Skin Tightening Treatment in Thane

SERVICE TYPES AND PROCEDURES

1. Non-surgical treatments

a. Energy-based devices:

These devices exert their beneficial effects by delivering heat energy to the tissues. These include highly focalised ultrasound (HIFU) or radiofrequency. Both these heat the deeper tissues without burning the skin. This heating leads to collagen and elastin tissue formation, thickening the thinned skin, and tightening it. This is an outpatient procedure performed at Lasercosmesis.
We apply a cooling get after cleaning the part to be treated and deliver the treatment according to the norms fed in the computerised machine. There may be slight discomfort during the procedure, especially on the bony prominences during HIFU treatment. In RF treatment, there is a feeling of warmth. The more you tolerate, the better effect you get. We can modify the heat according to your comfort. After the procedure, the part is cleaned, a soothing mask is applied and you are ready to leave. It can really be a lunchtime job. There can be slight redness visible. You can feel the effect immediately, but the improvement continues for 3-4 weeks. If you go for a second sitting around that time, the effect can last long. The best results take about 3 months to be seen and appreciated. It is important to note that your skin's touch improves from thin worn-out skin to a thicker, plumper one. The skin becomes googly woogly indeed.

b. Fractional CO2 laser:

Lasers like fractional CO2 make multiple tiny puncture holes in the skin. The laser has a computerised scanner to deliver the right amount of energy without burning the skin. Heat gives a good tightening effect, but it can cause pigmentation in dark skin types. A similar effect in a darker skin can be achieved with dermapen or dermaroller in which multiple tiny pins are used. This is helpful in dark skin, where pigmentation due to heating needs to be avoided.
The lasers and dermapen/rollers are done under surface anaesthesia. We apply a numbing cream after cleaning your face. After 30 minutes, the treatment is delivered. Lasers are done in a special laser room. Eye protection is a must for both the doctor and the patient. The skin is pre-cooled. Pre-cooling is not required in the case of the dermapen/rollers. There are multiple tiny wounds on the face with the size of needle pricks. There can be punctate bleeding on the face. We apply a cooling mask to the face and then an antiseptic cream. You need a downtime of minimum 2-3 days. In the case of lasers, there can be a mesh of dark spots that comes off after 3-4 days leaving pinkish new skin. After the skin heals, sunscreens are a must. A moisturiser and sunscreen with good SPF are essential in aftercare.

c. Chemical peels:

Peels remove the dead skin and thicken it and tighten it. Deep peels like TCA can give a good tightening effect as well. Medical grade acids are used to treat the face for a calculated amount of time. These are then removed or neutralised leaving the skin fresh. It is essential to use sunscreen after the peel. The final effect of the peel is seen after 2-3 weeks. It has to be boosted after a month for effective and long-lasting improvement. In any case, follow up, or maintenance peels are necessary. Peels are a good option for younger patients with sun damage or older patients who require maintenance of other treatments like neurotoxin injections, fillers, or facelift surgery.
Rarely peels can cause hyperpigmentation called PIH (irritation of the skin due to peel causes it to turn dark). It is important to get medical-grade pure peels to minimise the chance of such events.

2. Semi-invasive treatments (Injectables)

a. Fillers:

Fillers support the facial skin at strategic points and help to lift. They also replenish the lost volume and thus ‘take up’ a mild laxity. Fillers are synthetic, but they are made up of materials similar to the ones found in the body. They are designed to stay in the body for long without causing trouble. The body does slowly break them down, and after a predictable time, the effect of fillers wanes.The type of filler chosen depends on the area to be treated and effect to be achieved. fillers with higher density and used for deeper areas like temples, nasolabial folds.
The injections are slightly painful, but a surface ananesthesia and a vibrator for pain relief are used at Lasercosmesis, the best plastic surgery clinic in Thane, to ease the pain. Massage should be avoided in the injected area for a few days until filler settles.

b. Neurotoxins:

Sculpting the face with neurotoxins like Botox and Nabota is an interesting idea. It works quite well in mild to moderate cases and slimmer faces. The neurotoxin causes relaxation of some tight muscles that hold the skin tight. The tightness of the muscle causes bunching and appearance of laxity at the other end. Once this pulling muscle relaxes, the skin can drape better or gets lifted and smoothened. A good example is the drooping corners of the mouth. With aging, the muscle that pulls the lower lip down in a sad grin pulls the corners of the mouth down even at rest. It makes you look sad and grumpy all the time. It also allows bunching up of skin at jowls. Injection of neurotoxin in these muscles allows the smile muscles to restore the corners by pulling them up. It improves the appearance. The same is the case for loose skin along the jaw border, which leads to obscuring the jawline. A Nefertiti lift is done to relax the neck muscles pulling the skin down and the neck gets sculpted by mere redraping of the skin.
The procedure is done in our outpatient clinic. You are asked to animate your face so that we can identify the culprit, overactive muscles and mark them. We can apply surface anaesthesia if you are wary of even a tiny prick by a thirty gauge needle. These are usually painless injections, and we also use a vibrator for relief. The procedure typically takes a maximum of about 30 minutes, depending on areas to be injected.
The most important precaution after the procedure is to avoid massage and too much animation of the injected area. The effect takes about 3 weeks to be visible and will last from 6 to 8 months.
side effects of neurotoxin injections are rare. Rarely there can be allergy or headache after injection. Only symptomatic treatment is required. To know more about botox, google the site of the US FDA about botox.

c. Threads:

The advent of threads with barbs and lately cones has really changed the approach in tightening procedures. Mildly lax and moderately thin skin can be lifted well with the threads. Threads are best suited for you if you are between 30 to 50 yrs of age and have prominent nasolabial folds, jowls, and lax skin near the jawline. These threads are also made up of the material that lasts for long in the body without causing irritation or side effects. The commonly used threads are made up of PDO, an absorbable material. The absorption occurs over 9 months.
Non absorbable threads like prolene, silicon, polyester or PLL. They have tiny barbs or cogs which penetrate the deeper part of the skin and tissues. The thickness, length, and diameter are pretty standard. The number of threads used decides the degree of effectiveness.
Threads can be done under local anaesthesia and still have a long-lasting effect. This is the main reason for the popularity of thread lift procedure. This can be the best choice for parents of the bride or groom for a one-time procedure for the occasion.
A small cut is made above the ears in the temple area. Loops of barbed thread are inserted with the help of long needles that traverse from the incision to the fold to be corrected and back. As the threads are pulled back, they engage the tissue pulling it up with them. There is some bruising, redness, and swelling after the procedure. Downtime of 2-3 days and mild pain should be expected. It may be required to postpone social engagements for a fortnight or so.
An interesting use of threads can be in a non-surgical rhinoplasty or nose job. This is safer than fillers and lasts alonger as well.

d. Mesotherapy are some of the options available. In the needleless mesotherapy available at Lasercosmesis, we have nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals that are allowed to enter the skin by facilitating penetration. It is a painless method used for tightening, brightening as well as lightening of the skin using relevant medical grade solutions.
For Skin tightening treatment in Thane, customized combination treatments are most desirable especially by non-invasive methods. Each of these methods gives temporary improvement to a reasonable extent, and you need to maintain the results.

3. Operation:

For long-lasting results with significant improvement, one can opt for surgery if one is willing to undergo an operation. The operation requires downtime, and you are willing to spare the time. This is the gold standard treatment for skin tightening.
There is no age limit for this surgery unless there are medical problems. Some of the procedures like eyelid correction with blepharoplasty or eyebrow lift can also be done under local anaesthesia. You need to discuss the following points with the surgeon:

Area of concern

• Improvement expected.
• Anaesthesia required.
• Medical problems you have and medications you are taking.
• Place for cuts which will become future scars.
• Shift of any normal features due to scars- for example, shifting of sideburns in case of pre-auricular facelift.
• Post-operative downtime and pressure garments.
• Time for visits and stitch removal.
• Common complications of the procedure with the chance observed so far.

Various options among facelift procedures are:

1. Preauricular facelift- Through this cut in front of the ear, many different types of operations can be done to tighten your neck as well as face depending upon the type of laxity you have and the surgeon’s choice and experience of the procedure. We at Lasercosmesis also add some fat graft to restore the lost cheek volume, if any, and use lasers and fat injections to rejuvenate the skin.

2. MACS lift- In this, a short cut is made in the temple, and in front of the ear, and looped stitches are put in order to pick up tissue slack.

3. Midface and brow lift- These are typically combined with upper and lower eyelid correction surgery. We find this useful in our Indian patients as good improvement in nasolabial folds is possible with this. The scars are hidden in the eyelids.

4. Neck plasty- This is done through a separate small incision under the chin to take care of loose central skin and muscle laxity.