Nonsurgical skin tightening is one of the most popular and exciting areas of cosmetic dermatology. From lifting sagging skin to contouring the face and body, today’s procedures offer many rejuvenating benefits without the need for sutures and surgical downtime. Those benefits make them ideal for people who aren’t ready to commit to surgery or prefer less-invasive methods.
Here at Dermatology Associates of Rochester, we believe in a fully bespoke approach to treatment. We don’t just want to help you choose the best skin tightening treatment; we want to help you choose the best skin tightening treatment for you.
In this guide, we will cover three types of nonsurgical skin tightening services we offer and why they may be an excellent choice for you.
Ultherapy®
Ultherapy (a portmanteau of “ultrasound” and “therapy”) is a unique alternative to traditional facelift surgery—and even comparable nonsurgical treatments—because it harnesses the power of sound energy to lift and refresh the skin.
What It Does
This treatment is great for correcting sagging in the brow line and loose skin around the neck and can also counteract crepey skin and fine lines on the chest. Ultherapy achieves this remarkable skin tightening and skin lifting effect using microfocused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V).
How It Works
In simple terms, Ultherapy uses the ultrasound imaging most people are familiar with to see the different layers of tissue beneath the skin. As areas that could benefit from treatment are identified, ultrasound energy is applied with pinpoint precision and accuracy.
This targeted stimulation of the tissues activates the body’s natural healing response, producing collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid to restore elasticity and volume to the skin. A recent research study has further shown that Ultherapy delivers significant, long-lasting results with high patient satisfaction rates among men and women alike.
What Treatment Is Like
Ultherapy sessions typically last 30 minutes to treat the chest and 60 to 90 minutes when targeting the face and neck. The results can start showing as quickly as the end of the treatment and will continue to improve over the next few months as the body produces new collagen. This collagen, in turn, lifts the skin and gives it a firmer and more youthful texture.
Most patients will only need one Ultherapy treatment to reap the benefits, and many can go around 2 years before needing a follow-up session. However, as Ultherapy targets the deep tissues of the dermis and bypasses the superficial epidermis, some patients may find that combining Ultherapy with laser skin resurfacing will give them the most comprehensive and effective results.
SkinTyte®
A laser-based treatment, SkinTyte uses infrared light energy to promote collagen production. The heat it generates amid the subdermal tissues tightens the skin, while the newly created collagen will restore suppleness to the skin over the following months.
What It Does
SkinTyte may not go as deep into the dermis as Ultherapy does, but it does address superficial skin concerns, such as sun damage, a rough or irregular skin texture, and visible signs of aging. It can also be safely and effectively used all over the face and body.
What Treatment Is Like
Typically, patients will undergo a series of six SkinTyte treatments to achieve the desired rejuvenating effects. Each session lasts around 30 minutes and involves a handheld applicator pulsing infrared light into the treated area. The entire procedure is painless and involves no downtime to recover—although the body will immediately get to work on fortifying the tissue with collagen.
The final results will generally be visible within 3 to 4 months, though maintenance treatments are encouraged every 3 to 6 months to maximize the skin tightening benefits.
Profound®
A third type of nonsurgical skin tightening treatment we offer is microneedling, which kick-starts collagen development through controlled micro-injuries. Profound uses super-fine needles to send sustained pulses of energy into the deeper layers of the skin.
How It Works
Like SkinTyte, Profound also delivers energy to the skin, remodeling the tissues and triggering a targeted healing response. However, rather than using infrared light, Profound uses radiofrequency energy to heat the dermis and spur elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid.
What It Does
Profound is particularly beneficial for loose skin on the face and neck, though the abdomen and limbs are also common treatment areas. The combination of microneedles and RF energy can also improve the skin’s texture, effectively addressing acne scars, wrinkles, and other irregularities for a more refreshed appearance.
Most patients only need one Profound treatment to unlock their desired skin tightening results, with improvements taking 3 to 6 months to reach full effect. The benefits can last up to 3 years without further treatments, though we encourage an annual maintenance session to preserve your results.
Enjoy Firmer, More Supple Skin
If you want to look younger without surgery, we cover several nonsurgical methods to tighten and tone your body in our related blog post. We would love to discuss how we can best help you achieve your skin tightening goals, so please request a consultation or call us at
(585) 272-0700 to get in touch.
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