procedure that gives them firmer skin. Laser skin tightening is often used on the face, neck, and stomach, but certain lasers work better on different areas of the body.
About the procedure
You doctor will discuss the different techniques used for your laser skin tightening during a consult. More so, a treatment plan will be drawn up based on your needs, concerns and goals. This will also be done against your medical health and the type of areas you want to be treated.
During the consultation your doctor will discuss the different technologies that are available to do this treatment. They are ultrerapy and thermage:
• Ultherapy tightens the skin with non-invasive ultrasound energy that can reduce the lines and wrinkles in the areas that are being treated. This is a treatment that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States to be used on the skin, areas like the chest, eyebrows and neck. The results will be instant and keep on improving over the 2 to 3 month period.
The safe ultrasound energy used in Ultherapy affects the three different layers of skin tissue without pain or discomfort. The energy heats the skin tissue to the point that the skin begins to naturally produce more collagen. One treatment can last from 30 – 90 minutes and most patients will only need one session.
• Thermage. This treatment uses focused radiofrequency energy to stimulate the renewal and healing effects of the skin. The heat energy that are used during the procedure is made comfortable with the bursts of cooling that are given during the treatment. Results will be partly visible a day after but will continue to improve for up to 6 months.
Thermage treatments usually take 45 – 90 minutes and can be used on the eyes, face, and body. Most patients only need one treatment to get their best results. Thermage promotes collagen production, so the improvements increase over time and last for years.
Based on your needs, and the areas that are being treated, one of these will be selected.
The areas that are to be treated will be cleaned of all make-up and other cosmetic lotions.
You will be given pain medication or a local anesthesia before the treatment will be begin. Still you might feel a bit of discomfort.
The actual time the treatment will take will depend on the technique the doctor has selected for your case. As such the treatment times can vary from 30 minutes to 90 minutes.
You will be able to leave as soon as the procedure is complete. But you will experience some swelling, numbness and redness afterwards. These should fade away rather rapidly. Just keep in mind your body is healing, so they are a natural response. But to allow 1 to 2 weeks for recovery.
You will also need to go back to your doctor, 7 days after the procedure so they can investigate the results and how your body has handled the treatment.
You should start to see the results immediately, but the final results will develop 2 – 6 months after the procedure.
Possible side effects and risks associated with this treatment
The normal side effects of a laser skin tightening procedure may include redness and swelling, and should recede within a couple of days. In rare cases, patients experience bruising and blistering, and some patients experience changes in pigmentation of treated areas. Again, these side effects are very rare. The average skin tightening patient can expect only moderate redness and possible swelling during laser skin tightening recovery, and will be able to resume his or her lifestyle immediately.
