If you have sagging skin, you may have spent time in front of the mirror, assessing this newfound extra skin that you can pull. You may compare younger photos of yourself, when your skin looked a lot firmer and tighter to your face and jawline. What changed? Why is your skin sagging now and how can we treat it?
What Causes It?
Skin has the ability to return back to its original place easily, but if it doesn’t, that means your skin is losing this ability and it is now sagging. Typically aging is the main culprit of skin sagging. Skin needs two important proteins to keep its structure. That is elastin and collagen
Elastin is what gives your skin elasticity. It is fundamental in shaping and forming tissue and is designed to manage stress. The loss of the elastic tissue in the skin with age causes the skin to hang loosely. Skin becomes more transparent. This is caused by thinning of the surface layer of the skin and your skin becomes more fragile.
Collagen is produced by fibroblasts (a type of cell). Collagen is composed of tightly constructed fibers which give your skin structure and firmness. This lack of collagen results in common signs of aging. Wrinkles, sagging skin that has lost its elasticity, and stiff joints are all signs that the body is producing less collagen.
Additionally weight loss can cause sagging skin. Holding additional weight extends your skin and when you lose weight, especially rapidly, it makes it hard for your skin to return to its original tightness. If you are older and go through rapid weight loss, those are two strikes against you and likely you will experience sagging skin.
Other potential causes of sagging skin include pregnancy, illness and a rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) where people with this condition have a defect in collagen production and sagging occurs.
Treatment Options for Minor Sagging
Exercising is a great way to tighten muscles and reduce the appearance of skin sagging. You could do things like weight lifting, pilates and facial exercises to tighten skin. Additionally you could take supplements. Studies have shown how collagen may be able to help reduce aging and sagging skin.
There are topical treatments as well that can help such as retinol. Retinol is known to reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen. They also stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin color. Additionally it can fade age spots and soften rough patches of the skin.
Additional treatment options are to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, get enough sleep and avoid stress.
Treatment without Going Under the Knife
Of course there are surgical procedures you can do to remove loose skin such as a cosmetic face lift, neck lift, tummy tuck and more. But these procedures are not covered under insurance, they are highly invasive and can leave some visible scarring with 2 weeks to 1 month of recovery time. But there is a better, non invasive procedure that can give you significant results without going under the knife.
This procedure is called HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound). HIFU treatment has become one of the most sought-after lifting treatments for face, neck & body, without going under the knife. Just one session will tighten and lift the skin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin tone, providing visible results that will last up to 3 years. HIFU has proven effective on sagging jaws/chins, crow’s feet, forehead frown lines and much more. Treatment time takes between 1 – 3 hours depending on the area we are treating. Plus with no downtime, you can be back at your usual routine immediately after.
Advantages Include:
- surgery-free
- non-invasive
- completely safe
- no damage to the body
- no recovery time
- long-lasting effects
- tightens loose skin or sagging skin
- Anti-aging
How Does HIFU work?
The HIFU transducer irradiates 65-75Cº of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) energy into the skin, this then creates thermal coagulation on the target layers of skin tissue with no damage on the skin surface. Following the initial treatment, the skin starts to undergo a wound healing process that stimulates collagen synthesis and regeneration. Unlike lasers, radio-frequency, surgery, and other cosmetic procedures, HIFU bypasses the surface of the skin to deliver the right amount of ultrasound energy at the right depths within the skin at the desired temperature. This HIFU energy triggers a natural response under the skin, causing the body to enter into the regenerative process, resulting in the production of new collagen.
An immediate effect can be seen following HIFU treatment, with clients’ facial contours, skin tone and texture, and wrinkles showing improvement starting at 4 weeks of treatment. The effects of HIFU treatment continue to work for up to 6 months as the collagen fibers denature and restructure themselves. Clients will notice further improvements, such as skin firming and tightening over the 3 – 6 month period. Results from one treatment will last between 12-36 months depending on the client’s current skin laxity and age.
If you’re interested in this treatment, Eagle Rock Medical Center of Idaho Falls, Idaho is offering it now. Click here to contact them.
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