Surgical and Non-Invasive Procedures for Facial Tightening
There are many ways to achieve facial tightening results using many of the technologies available today. Tightening and reducing sagging skin, especially on the face, is one the ways to reduce the appearance of age and increase beauty. As more women and men choose elective procedures to tighten the skin on their faces, doctors and surgeons have come up with new technologies to make the process easier and with fewer side effects. Procedures for facial tightening may be surgical or non-invasive procedures. Each type of procedure has its own risks and benefits.
Surgical Procedures
The traditional procedure for tightening the skin on the face is a surgical procedure commonly known as the facelift. Also called rhytidectomy, this technique requires the talents of a specially trained and certified plastic surgeon. Typically an incision is made in the face and the tissue, fat and skin of the face are repositioned. Then the skin is sewed back into place and any excess skin is removed. This can result in a smooth and tight appearance of the face. Because this procedure is a form of surgery, it has several possibly negative side effects. These can include: bleeding, scarring, asymmetry of the face, numbness, nerve injury and risks associated with anesthesia.
Types of Non-Invasive Procedures
Many non-invasive skin tightening procedures have been developed in recent years. These remove many of the possible side effects of surgical facelifts. One of the more commonly used techniques is called Thermage. This procedure uses radio frequencies that directly affect how collagen within the face grows by heating the skin. This can result in increased collagen production, which can reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles over the next several months. This procedure has few side effects and can be performed quickly. Like many of the newer non-invasive treatments, Thermage can be rather expensive however.
Another common form of non-invasive skin tightening procedure uses infrared light. Called the Titan procedure, it uses infrared light to heat up deeper layers of skin than radio frequencies, resulting in increased collagen production. While this procedure can also be performed quickly, it usually requires several applications and again, it can be very expensive.
The most common form of non-invasive tightening procedure is Refirme. This technique uses light energy and bi-polar radio frequencies to heat up the deep layers of skin. The resulting growth of collagen is more pronounced than what is typically seen with other light and radio wave techniques.
One particular non-invasive procedure that is gaining popularity uses no radio or light beams, but instead relies on a tiny and thin thread that is inserted into the face to alter the skin and give the appearance of smoother skin. This procedure is known as a Thread lift. It can also be performed quickly, usually in less than an hour and requires no anesthesia. The patient can actually observe the procedure and guide the doctor to achieve the desired results. There is only a very small chance of facial scarring with this procedure, but it is often even more expensive than some of the radio and light therapies. One of the downsides to this type of treatment is that the skin must be held still for several days to prevent the threads from moving. This is difficult for many people and in some cases it may last for weeks. Results of this procedure usually last for a few years.
Conclusion
Both surgical and non-invasive facial tightening procedures may have unwanted side effects. It is important for anyone who may be considered using one of these procedures to discuss the risks and rewards of each type of procedure with their health care professional first. It is also important to be sure that anyone who will be performing these procedures is properly trained and certified.