Laser skin tightening is a non-surgical cosmetic skin treatment. The treatment corrects damage to skin due to exposure to sunlight. It also removes wrinkles and gives the skin a smooth and youthful appearance. Laser skin tightening is also sought by people who have lost weight and find their skin sagging a bit. Skin can sags as a result of age, pregnancy, or gastric bypass surgery.
Laser skin treatment can be used on many areas of the body – to tighten loose skin on the face, forehead, neck, abdomen, chest, arms, buttocks, and thighs.
How Does Laser Skin Tightening Work?
The latest laser skin tightening techniques apply infrared frequency waves on the skin. The waves heat the dermis, which is the middle layer of the skin. This process is known as collagen remodeling, in which old collagen and elastin fibers are heated. This stimulates the growth of new collagen, which removes fine lines and crease marks on the skin surface. The process can take up to an hour; a cooling system is used to prevent the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis) from getting overheated.
Before undergoing treatment you should let your doctor know if your skin is sensitive to any medicine, if you are susceptible to oral herpes, or if your skin scars easily. Laser skin tightening treatment is not advisable for pregnant women. Some treatment procedures may require that you avoid direct sunlight for up to 28 days before treatment; this can be achieved by using a suitable sunscreen.
Advantages of Laser Skin Tightening
Laser skin tightening offers distinct advantages over other skin tightening procedures such as chemical peels, creams, and surgical skin tightening:
- The technique is less invasive as compared to other techniques; the skin is not cut during the procedure.
- The treatment can be carried out on any area of the body. This means that there is no risk of scarring and recovery time is greatly reduced. Since anesthesia is not required, the patient can go about his/her day right after the procedure.
- Collagen is formed during the procedure which makes the upper skin layers smooth and adds to the softness of the layers beneath. Collagen formation that occurs with this treatment eliminates bumps and raised surfaces on the skin that form when skin tightening is done surgically.
- Laser skin treatment is available to patients of all age groups, skin types, and skin tones.
- Skin tightening with lasers can safely be combined with other skin tightening treatment methods.
- Laser skin treatment works well to remove cellulite from under the skin; however it may require more than one session to remove cellulite.
Types of Laser Skin Tightening Systems
There is several laser skin tightening systems currently available, including:
Titan Skin Tightening – The Titan skin tightening system is a popular choice for skin tightening and facelifts. The technique uses infrared lasers to target aged collagen fibers. The laser also acts upon the dermis to stimulate growth of new collagen fibers. Small areas of the skin are subjected to six-second heating and cooling cycles. The procedure does not require any anesthesia and is almost painless. Loose skin on the face, neck, buttocks, and arms can be safely treated.
Polaris Skin Tightening – The Polaris skin tightening system uses both laser and radio frequency beams to treat sagging skin. This is an FDA-approved treatment method that can effectively treat crow’s feet and loose skin on the face. The laser energy works on the skin surface while the RF beams penetrate deeper to stimulate collagen growth. Polaris is ideal for patients experiencing mild to moderately loose skin. Four to five sessions with a gap of five weeks between sessions are recommended for best results with Polaris Skin Tightening system.
ReFirme Skin Tightening – ReFirme is a FDA-approved skin tightening and wrinkle reduction system. It is different from other skin tightening systems as it uses rapid pulses of low level laser energy which means faster treatment, less discomfort for the patient, and comfortable equipment handling by the operator. The system uses infrared light and bipolar radio-frequency energy for optimum results. It works best for skin tightening around the face and neck region but can be used effectively for treating loose skin on legs, arms, and buttocks too. The procedure is extremely low-risk with almost no side effects.
Aluma Skin Tightening – The Aluma skin tightening procedure is safe and painless for the patient and enables the medical practitioner to accurately treat the targeted regions with the help of a touch screen and an easy-to-use operating system. The treatment time varies between 15 to 30 minutes depending upon the area being treated. Usually five sessions are required for effective treatment. Aluma Skin Tightening is used for treating cheek jowls, crow’s feet around the eyes and also sagging skin around the abdomen and knees.
LuxIR Skin Tightening – The LuxIR skin tightening system targets the layers 1.5 to 3.0 mm below the outer skin with infrared rays. A hand-piece is used to raise the temperature of the area under the skin with the help of infrared pulses. This triggers the body’s natural healing response to generate new collagen. This firms up the skin to remove creases and wrinkles.