5 Non-Surgical Procedures To Firm Your Saggy Skin

Have you tried raising your upper arms and the jiggling skin bothers you? Or do you want to achieve a sculpted look to look good in your bikini? Firming and tightening non-surgical might be for you if you don’t want to go through strenuous exercise or be punctured by needles or incised by surgical knives.

Non-surgical skin firming and tightening procedures work by focusing heat energy on deeper layers of your skin. This helps to stimulate the collagen and elastin production of your skin. In return, it will improve your skin texture and skin tone. Also, they’re less invasive, meaning there are fewer complications as they’re less expensive and involve simple recovery.

Why Does Your Skin Sag and Lose Its Firmness

To understand more about the following procedures, you must first know why the skin sags in the first place. The skin comprises three distinct layers. There’s the visible thin outer layer called the epidermis, while the thickest layer of the skin is called the dermis where most of the collagen is located. There’s also the subcutaneous layer where most fats in the skin are stored.

The skin tends to lose its firmness when the collagen layer breaks down. Factors like prolonged sun exposure, genetics, and premature aging are primary contributors to collagen breakdown. Stretch marks from pregnancy, environmental stress, and weight loss can also affect skin firmness. Hence, non-surgical works its way by effectively tightening the collagen in the dermis layer. Read below for some of the non-surgical procedures to firm up your saggy skin.

1. Liposuction:

Suppose you’re struggling to remove your unwanted fat deposits despite having a consistent exercise routine and eating a healthy diet. In this case, you might want to consider laser liposuction. It’s a non-surgical procedure that removes fat that you can’t get rid of through exercise and diet. It targets abs, arms, back, love handles, thighs, chin, and neck.

Compared to traditional liposuction, this technique is a more invasive procedure that can result in noticeable scarring and has more extended recovery periods. This procedure can also be done with other plastic surgeries, including tummy tucks and facelifts.

On the other hand, Smart Lipo is an improved version of liposuction. Not only does it melt your stubborn fats away, but it can also tighten your skin. Therefore, it helps in achieving the sculpted look as it improves your body’s contour. The procedure completely avoids surgery by only nicking small indents on the skin and using a cannula for draining the fats. Recovery time usually takes three to four days so it’s fairly short.

2. Injectables:

There are two main types of skin tightening treatments using cosmetic injectables, Botox and dermal fillers.  Their differences include:

• Botox: This is known as Botulinum toxin that paralyzes the muscle that creates wrinkles due to repetitive movements like facial expressions. It’s designed to target muscles underneath the saggy skin via injection. You must note that it doesn’t remove the wrinkles, saggy skin, and fine lines altogether but it will only freeze the muscle connected to the skin to have a tight appearance. Botox works best when used immediately at the early signs of aging.
• Dermal fillers: These are also known as soft tissue fillers and are substances injected underneath the skin to add fullness and volume.  Thus, it aids in improving the appearance of saggy skin. These non-surgical procedures are used side by side to achieve the desired effect. Substances like hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring compound found in the skin, and calcium hydroxyapatite found in the bones are used in these fillers.

To achieve the desired effect of correcting the saggy skin, these two injectables work hand in hand for the best results. With this tandem, the Botox can freeze the muscle to prevent the worsening of the wrinkles while the filler fills the wrinkle to tighten your skin.

3. Ultrasound Skin Tightening:

Ultrasound Skin Tightening, also known as Ultherapy, is a non-invasive treatment that uses focused ultrasound energy to tighten the skin. It deeply penetrates the skin and the body’s natural collagen production. The increased collagen firms up the skin, making the targeted area look younger.

The procedure involves delivering ultrasound waves through the skin’s surface using a handheld device. Compared to surgical procedures, it’s also ensured to be significantly safer. It’s effective for younger patients who want to protect their skin profile and prevent skin laxness as they age. It’s also recommended for older patients looking for non-surgical alternatives to the facelift.

Side effects for this therapy are minimal, including numbness, temporary redness, and mild bruises. The results can be observed within two to three months and the effects can last up to a year combined with a good skincare routine.

4. Radiofrequency Therapy:

Radiofrequency therapy, also known as radiofrequency skin tightening, is a non-surgical procedure for tightening your skin. It involved using heat waves to reach the dermis layer as this heat is meant to stimulate the production of collagen.

This procedure can take approximately 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the area of your skin are being treated and the number of pulses required. Usually, the treatment will leave you with minimal discomfort. As for the recovery time, most people can return to their normal lives immediately after the procedure.

5. Non-Ablative Laser Resurfacing:

Laser resurfacing or laser skin tightening is a type of facial rejuvenation that uses a laser to improve the skin’s texture and appearance to treat saggy skin. This non-surgical procedure uses focused laser light pulses to heat the collagen fibers in the skin gently. It realigns the collagen fibers, which in turn tightens the skin and stimulates collagen production long after the procedure is done. It can be done with two techniques, including ablative and non-ablative laser.

Between these two methods, the nonablative laser is a non-surgical alternative. This approach involves using intense pulsed light devices that stimulate collagen growth in your dermis layer. The whole procedure can be painful, so your doctor will apply numbing cream or anesthesia to numb your face. Since it doesn’t damage the surface skin with incisions, it requires less recovery time than the ablative laser but it’s also less effective.

Final Thoughts

If you’re not ready to undergo invasive surgical procedures to firm up your saggy skin, trying out the nonsurgical alternatives might be for you. There’s no harm in considering these treatments if they’ll help you boost your self-confidence. Although you must take note that you have to do intensive research about the treatments available out there so your money won’t go to waste.

You should also consider each side effect because it might worsen the appearance of the saggy area. Before actually doing the procedure, you must first consult with a legitimate and trustworthy doctor to have a customized plan for your skin needs.