Skin tightening is just one of many types of procedures offered by the skincare industry to help us all look as good as we possibly can. It happens to be one of the newest skincare procedure categories. Even though it has been around for several years, there are still several things that most people don’t understand about it. Here are some quick facts you should know about it, in case you want to schedule a skin tightening procedure yourself.
Where and How Skin Tightening Works
One of the most common questions people have about skin tightening is whether it has to be done on the face or neck. The answer is no. It can actually be done almost anywhere that you have sagging skin. Common areas include the upper arms, but loose skin can develop anywhere.
The aesthetic skincare tools that use lasers or other means to tighten skin don’t generally treat the surface itself anyway. Instead, they can simply use heat or other means to trigger increased collagen production in the body. As your body makes more collagen, that collagen with be used to tighten up the gaps between skin cells. The result is that your skin will have a more taught, supple appearance.
Results to Expect from Skin Tightening
Unlike laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion, or a chemical peel, laser skin tightening does not strip away the top layer of skin cells. In fact, it may show almost no immediate result, except that your skin might look a little red for a day or so after treatment.
The real results may not start to show themselves for a week or two after the procedure is complete. It takes that long for your body’s systems to produce enough collagen, elastin, and other “protectors” of the skin to make a noticeable difference.
Different Types of Skin Tightening Techniques
It’s important to note that when most people think of skin tightening treatments they think of standard laser treatments. That can include YAG lasers or any other type of “regular” laser treatment. However, infra-red laser treatments are also available. It might be necessary to choose one instead of the other based on your skin type and the condition of it. Your skincare expert can help you to decide.
You might find that laser skin tightening is not even your best option. There are treatments that use radio frequencies and other sound waves to tighten the skin instead. One of those might be more appropriate, if your skincare specialist thinks that lasers wouldn’t be right for you because of your skin type or the condition of it.
Factors That Determine the Costs of Skin Tightening
The cost of skin tightening varies a lot based on many different facts. The first is the procedure itself. Sound wave treatments and laser treatments vary in cost. You also have to keep in mind that established clinics with the latest machinery will charge more, as will clinics in heavily populated areas where the procedures are popular. The cost can also vary depending on how much of your skin you need to treat and whether or not you have to go back for multiple appointments.
As you can see, you have a lot of choices and a lot of things to consider, if you want to tighten your skin. Talking to a skincare professional can help you to narrow down your choices, figure out your costs, and set realistic long-term goals so that you can reclaim tighter, healthier skin.