Many people notice signs of aging when skin begins to sag around the face and neck. 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 times. The most successful laser skin tightening candidates experience permanent results as the collagen under their skin is regenerated, producing a more youthful complexion.
A unique facial rejuvenation option that produces dramatic results, laser skin tightening effectively reduces the appearance of wrinkles and loose skin for a smoother and more youthful appearance. Learn more about facial skin tightening below.
What Is Laser Skin Tightening?
Laser skin tightening is a minimally invasive, non-surgical 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). Facial skin tightening is noticeable immediately after the treatment, and there is no downtime, making this an increasingly popular procedure. Additional skin tightening occurs over the next few months, but optimal results usually require two or three treatments about a month apart. Skin remodeling is a biophysical phenomenon that occurs at cellular and molecular levels via the intervention of optical or thermal energy.
The Skin Tightening handpiece exerts its biological effect on the skin through two major mechanisms:
heat-induced collagen shrinkage and micro-thermal injury.
dermis regeneration, repair (wound healing) and remodeling.
Collagen cleavage in tissue is a probability event dependant on temperature.
The in-vitro thermal cleavage of the hydrogen bond cross links of tropocollagen can result in the molecular contraction of the triple helix up to one third of its original length. Cellular contraction involves the initiation of an inflammatory/wound healing sequence that is perpetuated over several weeks. Contraction of skin is achieved through fibroblastic multiplication and contraction with the deposition of a static supporting matrix of nascent scar collagen. This cellular contraction process is a biological threshold event initiated by the degranulation of the mast cell that releases histamine. This histamine release initiates the inflammatory wound healing sequence. Following cellular contraction, collagen is laid down as a static supporting matrix in the tightened soft tissue structure.
The deposition and subsequent remodeling of this nascent scar matrix provides the means to alter the consistency and geometry of soft tissue for aesthetic purposes. Skin tightening patient candidates are typically younger patients who are not ready for surgery or are not surgical candidates. In addition they may be older patients with mild to moderate laxity who do not want or are not candidates for surgery. The typical skin tightening, toning and texture smoothing patient does not want to spend the additional money for surgical intervention or can not afford the downtime associated with surgery.