For decades now, one of the most common concerns in the cosmetic industry is aging skin. Everyone wants to know how they can maintain a beautifully kept appearance with minimal time, effort, and cost. What are the best options for a quick lift and tightening? Luckily there are many available as expertise and technology continue to evolve. Well, here is everything you need to know about lifting, tightening, and refreshing your skin so you can make the best decisions for your lifestyle.
1. Topical At-Home Products: Essentially, wrinkles and loose skin is inevitable due to aging, genetics, environmental effects, and gravity. Maintenance is the absolute best form of prevention and can wonderfully prolong visible symptoms of aging if you use the right products. Everyone who cares about their aging appearance should be on a simple, pharmaceutical-grade skincare regimen. Keeping the epidermis, the top layer of your skin, healthy will help to protect the layers beneath.
- Sunscreen is essential skincare for all ages, preventative products are great for anyone over the age of 25.
- RPS, Eminence and Aveene anti-aging products range from $20 to $85 each and typically last 9 months – 1 year when used appropriately.
2. Microdermabrasion, Dermaplaning & Peels: Getting into correction and further prevention, these exfoliating procedures infiltrate the next layer of the skin, the dermis. These medical spa treatments will help to exfoliate, cleanse, lightly tighten and even skin tone. Your medical aesthetician is trained to guide you on the right options for your skin and its health. These procedures require anywhere from zero to the most minimal downtime while still penetrating that second layer of your skin. Temporary redness and peeling are occasionally possible making this the most realistic “lunch-time” option next to injectables.
- Each treatment is about an hour. Aestheticians suggest a relative schedule anywhere from 7-10 treatments per year.
- Microdermabrasion, Dermaplaning, Micropeels and Corrective Facials range from $80 to $275 each.
3. Microneedling and Non-Ablative Laser Procedures: The next depth includes corrective procedures such as Microneedling, IPL, YAG, and ResurFX. All of these treatments rejuvenate the skin even deeper into dermal layer of the skin, where sun spots, broken capillaries, mild scars and fine lines sit. Non-ablative (or non-wounding) lasers treat superficial issues while stimulating collagen to help heal and repair the skin. Downtime includes mild to moderate redness or puffiness for 3-5 days.
- Treatments are typically recommended in packages of 6-8 to achieve desired results by a medical aesthetician, nurse or physician’s assistant. Unlike the options above, you will not need to continue these year after year.
- Microneedling, IPL and ResurFX packages range from $1,000 to $1,800 with Photofactional (Both IPL and ResurFX) being our most popular packaged at $2,600 for both. YAG is only purchased by the spot as it is solely for broken capillaries, $75-95 per treatment.
4. Injectables: Botox, Dysport, Juvederm, Restylane… the list can go on! Commonly known as neurotoxins or dermal fillers, these products are used to relax moderate lines and wrinkles and add volume to areas where the face is lacking. Although light bruising may occur, there is typically no downtime for these products as they are injected directly into the dermal layer of the skin. This is one of the most common treatments for those with a busy lifestyle.
- Performed by a nurse, physician’s assistant or physician, must be maintained every 3-9 months depending on product and patient.
- Treatments are priced per area (Botox and Dysport by the unit) ranging anywhere from $130 – $800. The number of units or syringes needed will be evaluated by your injector as every area and patient are different.
5. Ablative Laser Procedures: The deepest skin resurfacing available refers to the ActiveFX suite that includes Active FX, DeepFX and ScarFX. These CO2 lasers improve the concerns above as well as the appearance of wrinkles (not just fine lines), skin tone, deeper scars and stretch marks. DeepFX can also improve the laxity or sagginess of skin. Downtime may include redness, peeling and slight discomfort for 5-10 days.
- These laser procedures are performed by a nurse, physician’s assistant or physician and require even less maintenance or repetition throughout the years than non-ablative lasers.
- Treatments range from $1,800 to $2,500
6. Surgical Rejuvenation: The only option that effects the deepest layer, the subcutaneous level of the skin. Cosmetic surgery such as facelift (rhytidectomy), browlift (endoscopic), eyelid lift (blepharoplasty) and neck lift (platysmalplasty) provides the longest lasting rejuvenation available and is for very lax or saggy skin and deep onset wrinkles. Incisions are typically hidden and the results are the most permanent. Your surgeon will tailor surgery to fit your lifestyle. For example, fat grafting or fat injections can be added where volume is missing – a popular alternative to getting fillers every year. Downtime is anywhere from 7-14 days and can also include soreness, swelling and bruising.
- These procedures are only performed by a surgeon and it is important to find a specialist you connect with that has the appropriate credentials and experience.
- Cosmetic surgery to correct aging skin generally costs anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000 per procedure for the physician’s fee. All patients are quoted individually based on goals and expectations.
So there you have it, all of our options related to aging, resurfacing, filling, and lifting the skin! Everyone’s goals and commitment are different which is why we research the best and execute various treatments.
“Lifestyle Lift” essentially went bankrupt for not being truthful to their patients. At Spa Renaissance & Renaissance Plastic Surgery we pride ourselves on transparency and results. Sometimes it is tough to hear that the quick, easy and cheap option won’t fully reach your goals but we believe it’s better to have realistic expectations then to be unhappy with how you’re spending hard earned dollars. Some goals just take more time to reach depending on the depth of your situation! If you would like help with managing your aging concerns, please feel free to contact us!
Authored by William A. Stefani, M.D., Aesthetic & Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon
