Laser skin tightening is a popular non-surgical aesthetic procedure that is safe and effective. This minimally invasive treatment uses a laser to tighten your skin. It produces an immediate facial skin tightening effect with no downtime necessary for recovery, although results may vary.
With this treatment, additional tightening of the skin will continue to occur over the following several months; many people also choose to have a few additional treatments for optimal results. Laser treatment to tighten the skin can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, tighten the overall appearance of the skin and rejuvenate your youthful appearance. While laser skin tightening is not a “non-surgical facelift,” it provides noticeable and significant improvement in the tautness of your skin and the youthfulness of your facial appearance.
Because this procedure uses a simple laser and no surgery, it is very safe and effective. Its use is not limited to the face; laser skin tightening can be used for mild lines, wrinkles, and sagging elsewhere on the neck or elsewhere on the body as well.
Can Laser Skin Tightening Help You?
Laser skin tightening works by stimulating the regeneration of the collagen underneath your skin’s surface. As new collagen emerges to fill in your skin, fine lines and wrinkles are subsumed. Results are particularly noticeable on the forehead, around the eyes and mouth and on the neck and body. The procedure requires nothing invasive and no surgical incisions, fillers or injections. Because the procedure heats collagen deep inside the skin, it is not a painful treatment.
Most people can see immediate results that improve as collagen continues to grow. The effects of the treatment are long-lasting and it does not stretch the skin, but instead encourages a natural process that causes your skin to tighten itself. This means that your face is not at risk of additional skin stretching due to the procedure.
Because laser skin tightening is a non-surgical procedure, side effects and risks are minimal. It is considerably safer than surgical methods for a younger facial appearance and provides significant cost savings over surgical procedures. There are some side effects that may be experienced; however, most are temporary and fade within days of the initial treatment. These side effects include warm skin, redness, or localized bruising.
The Laser Skin Tightening Procedure
It is important to begin the procedure with completely clean skin. Your practitioner will ensure that all makeup, sunscreen, oils, and creams are removed from the surface of your skin. In order to protect your skin and prevent pain or discomfort during the treatment, a topical anesthetic cream will be applied to the area to be treated. You will also receive protective eye shields to wear during the treatment to protect your eyes from the laser’s beam.
A highly-skilled professional will use a hand-held laser to apply very brief pulses of laser energy to your skin. During the application of these pulses, the laser will emit bursts of cool air for your comfort during the procedure as the collagen is heated below the surface of your skin. The entire procedure will take from 30 minutes up to one hour; the precise time depends on which area is being treated.
Most patients should receive three consecutive laser skin tightening treatments, each approximately one month apart, for optimal long-lasting results.
Are You a Candidate for Laser Skin Tightening?
You may be considering this procedure because you’ve noticed skin beginning to sag in your neck and face. Laser skin tightening is a good choice for both men and women, with all skin tones and types, who are looking to achieve realistic aesthetic goals for improvement and rejuvenation without surgery. The best results for this treatment are to be found in women and men between the ages of 30 and 60 who are otherwise in good health. The procedure can be used all over the body to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. It can also be combined with surgical treatments like face lifts or excess skin removal following weight loss to rejuvenate your complexion alongside the surgical procedure.
Results and Follow-Up
After your laser skin tightening procedure, results will be immediately visible and will continue to improve in the few months following your treatment. The most-recommended course of treatment involves three consecutive laser treatment sessions, each one month apart. As it is non-surgical, no recovery time is necessary; in fact, you can return to work the same afternoon following a laser skin tightening treatment.
The most common side effects – skin redness and warmth – resolve within hours following your treatment. It is also safe to cover any visible redness with makeup until it disappears on its own. In general, it is best to use a high-SPF sunscreen on the treated areas of your skin for at least two weeks following your treatment in order to provide the highest level of sun protection for your delicate skin.
Results are long-lasting and can be permanent; some patients prefer to receive a new treatment after around two years in order to re-stimulate collagen production, as collagen can be absorbed by the body.
To learn more about laser skin tightening, contact us today.
