Skin Tightening Treatments: What Does It Do To Your Body?

Loose and saggy skin is one of the many effects of aging, the fat and proteins that held the skin once are now barely existent. No skincare product in the world can tighten your skin again. Fortunately, nonsurgical skin tightening treatments are now an option for you.

Non-surgical skin tightening procedures are aesthetic treatments that change and tighten your skin to rejuvenate and make it more youthful. These procedures are noninvasive, making them an accessible and viable alternative for invasive surgical procedures like facelifts and tummy tucks. Some people even claim that they can produce similar results to surgical options.

It’s far less hassle, fewer risks of complications, less expensive, and simpler recovery. These treatments are based on newly developed technologies. So what are these treatments, and what does it do to your body?

Why Loose Skin Occurs

When you were younger, your skin was filled to the brim with proteins such as elastin and collagen. These proteins keep your skin framework upright and elastic; the collagen holds your skin plump and hydrated, while elastin keeps your skin stretchy. Unfortunately, the human body is susceptible to aging and environmental factors, and as a result, the production of these proteins scales down, causing loose and saggy skin.

Many factors can cause loose and saggy skin, not just aging. Gravity, stress, pollution exposure, and bodily muscle movements will all cause wear and tear on your skin. Given enough time, your skin will appear stretched and saggy. Other factors such as weight loss and pregnancy can also contribute to loose and excess skin.

Types Of Skin Tightening Treatments And What They Do To You

Each skin tightening treatment has a unique approach to how they work. Here is how these skin tightening treatments address loose and saggy skin issues:

Radiofrequency Treatments

Radiofrequency therapy, also known as radiofrequency skin tightening or simply RF skin tightening, is a nonsurgical procedure that tightens the skin noninvasively.

What Is Radiofrequency?

As the name suggests, radiofrequency are waves in the form of radiation, which release energy through electromagnetic waves. Radiation can be classified into two categories: low or high energy. High energy examples are gamma and X rays, while low energy waves are like RF waves.

Yes, these are the same type of waves that you know as radio waves, WIFI, or microwaves; these are all examples of radiofrequency waves. The energy used for the radiofrequency skin tightening treatment is a billion times less energy than X-rays.

How It Works

RF waves heat the deeper layers of the skin, between 122 and 167°F (50–75°C). When maintaining the temperature at these deep skin layers, your skin goes into a state, releasing heat-shock proteins. The newly released proteins then stimulate your body to create more collagen fibers.

The lost collagen due to aging and other factors are then restored. The collagen will then restructure your skin framework, making and keeping the skin tight and hydrated. As long as the collagen stays there, your skin remains tight, but eventually, it can decrease if not replaced. So you may need some touch-up treatments after some time.

While some heat is involved, the treatment is nearly painless, even without topical anesthetics. The treatment takes roughly an hour.

IPL Skin Tightening Treatment

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a minimally-invasive treatment that can also tighten and firm loose and saggy skin. It is an effective treatment that applies to any body part, including the face, neck, jawline, and stomach. Many often think that IPL treatment is a laser treatment, but it isn’t.

What Is IPL?

IPL uses light energy to affect the skin, but not quite like the laser treatments do. Laser treatments use one wavelength to light your skin; meanwhile, IPL treatment releases light in various wavelengths, like a photo flash.

Likewise, the light from IPL treatment is scattered, while laser treatments are focused. While IPL light energy isn’t as focused, it can still seep deeply into the skin without harming the other outer layers.

How It Works

IPL treatment is still very similar to radiofrequency treatments, which is to say, to heat the skin to increase collagen production. However, the IPL is more intense than the RF treatment.

During an IPL treatment, a cooling gel will have to be applied to prevent pain and discomfort from the light heat energy, minimizing downtime and side effects. Shortly after the treatment, you may experience redness, but it will dissipate soon after.

The skin will be quite sensitive after the treatment, and you will be advised to avoid direct sun exposure.

The application of IPL treatments isn’t limited to skin tightening. Depending on your needs, you may use IPL treatment to treat sun damage, dark spots, and hyperpigmentation. Several days or weeks after the treatment, your skin will have a more even skin tone.

Ultrasound Skin Tightening Treatment

For mild-to-moderate loose and saggy skin, ultrasound skin tightening treatment is a good option for you. Just like the other two treatments, this treatment is also noninvasive. FDA has approved the use of ultrasound technology to help lift the neck, chin, and brow and improve fine lines and wrinkles.

What Is Ultrasound?

The type of ultrasound treatment used for this procedure is the same type of ultrasound that doctors use for medical imaging. Your provider can use the high-energy waves from ultrasound to fix loose and saggy skin in different body areas through specific settings.

How It Works

Like the other two, the energy waves from ultrasound also create heat and target the skin at a deeper level. However, the treatment will create minor damage deep within the skin layers this time. This then prompts the body to start up the fibroblast cells, generating collagen fibers.

When applying the treatment, your provider will apply some gel to reduce heat and discomfort. The ultrasound energy is then sent through a series of bursts. The treatment will have some lingering pain since several cells were damaged underneath, but not too much that you can’t tolerate them.

Takeaway

You have so many options that can help tighten loose skin without resorting to surgical procedures. So if you are interested in any of these options, contact and reach out to our clinic, Peninsula Glow. We offer services that help address different skin concerns.