Skin Tightening Treatments: All You Need to Know
Do you have loose, sagging skin?
Unwanted wrinkles?
How about excess pockets of fat that you just can’t seem to shift?
Skin tightening can help you tackle all of these issues – and much more. In this blog we’re going to explain what the treatment is, how it works, the different types, and the best skin tightening treatment we recommend at Dundrum Clinic.
What is skin tightening?
As we get older, you might notice your skin becoming a little more flabby and wrinkly than before. That’s not unique to you – it’s a natural occurrence that happens to everyone. It happens because our bodies produce less and less collagen as we get older. Collagen is a naturally-occurring protein that helps maintain the firmness of our skin.
Skin tightening, then, aims to maintain the firmness of your skin by stimulating the production of collagen in your body.
How does it work?
When you hear the term skin tightening, it’s easy to think of your skin literally being tightened. But the treatment doesn’t quite work like that.
Skin tightening works differently depending on the type of treatment you choose. The different types are:
- Skin tightening creams
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
- Radiofrequency (RF)
- Laser treatments
However, the idea behind all of these treatments is the same. During skin tightening treatments the skin is gently heated, which stimulates the production of collagen in your body. Over time, as your body starts to produce more collagen, your skin becomes tighter and less saggy.
The treatment simply stimulates your body’s natural processes rather than physically tightening the skin.
Where can you get it done?
Face
Skin tightening treatments can smooth out imperfections in the facial region such as wrinkles and fine lines. Since your face is quite a delicate part of your body, a non-invasive skin tightening treatment is seen as a safe and effective option.
Neck skin tightening
Removing excess fat from the neck area can be a challenge, as there aren’t many specific exercises or things you can to do get rid of it. Instead, a general exercise programme to lose weight is normally your best long-term bet. Otherwise, laser or IPL skin tightening treatments can rapidly trim down that unwanted fat.
Belly and abdominal skin tightening
Skin tightening treatments can also target your belly/stomach/abdomen area. It’s great for removing small pockets of stubborn fat and for general body contouring. If you want to get rid of larger areas of fat, it might be best investigating alternative treatments.
Arm skin tightening
Your arms – mostly underneath your triceps – are one of the most common areas for your body to store excess fat. Fortunately, skin tightening treatments can tone your arms and get rid of those unwanted pockets of fat.
Legs
You may also want to tighten the skin around your legs – normally your upper thighs – but it depends on the individual patient.
Vaginal tightening
Skin tightening works a little differently in a woman’s intimate area. When the treatment is used here, it can aid the symptoms of incontinence, increase sensitivity in your intimate area and improve sexual pleasure.
How much does skin tightening cost?
This really depends on a number of factors, including:
- the part of the body you would like to be treated
- the size of the treated area
- the technology used
At Dundrum Clinic, we charge the following prices for skin tightening with the Exilis Ultra 360. Note that these prices are only intended as a guide, and the final cost can differ depending on each patient.
- Full Face: €2,125
- Full Neck: €1,530
- Full Face and Full Neck: €3,230
- Intimate Area: €450 (or three sessions for €1,000)
Since the Exilis is a radiofrequency (RF) skin tightening treatment, prices for other types of skin tightening treatments could also differ.
Remember that you have the option to pay for your treatment in instalments with Humm. Ask us about paying in instalments when you book your initial consultation.
Which is the best skin tightening treatment?
We generally find that the best skin tightening treatment is the Exilis. It’s why we have pioneered the use of it in our Dublin clinic for so many years. It’s the most effective for a few reasons:
- It stimulates the body’s natural processes. Unlike some other cosmetic treatments, the Exilis stimulates your body’s natural processes. When it begins to produce more collagen, your skin naturally becomes firmer and smoother.
- It is non-invasive*. The Exilis is a great non-surgical alternative to skin tightening. It does not penetrate your outer later of skin and the treatment can be performed in less than 30 minutes.
- It is painless with no downtime. You’re likely to feel a warming sensation during the Exilis treatment, with a small chance of some reddening of the skin afterwards. But the side effects are minimal, and the procedure is generally considered to be pain-free for the vast majority of people.
- It is effective. Most importantly, the Exilis works. Clinical studies on the treatment have reported a 37% increase in elastin, a 42% reduction in wrinkles and a 35% reduction in skin laxity.
*With the exception of vaginal skin tightening, which is minimally-invasive.
