There’s a developing societal attitude about ageing that’s less demanding than it’s been in decades past about the duty to seem “young” at any age. Instead, this younger consciousness realises what’s most essential in middle-age is that your body and mind are healthy and in harmony.
It’s a welcomed shift—and in a lovely manner, it doesn’t toss the conventional concept of “beauty” altogether to the wayside. In reality, from diet to excellent sleep, exercise, and spirituality, this modern concept of wellbeing is inextricably tied with an intentional commitment in taking superb care of oneself.
In particular, your face, is well, in your face these days. That’s attributable to the emergence of Zoom meetings, video conversations with loved ones during lockdown, and social media … innovations that have us analysing our appearances in curious new ways. “We’re looking at our faces all day, and we’re also seeing them from other perspectives that we never noticed before,” says Lenox Hill Hospital clinical attending cosmetic dermatologic surgeon Howard Sobel, MD. “All of a sudden, the camera is angled to the side, and ‘yikes, I didn’t realise I had that jowl or neckband or that one brow was higher than the other,’” he adds.
Just as communications technology has raced forward as lipo cavitation , so has skin technology, providing several instruments that tighten and shape your face without the dangers, expenses, and recuperation of the standard face or eye lift. “The technology has evolved so much over the last decade,” says board-certified dermatologist Bruce Katz, MD, Director of Juva Skin and Laser Center in Manhattan and Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai.
Why we desire skin tightening
By our mid-20s, synthesis of collagen, the protein that makes skin firm and smooth, begins to decline by around one percent per year, according to Dendy E. Engelman, M.D., FACMS, FASDS, FAAD, Director of Dermatology, Mohs Surgery and Laser Medicine at the Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue. “Gradually, our skin becomes less firm and elastic as proteins break down and moisture retention falls, resulting to volume loss and skin loosening, often in the cheeks and around the eyes,” she explains. You could also detect drooping in the jawline, jowls, and neck as well as small lines around “dynamic” (more expressive) portions of the face, such as the forehead, eyes, and lips, Dr. Engelman says. UV exposure and inflammation can further reduce collagen.
How skin care products can aid with skin tightening
“Topical products operate marginally at best,” Dr. Katz explains. He refers to a limited list of active ingredients—retinoic acid, retinol, and prescription Retin A—that can halt the ageing process. Skin also receives a tiny boost, he says, from glycolic acid, which accelerates cell turnover, and antioxidants such as vitamin C and green tea, which help minimise free radical damage.
Dr. Sobel, on the other hand, is a little more enthusiastic about the anti-aging efficacy of topicals. He just got a patent for a high-concentration retinol solution that promotes cell turnover to rejuvenate skin and seal in moisture without discomfort. “It helps maintain water in the skin,” he explains. “And a lot of appearing younger is just hydration.”
If you’re seeking for more potent anti-aging results, explore the newest non-invasive skin-tightening treatments on the market—including ultrasound skin tightening, radio frequency skin tightening, and laser skin tightening. Dr. Sobel believes for patients spanning from their late twenties through their fifties, and beyond, it’s likely that “these operations will actually work.”
Tools for non-invasive skin-tightening
Closeup image of an elderly woman getting a micro-needling treatment at a spa
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Ultrasound skin-tightening \sUltherapy
Ultrasonic, such as Ultherapy, is an FDA-approved skin-tightening device that delivers micro-focused ultrasound energy deep into the deeper layers of the skin to promote active collagen formation. It’s commonly used to tighten the neck, jowls, chest, and brow regions, where the skin is a bit thinner. “It’s perfect for patients who want remarkable outcomes but can afford to wait a couple of months and maybe attend additional treatments if needed,” Dr. Engelman adds.
Pros: Proven to reduce wrinkles and tighten skin; minimal downtime; no scarring.
Cons: Approximately patients find it uncomfortable; needs repeated sessions and two to three months to achieve complete effects; some 20 to 30 percent of individuals don’t respond to it, according to Dr. Katz.
Sofwave
An alternative to Ultherapy is Sofwave, which employs Synchronous Ultrasound Parallel Beam technology—a form of ultrasound that travels through the surface of the skin, heating the mid-dermal tissue to regenerate collagen fibres to tighten skin and enhance the skin’s look.
Pros: Sofwave is certified to raise the eyebrow, neck, and submental tissue (between the chin and neck), and to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Sofwave is a minimally invasive procedure that Dr. Katz claims normally lasts 30 to 45 minutes, and needs little downtime for recuperation.
Cons: The firm promises you experience effects after one treatment. However, adds Dr. Katz, “I think it truly requires a minimum of three to observe any substantial difference.”
Radio frequency skin-tightening
Radio frequency skin-tightening has been employed since 2001, but further developments have made it state of the art. There are some 12 or 13 different RF devices on the market, including Vivace, Evoke, Evolve, Thermage, Thermi, Thermalift, Exilis, Profound RF, NuEra Tight, Morpheus, Sublime, and Emsculpt NEO, all of which use controlled radio waves to heat the dermis and sub-dermal layers of the skin, promoting production of new collagen and elastin and encouraging cell turnover, according to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, to help firm and thicken skin without the risk of discoloration, so it’s safe for all skin tones.
