What is the Best Laser for Skin Tightening?

 

The problem with noninvasive skin tightening is that everyone wants it and everyone wants to believe it works.  The result is practitioners of all sorts capitalizing on this demand.  The truth about skin tightening interventions is that almost all of them work AND NONE OF THEM WORK.  What I mean by this is that there are many ways to convert energy into heat inside or below the skin causing contraction.  The problem is that to deliver clinically effective results the tissue needs to reach at a minimum 43 C which is uncomfortable and can be scary for the patient and the practitioner.  This often results in ineffective treatment and wasted time and money.  I have developed extensive experience with noninvasive technologies mot because I'm a fan but because my patients demand it.  After using several "best in class" technologies to deliver definitive results, my patients were relatively pleased but I was underwhelmed.  THis is why I started using  a treatment that we call Maerckks Multimodal Therapy(MMT) in my practice.  All this is is an intelligently designed multitechnology treatment customized for the individual patient.  I use multiple diffferent frequencies and administration systems for radiofrequency delivery, three different ultrasound frequencies, infrared pulsed light, two different laser systems in concert to deliver immediate significant results that are hard to argue with and continue improving for weeks.  I think the only way to get real results is to combine technologies under the direction of a plastic surgeon that understands the capabilities and limitations of noninvasive skin tightening.  No one technology really delivers anything significant.  Also realiize that even my MMT results that I am very proud of do not remotely compare to what I can achieve with surgery and the cost can approach or exceed that of surgery depending on location and individual patient findings

Morpheus 8 is a non-invasive skin and soft tissue tightening treatment that is consistently amazing in our patients. We use the Morpheus to exact fractional induced RF into the skin or tissue in order to tighten collagen and stimulate contraction of the tissue. For acne scars, it is quite useful to build collagen in patients who have atrophic scars but is not very productive for ice-pick scars which require TCA Cross. For tissue tightening, Morpheus is ideal for the face and neck and we often combine it with CO2 laser or Ultherapy to further enhance results. Chemical peels and skin resurfacing should be done at least 5 to 7 days after, but can be performed earlier, depending on treatment severity. Avoid exfoliating skin treatments before Morpheus and expect a period of 2-4 weeks for skin contraction to set in.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

There are several on the market and they achieve different types of skin tightening.  If you have a heavier face and neck, usually ultherapy is a better option to tighten and lift tissue.  If you have a thin face with thin skin, fractionated CO2 laser does a great job of increasing collagen production, improving lines and wrinkles and improving brown spots.  If brown spots are not an issue or if you tan easily, RF microneedling, such as with the Infini Genius, is a great device to achieve skin tightening.  Seeing the facial specialist in your area can really help determine your skin and face type and recommend the best laser for you. 

While it is true that heat results in skin tightening - just as when you cook food, the protein congeals and shrinks, there are, in my opinion, much better ways to do this than with a laser. It is the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue fascial framework that needs to be heated to cause skin contraction. If you apply a laser to the skin, then you must burn through the epidermis and heat the dermis. This will not reach the underlying fascial framework. So yes, a laser can give you skin tightening, but not the best result nor the most efficient with the least downtime.Over the last few years, the trend is towards applying radiofrequency energy to tighten the skin. While early attempts to do this to the surface of the skin (ie Thermage) have failed miserably, the proponents of this technology were in the right ballpark.For a while, I used ThermiTight to tighten the skin and it really does work. A long probe is inserted under the skin, an electrode at the tip is energized and the underside of the skin heats up, causing dermal and subcutaneous tissue tightening. I have seen some very impressive results with it.However, as technology improves, other devices emerge. The best one, in my opinion, is BodyTite. This operates under the same premise as ThermiTight, however, there are some technical differences. Suffice it to say that the energy is delivered at a higher power with BodyTite and it is bipolar as opposed to the unipolar ThermiTight, making it more "efficient" in its task. The last thing about BodyTite that I really like is that there is better thermal protection to prevent skin burns, than when using ThermiTight (although burns have not been a problem for me with this technology).I see that you live in Boca Raton. My colleague Jason Pozner is extremely experienced with this technology and I recommend that you see him. He taught me to use this technology and I am very happy with it. Good luck.

There is no best laser.  The type of laser that will provide the most benefit to you can vary depending upon your skin type, tolerance for downtime, and what you are trying to accomplish.  If you go to a doctor who only has one laser, that likely will be recommended.  Instead, make sure that you consult with several doctors who have multiple lasers and you should get the answer that you desire.

We offer ReFirme, which uses a synergistic combination of optical and bi-polar radio frequency energies. It has helped our patients achieve the firmer skin they desire without surgery.