Treatments: Surgical revision, CO2 laser, Deep FX, Titan, Thermage , Nd:YAG, fractionated lasers

What is laser skin tightening

Laser skin tightening is a minimally or non-invasive process that uses an infrared light source (a laser) to tighten skin by heating the collagen under the skin’s surface, causing the skin to contract (tighten).

Skin tightening is a unique option for facial and body rejuvenation that produces dramatic results. Skin tightening effectively reduces the appearance of loose skin or fine and intermediate wrinkles for a smoother and more youthful appearance. Sometimes, surgical correction (face lift, tummy tuck etc) is the only option. However, most of the time, laxity of the skin is mild or moderate, and a less invasive treatment can achieve the desire results.

Who can benefit from skin tightening

People who start noticing loose skin in their cheeks, neck, chest, abdomen, buttocks, legs, and arms as a result of aging or weight loss could consider skin tightening treatment. Laser skin tightening is appropriate for men and women of all skin types and skin tones who wish to achieve dramatic results without painful surgery and lengthy recovery.

Skin tightening expected results

Skin type, body area, and downtime play a role in the outcome. Also, various laser technologies provide different degrees of skin tightening. In general, the more aggressive the treatment the more noticeable the results are.

CO2 laser treatment is the most aggressive approach and is usually used when skin tightening and skin rejuvenation are desired. It delivers the most drastic results. It is effective for the treatment of the face, and neck in fair and Asian skin.

A newer technology that is based on the CO2 laser is fractionated CO2 laser (DeepFX). It delivers similar results for skin tightening with greatly reduced downtime. In addition, it treats effectively other body areas such as the chest and the lax abdomen after pregnancy.

Titan laser can treat all body parts. In comparison to CO2 laser treatments, the downtime is much shorter but it requires multiple treatments to achieve substantial results. Results can last up to 2 years and additional treatment can follow to maintain the desired look.

Nd:YAG, Thermage™ ( radiofrequency), ReFirme™ are also used for tightening lose skin. These products use lower energy levels to deliver reduced patient discomfort. Consequently, multiple treatments are required to achieve significant results.

Skin tightening down time

If the 7-14 day-downtime of the conventional CO2 laser is unacceptable, fractionated CO2 with a downtime of 3-6 days may be used with minimal sacrifice of results.

Nd:YAG, Titan, Thermage™ do not harm the surface of the skin. Therefore, those treatments do not involve downtime. However, allocating time for multiple treatments should be considered.

Skin tightening pricing

Skin tightening cost depends on the desired results (number of treatments) and the size of the treated area and can vary between $500 to $7000.

CO2 laser or fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing require usually a single treatment with an average cost of $3000.

Thermage™ and Titan treatment cost structure is similar. A single session usually costs around $1500. As two to three treatments are usually needed, a patient should expect an average cost of around $4000.