After weight-loss or pregnancy many patients have concerns over loose or sagging skin across their face or body. There are various skin tightening treatments available to patients including surgical procedures and minimally invasive non-surgical procedures. This blog explains some of the most common skin tightening treatments available to patients and provides information on the potential suitability, cost and recovery from the various techniques.

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What are Skin Tightening Treatments?

Skin tightening treatments are designed to tighten the skin, restore the skin, remove excess skin and rejuvenate the area’s appearance. These types of treatment are generally desired by and suitable for patients who have sagging skin, loose skin, and stretch marks as a result of pregnancy, weight loss, or aging.

Generally, Boston skin tightening patients have the treatment performed on their abdomen, thighs, arm, and face but they can be performed anywhere on the face or body. There are multiple techniques available to Boston skin tightening patients including surgical and non-surgical treatment options. 

The most suitable technique will depend on your goals and the extent of excess or loose skin you have. If you are interested in undergoing a skin tightening procedure you should book a consultation with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon to see whether a surgical procedure is the most appropriate for your needs. 

Surgical Skin Tightening 

Skin tightening surgery is frequently performed during surgical procedures such as a Tummy Tuck, which removes excess abdominal skin, or Face or Neck Lifts, which remove excess skin and tighten the face or neck. These procedures achieve much more significant and dramatic results than any non-surgical technique. For more information on these procedures view our blogs ‘Tummy Tuck Boston: The Most Frequently Asked Questions’, ‘A Patient’s Guide To A Facelift Procedure In Boston’, or ‘Boston Necklift: Most Frequently Asked Questions’.

Other procedures which remove excess skin include a Body Lift, an Arm Lift, and a Thigh Lift. These procedures are designed for patients who have lost significant amounts of weight and have extensive sagging or loose skin that they wish to have removed. Excess skin can also be removed from specific areas alongside other procedures such as a liposuction procedure. The surgery is performed by creating an incision line and cutting out any excess skin from the area and sealing the incision line with stitches. Therefore, Boston skin tightening patients who undergo surgical treatments have the loose skin permanently removed from their body, meaning that the results are immediately visible other than any initial swelling.

If you are considering underground a surgical skin tightening procedure you should book a consultation with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon who has extensive experience in performing this type of procedure. 

What are the different types of Non-Surgical Skin Tightening Treatments?

There are a variety of non-surgical skin tightening treatments in Boston that generally aim to stimulate collagen production under the skin. Non-surgical skin tightening treatments tend to be more suitable for patients with mild to moderate concerns as these treatments are only effective on less significant sagging or excess skin.

Most procedures take around an hour to be performed, depending on the size of the area, and patients can return home and do not necessarily need to take time off work to recover. However, the results can take months to be fully visible and the treatments do not achieve permanent results. Generally, non-surgical treatments last up to a year so top-up treatments are required.

The recovery from a non-surgical treatment is fairly minimal and short. The specific recovery will depend on the exact technique used as plasma fibroblast causes the skin to scab while most other treatments will only have the potential side effects of redness, soreness, swelling, or bruising. Non-surgical skin tightening treatments include:

Radio Frequency Skin Tightening

Radio Frequency treatments all work by heating the deeper layers of the skin, the epidermal layers, using Radio Frequency waves which are considered low energy radiation. According to Healthline, studies have shown that using a temperature over 115’F for over three minutes stimulates the production of new collagen fibers.

Since collagen fibers are produced by the body as a result of radio frequency treatment, the skin is effectively tightened and wrinkles are reduced. There are various types of radio frequency skin tightening treatments available including:

Exilis

Exilis is a type of radiofrequency skin tightening treatment which aims to restore lost collagen by heating the skin. This technique breaks down the collagen fibers within the skin which causes the body to stimulate its natural healing process and so more collagen is produced. 

The technique can additionally be used to target and break down unwanted fat cells so that fat can be removed from the body while the skin is tightened. The procedure generally takes up to an hour to be performed but this does depend on the size of the area being treated. Multiple sessions are generally needed but the results can last up to two years. 

Fibroblast

Fibroblast skin tightening therapy targets the fibroblasts in the skin to stimulate collagen production. Fibroblasts are the cells in the body that produce proteins in the skin and so this treatment helps to heal wounds as well as tighten the skin, encourage tissue regeneration and reduce scars and wrinkles.

Healthline explain that the technique uses a smaller handheld device than the other techniques called a plasma pen that releases a high-frequency electric current into the skin. The procedure causes the skin to produce small scabs that will fall off about a week after the treatment. This technique is known for its success on areas of the face, neck, and abdomen. Some patients will only need one treatment while others will require three sessions.

J Plasma 

J Plasma skin tightening treatments are a relatively new procedure designed to rejuvenate and tighten the skin by stimulating collagen production. Radio Frequency waves are combined with helium gas which creates plasma. This can instantly enhance aspects of the patient’s skin such as wrinkles, fine lines, reduce scars or pigmentation issues and improve the skin’s texture. The technique can also be used to remove unwanted fat deposits from the area as the plasma can help to melt down fat cells so that the body can remove them. 

ThermaLift

ThermaLift was the first type of radio frequency skin tightening treatment and is still used effectively now. The treatment heats the skin’s dermis layers to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin as well as causing the collagen to contract which helps to tighten the skin. Results are generally visible three to six weeks after the treatment and these results can last from six months to a year.

Laser Skin Tightening 

The American Society of Plastic Surgery reported that laser skin resurfacing treatments were one of the top five most commonly performed minimally-invasive procedures in America in 2020. Laser skin tightening treatments also work by stimulating the production of collagen, elastin, and new skin cells by heating the skin. However, laser treatments heat the skin with infrared light rather than with radio frequency waves.

There are different types of laser treatments that will be more effective and suitable for different areas of the face and body. The American Academy of Dermatology Association explain that laser resurfacing treatments are the most effective non-surgical skin tightening treatment for helping loose skin. Laser resurfacing treatments work differently to typically laser treatments and do require some recovery time, but the results will be visible within two weeks. 

The procedure is typically more expensive than other non-surgical skin tightening treatments but the results can last up to three years. Additionally, the treatment helps to protect against future aging as it helps improve the skin’s architecture.

Ultrasound Skin Tightening

Ultrasound energy is used to heat the skin at a deeper layer than the other non-surgical techniques to increase collagen production and lift from deep under the skin. The treatment has an excellent safety profile and ultrasound technology is used extensively in other areas of medical treatment.

The process involves using a handheld device and running it along the area to transmit the ultrasound waves into the skin. Generally, the treatment takes around 30 minutes to an hour and a half and tends to only require one or two treatments. This treatment is often used on patients to perform a non-surgical facelift and rejuvenate the face as it works well for the face, neck, and chest.

The recovery time from the treatment is minimal and according to ELLE can easily be done in your lunch break. However, it does take up to three months for the results to become visible.

Skin Tightening Cost?

Surgical:

The average cost of a surgical skin tightening treatment will completely depend on the type of surgery being performed and the area treated. For example, the cost of surgical lift procedures will depend on the size of the area being treated. According to RealSelf, a full-body lift can cost an average of $15,375 while smaller areas such as a thigh lift, were reported as costing an average of $9,000 and an arm lift was reported as costing an average of $7,300. There are also likely to be additional surgical costs that will increase the overall price of undergoing this type of procedure. It is therefore important to discuss what is included in the cost during your consultation.

More extensive surgical procedures that include skin removal or tightening techniques such as a Tummy Tuck or Facelift are generally more expensive procedures. This is because these procedures do more than just tighten the skin and require a complex surgical procedure. We found in our blog ‘How much does a Boston Facelift Cost’ that a Facelift procedure in Boston can cost between $12,000 and $40,000. 

Non-surgical:

The cost of non-surgical skin tightening treatments hugely varies due to the range of techniques and areas that the treatments can be performed on. Previous Boston skin tightening patients will have paid vastly different amounts for their non-surgical skin tightening treatments depending on the specific technique, the number of areas treated, and the expertise of the practioner. You should conduct your own research and consult your practitioner to know the exact cost of your desire treatment.

Healthline states that radiofrequency treatments tend to start at $200 for one session, whereas laser tightening treatments are reported as costing an average of $600 to $1,000 for one session. When considering the cost of the different types of non-surgical treatments it is important to take into account how long the results will likely last for and how many sessions will probably be needed for you to achieve your ideal results.

Conclusion

Therefore, there are multiple different options to consider if you wish to undergo a skin tightening treatment. Reading this blog and gaining knowledge on the various techniques and surgeries available is a good start to researching the procedure. However, it is important to conduct more specific research into the procedure you are looking to get and view previous Boston skin tightening treatment results.

Additionally, you should book a consultation with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon to gain expert advice, especially if you are considering undergoing a surgical skin tightening procedure.

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Disclaimer 

Please note: All materials on the Site, such as text, treatments, outcomes, photographs and images and any other material provided on the Site are for information purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding treatments. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Site.

Though the content of this blog has been carefully prepared, the author of this content is not a medical doctor and the content has not been reviewed by a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon. 

Unless specifically stated, patients referred to in this blog have not undergone any skin tightening treatments with Dr. Markarian. This blog does not endorse the work of any doctors or surgeons mentioned. Stories relating to patients’ personal experiences of skin tightening treatments or procedures should be treated as anecdotal only.

Any application of the material provided is at the reader’s discretion and his, her, or their responsibility.