As we age, our skin loosens and sags. This is caused by several factors. Collagen and elastin serve to keep our skin tight. Each year that we live, we lose approximately 1% of our natural collagen and elastin. If we think of our skin as a bed, the loss of collagen and elastin cause it to no longer look like “crisp, tightly tucked in sheets”, but instead to appear as “wrinkled, loosely made sheets”. In addition, especially in our face, our fat pads shrink and fall. This is like the box springs on the mattress over time. If the box springs no longer hold the mattress up, the sheets will never fit tightly.
Tighten Loose Skin
Tighten Loose SkinSo, there are several goals when trying to tighten skin. The first is to restore the underlying fat pads by injecting volume into those areas. Fillers such as Voluma, Vollure, Juvederm and Radiesse are all excellent fillers to use in the face or hands in order to recreate the volume that we lose as we age. Fillers last from 10 – 18 months depending upon which one is used and into which area they are injected.1 When underlying fat is recreated with fillers, the result is that the skin is lifted and pulled more tightly.2,3*
PDO Threading
PDO Threading is a treatment that lifts and tightens sagging skin using threads made of Polydioxanone (PDO). When placed in the skin, they lift and tighten. The threads themselves dissolve after about 6 months, but they stimulate collagen, so the tightening is visible for about 10 – 12 months. Once the threads are inserted, you may get an instant lift. As the months go on, the threads will stimulate collagen production which increases elasticity, improves texture and minimizes fine lines.
New Loose Skin Tightening Treatments
J Plasma is a minimally invasive procedure that also tightens the skin. Several small incisions are made in the area to be treated and the J Plasma wand is inserted in through these incisions. Plasma energy heats the lower layer of the skin, resulting in almost instantaneous tightening.6 Some people refer to it as “shrink-wrapping” the skin. This procedure has a small amount of down time associated with it and there can be bruising and swelling. J Plasma can be performed in conjunction with liposuction if fat needs to be removed before the skin is tightened. It can be used to tighten skin anywhere on the body, including the face, neck, upper arms and abdomen.7
Loose Skin? Learn About CORE Laser
Lastly, the fractional CO2 laser (or CORE) results in overall improvement in texture, pore size and brown spots while also tightening the skin and improving fine lines.8 This procedure has some downtime, but provides beautiful results for people who need improvement of multiple features.9
Get Your Free Consultation
If you do not like the appearance of your loose skin, call and schedule a free consultation at Genesis MedSpa. We will work with you to decide which procedure is best for your skin and will give you the best results!
