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Otto Joseph Placik, MD answers: How can I tighten sagging skin without surgery?

My jowls are dropping along with my other facial features.  ARRGH! Can you suggest some skin tightening procedures that don't require going under the knife?


Otto Joseph Placik, MD
10 months ago

If we could we wouldn't have to perform neck lifts, eye lifts, breast lifts, tummy tucks, or any other post-bariatric (massive weight loss) contouring procedures.

That is one of the "holy grails" of plastic surgery. How do we make the skin shrink with the least amount of surgery and scarring.

Unfortunately, it comes down to the elasticity of the skin which is hard to restore once it is gone. Instead we remove skin to make the remaining skin tight.

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A: Thermage is the way to go for tightening sagging skin

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD
9 months ago

Aging and loss of elasticity often leads to sagging skin. With the help of non-surgical technology patients can reverse the signs of aging and delay going under the knife. For example, Thermage treatment can successfully tighten the neck and jaw line areas, and enhance facial appearance. It is a non invasive procedure that requires minimal to no downtime and almost immediate results.

By delivering radio frequency to the dermal layer of the skin the collagen starts to form and the skin becomes firmer. Thermage requires one treatment only, but to maintain the results it is recommended to be repeated once every 6-18 months.

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A: Refirme for skin tightening

Talmage J. Raine, MD
10 months ago

For skin tightening, I prefer a radiofrequency treatment called Refirme. It is bi-polar radiofrequency and gives an immediate result that can be quite dramatic.

A series of treatments is required but there is no downtime and an occaisional touch-up treatment is recommended every three to four months.

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