“I will not let age change me; I will change the way I age.” – Anonymous
Aging is a privilege. Acquiring these years of wisdom and experience should be celebrated. However, all these decades of wisdom and experience come with signs of aging. You may be noticing sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles, not only recently but it has been a few years now. While we cannot turn back the hands of time, we can change how we age.
It feels like an infinite amount of anti-aging creams and treatments are available for consumers, but where do we start, and how effective are these treatments? You may have also come across the terms “skin tightening” and injectable treatments through your research or word-of-mouth. What are the differences, and how would I know which is right for me?
Here at Ageless Medical, our patient-centric approach is at our core, and we pride ourselves on our staff, who are industry-leading experts and national trainers. This allows us to provide you with the best techniques on cutting-edge technologies for skin tightening and lifting, such as Ultherapy, and instant enhancements, such as Botox + Dermal Fillers.
In this article, we will examine the differences between skin tightening treatments and injectable treatments!
What Causes Aging?
As we age, our skin slows its natural collagen production, which can cause skin laxity, fine lines, and wrinkles. In addition to slow collagen production, our skin loses the ability to hold on to water molecules to keep our skin moisturized and retain volume, which is the work of our natural hyaluronic acid. Some life events, such as pregnancy or weight loss, also impact our skin’s elasticity. Then of course, lifestyle choices can negatively impact skin health, such as smoking, drinking, stress, and/or lack of sleep.
What is a Skin Tightening Treatment?
A skin tightening treatment is a non-surgical cosmetic procedure designed to improve the appearance of laxity or loose skin. This type of treatment typically uses heat or energy-based technology to stimulate collagen production in the skin, which helps to firm and tighten the skin over time.
Skin tightening treatments create controlled micro-injuries to the skin to trigger the skin’s natural anti-aging process. These procedures prompt the skin to regenerate at a faster rate to replenish collagen. Its results may take several months to become fully apparent, but they are always natural-looking and discreet.
Some of the most popular skin tightening technologies involve the use of ultrasound technology such as Ultherapy, radiofrequency such as Thermage, or a combination of microneedling with radiofrequency such as Morpheus8 and Vivace.
Ultherapy
Ultherapy, also known as Ulthera, is a treatment that uses ultrasound technology to heat the same deep skin tissue layer as a modern facelift. It uses microfocus precision to deliver heat at an optimal temperature for collagen contraction. A couple of weeks after the procedure, the skin remodels itself; this part is responsible for tightening and lifting the skin.
Visible results are prominent a couple of months after the procedure. However, you will feel a slight tightening almost immediately after an Ultherapy session. Expect the skin to feel tender for the next couple of weeks. The effects will continue improving for the next 6 to 8 months as the body’s collagen production remains boosted.
Results from Ultherapy appear gradually and last for about two years before a touch-up is needed.
Now that we have talked about the basics of skin tightening treatments, we also want to discuss another popular skin-enhancing treatment: dermal fillers + neuromodulators.
What are Injectables?
Injectable treatments are a non-surgical cosmetic procedure that combines the use of neuromodulators (a.k.a Botox) and dermal fillers to address a range of concerns on the face, including fine lines, wrinkles, loss of volume, and to rejuvenate the look.
The repetition of motion on our face creates the wrinkles you see on your forehead, in between the brows (elevens), and around the eyes (crow’s feet) over time.
Neuromodulators are used to relax these muscle movements to prevent wrinkles from forming. This treatment can be started even before turning 30 to pre-rejuvenate or prevent the formation of wrinkles. The types of neuromodulators widely known are Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Daxxify.
As we have mentioned earlier, our skin’s ability to retain moisture and hydration is due to hyaluronic acid (HA) naturally found in our bodies. As we age, these hyaluronans decrease.
Dermal fillers are made of cross-linked hyaluronic acid designed to decrease the appearance of fine lines on areas such as the marionette lines and nasolabial folds. It also adds volume to areas such as the temples, cheeks, lips, and chin to look rejuvenated and address any asymmetry. The types of dermal fillers our experienced cosmetic physicians and nurse injectors use are Juvederm, Belotero, and Restylane.
Each injectable treatment is unique to every patient. Our expert physicians and experienced nurse injectors have decades of experience with injectables. Each is highly skilled in human anatomy, so they can safely inject neuromodulators and dermal fillers. Just as patient safety is our number one priority, it’s also important that our professional injectors carry an artistic eye to create a naturally rejuvenated look- making you look good and feel good.
Neuromodulators have no downtime. However, its results will show within two weeks after the treatment as your muscles will need time to relax.
Results are immediate with dermal fillers; however, bruising and swelling may occur a day after the treatment. Your injector will give you aftercare guidelines to minimize bruising and swelling following the treatment. Injectable results may last up to 12 months, but neuromodulators will need a touch-up every 3 to 4 months.
How to Decide Which Treatment is Right for You
When considering which treatments best suit your skin goals, talking to one of our certified skin experts is always best. Our consultations are designed with you in mind. We will assess your skin and discuss your concerns, goals, and budget to determine the most appropriate treatment plan for your needs.
Ultimately, skin tightening treatments and injectable treatments work synergistically to create the most natural rejuvenation treatment for aging skin. With skin tightening, we stimulate your natural collagen to revive youthful skin, while injectables add instant volume to address fine lines, wrinkles, and asymmetry.
Book your consultation today with one of our medical aesthetic experts to determine the best treatment plan for you!