SKINTYTE

Pros

• SkinTyte is safe for all skin types and tones. 
• It’s much more affordable than surgical solutions, with fewer risks. 
• There’s no reported downtime and no risk of scarring, swelling, or bruising. 

Cons

• You’ll probably need up to six treatment sessions, every other week, to see an improvement in skin laxity. 
• You’ll need to be patient: it takes about four months for new collagen to form and the full results to become apparent. 
• The results won’t be nearly as dramatic as those from a facelift or other cosmetic surgery. If you have severe sagging or excess skin, a surgical tightening procedure will likely give you the best result.

• Range:
• $400 - $1,200

SkinTyte costs $400 to $1,200 per treatment session, depending on the experience level of your provider, their location, and a few other key factors.

See our complete guide to Skintyte costs

The SkinTyte photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.

While the applicator delivers heat in a series of pulses, its cooling tip keeps the skin’s surface from getting too warm. Most patients say that the treatment is comfortable, with no need for a topical anesthetic, though some RealSelf members did experience pain. 

“SkinTyte feels a bit like an ultrasound massage,” says Dr. Susan Buenaventura, a plastic surgeon in Alexandria, Virginia, in a RealSelf Q&A. “Gel will be on your skin to keep it cool, and the BBL [broadband light energy] will be flashing and in constant motion, to evenly heat your deep layer of skin and make it contract. If it feels too hot, speak up.”

It takes about 30 minutes to perform a SkinTyte procedure on the face and neck. The length of your session will depend on the size of the treated area.

There is no downtime afterward, although the treatment area may be slightly red or pink for up to 30 minutes after the procedure. The entire treated surface will be more sensitive to sunlight, so apply a high-SPF sunscreen and avoid direct sun exposure on that first day. Otherwise, you can resume your regular activities right away.

The tightening effects aren’t immediate: it takes about four months for the collagen foundation of your skin to rebuild. Doctors recommend committing to a series of three to six treatments, every other week, to achieve the full results. 

Related: All the Ways to Boost Collagen Production (And One That Won’t Work)

SkinTyte results can last up to two years, depending on your age, diet, exercise, and skin care habits. Sun exposure can weaken the structure of your skin, so a high-SPF sunscreen will help you prolong your results.

SkinTyte uses infrared energy, whereas Ultherapy uses ultrasound energy to reach the deeper soft tissue. 

"SkinTyte uses broadband light (at different wavelengths) to heat up the area below the skin, causing controlled damage which in turn induces collagen production. Ultherapy has several transducers at different depths, which penetrate below the skin causing damage using high intensity ultrasound, and this causes the production of collagen," says New York surgeon Dr. Elena Vega. 

Ultherapy is also a more powerful treatment, so it’s possible to get dramatic results from one session—though you’d still have to wait several months for new collagen to develop. 

The more intense energy of Ultherapy means it can be painful (you’d need pain medication and possibly nitrous oxide during the treatment), and it comes with risks like blisters, in inexperienced hands. That said, it’s well worth discussing with your provider which treatment would work best for you. The two can also be used in combination, to get the tightening benefits of both.