Stop the Clock: Lift and Tighten Without the Knife

Excerpt

Forget the facelift. In the last five years, a flurry of new noninvasive cosmetic procedures have come along, promising to turn back the clock on aging skin without as much risk and recovery time as surgery.

From fillers to lasers, 83 percent of all cosmetic procedures performed in the offices of cosmetic plastic surgeons in 2010 were nonsurgical, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Of course, not all of the wrinkle-busting, skin-tightening treatments out there are worth the time and money. And because most require refreshing every few months or years — or look better used in combination with each other — they can be as expensive as surgery in the long run.

Unlike surgical lifts that simply pull the skin or muscles tight, however, these no-scalpel treatments increase the collagen and elastin in the skin, making it feel younger. “Some of these devices are changing the quality of the skin,” says New York City dermatologist Neil Sadick.

SecondAct enlisted the help of Sadick and two of the country’s top plastic surgeons to discuss which nonsurgical procedures are most effective at treating the most common aging-skin complaints.

Here are their picks:

Skin Tightening
While wrinkles get most of the attention when the topic of aging comes up, the lack of elasticity in aging skin is also a big issue. This is where the new crop of radiofrequency (RF) treatments comes in.

Thermage, Titan and Pelleve treatments use hand-held radio frequency energy devices to heat the underlying layers of loose skin, tightening the existing web of collagen and stimulating new growth while keeping the surface cool and intact so there’s no peeling or time off work needed — although the skin may appear a bit red or flushed. These treatments can be performed on the face, abdomen, backs of the hands, and even the knees.

Some improvement is immediately visible as the collagen contracts and will build over the next six months as more is created. The effect can last up to several years, says Dr. Reza Nabavian, clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University of Southern California Division of Plastic Surgery.

While this treatment can’t provide the same dramatic results as a facelift, it can take up some of the slack and improve skin texture. Indeed, some facelift patients use it after surgery to tone and tighten the skin.

There may be a bit of pain involved as the device zaps the energy into your skin. The amount of that discomfort varies with the treatment and method. Some procedures such as Thermage only require one visit and may be more painful, while others such as Titan or Pelleve require three visits using less power and more passes over the area.

New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Barry DiBernardo even uses Pelleve to do a nonsurgical eyelift, tightening droopy skin on the upper and lower lids.

A similar treatment that is relatively new, Ulthera, uses ultrasound to heat and tighten the underlying layers of the skin and stimulate new collagen growth. The difference with this treatment is that the device has a screen allowing doctors to see underneath the skin to the places where they should deliver the sound waves.

“If you don’t want a facelift, but need some tightening of the tissue under the jaw line, cheeks or brow,” this could be the treatment for you, DiBernardo says.

There haven’t been a lot of head-to-head studies to identify which of these treatments are the most effective, says Sadick, and different doctors favor different methods and machines. However, most are effective for mild cases of sagging, the doctors say.

Cost: $1,800 to $35,000, depending on the area

Read the Original Full Article at http://www.secondact.com/2012/01/stop-the-clock-lift-and-tighten-without-the-knife

Source:  By Melinda Fulmer for Second Act posted January 17, 2012 at http://www.secondact.com/2012/01/stop-the-clock-lift-and-tighten-without-the-knife