DESCRIPTION
Skin Tightening - Adelaide
Smooth, tight, young-looking skin that glows is a dream for all. However, as we grow older, the skin loses its elasticity and texture, resulting in the appearance of wrinkles and loose skin. This is most visible with the upper and lower eyelids and is a common concern for most clients. If you are worried about increasing wrinkles and loosening of the skin around your eyes as well as other areas of the face, don’t worry. Help is at hand.
Skin tightening of the upper and lower eyelids is also known as non surgical blepharoplasty and is performed using the Plasma BT machine. Skin tightening of other regions of the body is performed using the all new NuEra Tight which uses RF energy as its mechanism of action.
The Benefits
1. Our skin tightening treatments will leave you with smoother, firmer, and tighter skin, creating a youthful, revitalised appearance and improving the overall contours of your face and body.
2. Many skin conditions across all face and body areas can be effectively treated, including fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, stubborn fat deposits, and cellulite.
3. The treatment can stimulate collagen production and significantly reduce sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles present in the chosen areas. This will leave your skin looking and feeling tight and plump.
4. Fat and cellulite in targeted areas can be combated through skin plasma and radiofrequency (RF) heating techniques, which will remove stubborn fat cells and remodel cellulite to improve the appearance of dimpling and bumps.
5. The treatment is entirely comfortable, non-invasive, and non-surgical, and patients often say it feels like a warm, relaxing massage.
How it works
What Causes Skin Laxity?
Skin laxity/looseness/sagging is an issue that affects us all at some stage in our lives. This is a major concern for everyone wishing to maintain their youthful appearance for as long as possible. Skin laxity is a natural part of the ageing process and is caused by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors which we will explain further. Collagen and elastin are two vital ingredients of the skin that are responsible for maintaining the structure and integrity of the skin. Unfortunately, as we age the production of these two vital ingredients begins to decline, resulting in a loss of elasticity and sagging of the skin.
Intrinsic factors are factors that occur naturally in our bodies over time and are out of our control. The production of collagen and elastin slows down as we age. After the age of 20, our bodies produce 1% less collagen each year resulting in a loss of structural integrity of the skin. The sebaceous glands or oil glands, responsible for keeping our skin moist, are also believed to decline in function as we age. Genetics is also known to have an important role in ageing.
Extrinsic factors are factors that occur outside our bodies. These factors include toxins, free radicals, UV light exposure and pollutants. By incorporating antioxidants into our diets and skincare regime, we are able to help reduce the signs of ageing. Sun exposure is thought to be responsible for 85% of skin ageing. It is important to “slip slop, slap” as part of your daily routine.
The signs of ageing skin may include, dryness, uneven skin tone, roughness and fine lines, wrinkles as well as skin laxity/skin looseness, sagging skin.
What Skin Tightening Treatments Are Available to Treat Skin Laxity?
At Advanced Cosmetic Medicine we offer two natural treatments to help prevent and also treat skin laxity. These natural treatments address the root cause of skin laxity, that being loss of collagen and elastin.
The first skin tightening treatment that we offer is Non-Surgical Blepharoplasty which employs the use of Plasma to cause the collagen fibres to shrink and tighten. This treatment addresses skin looseness of the upper and lower eyelid.
The second treatment that we offer is RF skin tightening using the NuEra Tight machine by Lumenis. This is a non-surgical and non-invasive treatment that can be used to treat skin looseness anywhere on the body. It works best as a skin rejuvenation and preventative measure but is also effective at treating the early stages of skin laxity.
We also offer anti-wrinkle injections, which are certainly effecting at reducing skin laxity. This is however a more temporary treatment and does not address the root cause of the skin laxity.
How Does RF Skin Tightening Using The NuEra Tight Work?
A review of the literature has found that heating the dermis in the range of 50Deg C – 75 Deg C has the effect of causing the connective tissue to contract. Additionally, this heating causes a tissue healing response, resulting in the increased production of collagen and elastin over the next eight weeks. This process is known as neocollagenesis.
The treatment is non-invasive and non-surgical. It feels like a gentle, warm and relaxing facial massage using a smooth rock. This skin tightening treatment takes only about 30 minutes. There is no downtime involved. It is a safe and effective treatment. To be most effective, a series of six treatments is recommended, spread out over six weeks.
Am I a suitable candidate for plasma BT / NuEra Tight skin tightening?
Our skin tightening treatment is suitable for all individuals with any skin type or skin tone. However, patients may not be ideal for the treatment if they have any of the following:
- Open sores or active infections in the treated areas
- Medical conditions that can affect proper healing include an autoimmune disease or diabetes
- Significant excess skin, stretch marks, or scarring
- Medical conditions that can affect the skin, such as lupus and scleroderma
- Previously had a cosmetic treatment in the area
- A history of keloid scarring
- Poor vascularisation
- Allergies to anaesthesia
In some cases, there may be other more suitable treatments that we can offer you, depending on your health and the extent of your concerns. We always require an initial consultation with Dr Targett before undergoing any treatment. She will examine your medical history, skin concerns and talk to you about your anticipated outcomes for the treatment. If there are issues with your suitability, she may recommend alternative treatments that may be safer and more beneficial.
What areas can be treated?
Our skin tightening treatment can be used anywhere on the body and is the best non-surgical solution to sagging, drooping and wrinkling areas of the face and body. The most common areas include:
- Periorbital area
RF skin tightening and plasma treatments can be used around the eyes to decrease skin laxity, creating a mild to moderate enhancement in the tightness of eyelid skin.
- Forehead and brow line
The treatments can elevate the brow line, tighten the skin to pull back the eyebrows, and gives similar results to a surgical brow lift. Fine lines and wrinkles around the brows and forehead are also smoothed out, delivering youthful results.
- Cheeks, jowls, and nasolabial folds
Sagging skin around the cheek area, including the jowls, is tightened to slim and enhance the facial contours. The nasolabial folds, often called smile or laugh lines, can also be tightened, lifted, and smoothed. Researchers of RF skin tightening find this area often achieves the most dramatic results.
- Neck
The neck area can be treated on lower energy frequencies than other areas, as the skin is thinner. Mild to moderate skin laxity and any wrinkles will be tightened and smoothed.
- Abdomen, thighs, and buttocks
Body contouring of the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks can be effectively conducted on these areas to smooth and tighten the skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite. Stubborn fat deposits in these areas can also be lessened. Our skin tightening treatments are particularly beneficial for women experiencing skin laxity post-pregnancy.
- Arms
Excess, drooping skin is particularly noticeable and a common issue for many individuals. The skin can be tightened in this area over multiple treatments for a visible improvement.
- Knees
Sagging skin around the knee can be tightened and smoothed over, but more caution is required when treating this area as the skin is much thinner and fewer sebaceous glands present.
What other alternatives are available for skin tightening at ACM?
Advanced Cosmetic medicine have recently purchased the latest technology in skin tightening known as Ultraformer III. This machine works on HIFU technology which stands for Hight Intensity Focussed Ultrasound. The ultrasound energy causes a heating effect within the dermis which results in the collagen fibre contraction and skin tightening. New collagen and elastin are stimulated to grow, which improves the overall structure and strength of the skin to prevent skin sagging.
To learn more, visit our page on Ultraformer III.
The Doctor
Dr Rahma Targett
Dr Rahma Targett is a General Practitioner(FRACGP), with a specialty in Cosmetic Medicine. She founded Advanced Cosmetic Medicine in 2016 and has since become well known as a trusted and in demand Cosmetic Physician in Adelaide. She has a Diploma in Dermoscopy and a Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine with the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. Dr Targett is a leader in her field and regularly attends Cosmetic conferences to keep up to date with modern aesthetic techniques. At advanced Cosmetic Medicine you can always be reassured that you will be welcomed and treated personally by Dr Rahma Targett.
Plasma skin tightening is very useful for the following:
- Eyelid reconstruction, getting rid of baggy lower eyelids as well as excess upper eyelid skin
- Skin imperfections, benign lesions such as skin tags and sunspots
- Reduction of scars, including post-surgery scars and acne scars
- Reducing stretch marks
- Tightening of skin along the stomach, especially after pregnancy
- Removing lines and wrinkles around the mouth, face and other parts of the body
- Face and neck lift
Well, the good news is, the effects normally last as long as they would with invasive surgery, although it depends on the area treated. However, the positive changes will be noticed immediately after the first treatment, with the results being the best after four weeks. The effect can last years.
In most cases, the effects are noticed almost soon after the procedure. The firmness and skin tightening gives you a young, fresh look hard to miss.
In this procedure, a series of tiny plasma spots are strategically placed in the skin. The hand-piece produces a tiny plasma flash from its tip, which leaps to the skin in a micro millimetre-sized point. As these plasma spots are placed along the excess skin, the skin around the spot tightens up as the cells pull each other closer together.
This non-surgical treatment successfully reduces the excess skin almost instantaneously without causing damage to the surrounding areas or the skin layers. The patient can resume regular activities immediately as discomfort will be negligible.
As plasma skin tightening is a non-surgical treatment, it comes with minimal discomfort. A topical numbing cream is used before the procedure to avoid pain. Slight swelling and redness of the skin may be observed immediately after the treatment. This won’t last long. In most cases, this disappears in three to four days. However, a very slight redness might remain for two to three weeks.
Since this is a non-invasive treatment, the downtime is minimal. However, the duration largely depends on the patient and the area under treatment. Some sensitive areas such as eyelids will be swollen for a few days. Few areas might weep slightly – it is normal. The spot will soon heal and they will turn into crust and flake off.
Likewise, some sort of swelling is normal after the treatment, especially around the sensitive areas. The areas around the eyes are prone to swelling that could last for a few days. Some people even experience a slight interference with vision initially. However, the application of a cold compress can help to reduce swelling. Only in cases of severe swelling requires anti-inflammatory medication and/or antihistamine medication.
Crusting usually occurs post-treatment, as the area will turn brown or black on the surface of the skin. It will flake off soon. However, it is important not to pick the crusting as it could lead to infection or scarring. Weepy areas, if any, will also heal soon and you’ll enjoy a better skin no time.
- Leaving the carbon crusts along – NEVER scratch or remove them
- Skin can be dried by dabbing with a clean, lint-free cloth
- Sports, sauna, and swimming are off-limits until crusts fall off. An SPF 50 is to be used on the treated area for at least 30 days after treatment
- Makeups (and moisturising creams) are to be avoided for 2 weeks for better recovery and fast healing
- Direct heat sources such as the sauna, UV rays, and the sun should be avoided at least for four weeks post-treatment.
At Advanced Cosmetic Medicine, we give the safety of the patients the priority. So, we use innovative state-of-the-art technology for plasma skin tightening. We use a European CE certified German product that meets safety, health and environmental protection requirements. What’s more – this treatment is widely popular in Europe, the UK, and North America. It is the most preferred non-surgical skin lift.
