Skin Tightening: Surgical vs. Non-Surgical
Little or no recovery time, minimal risk of infection or scarring, and very natural-looking results top the list of reasons why a non-invasive approach to skin tightening and rejuvenation are in such high demand. With the most advanced technology, I find that in many instances, the non-surgical approach is the most desirable for several reasons.
But there is no one size fits all approach to the aging face. The most appropriate treatment will depend on several factors including location on the face, quality of the skin, history of prior treatments, medical history, and ability to tolerate downtime.
Here are some of my favorite treatments to help lift and tone aging skin:
Ablative Fractionated Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Laser
Based on a laser used in the early and mid-1990s to vaporize the deepest wrinkles, todays fractionated CO2 lasers are gentler to the skin, allowing for rapid healing and reduced side effects. This treatment is particularly good for tightening around the eyes. The so-called laser eyelift can deliver beautiful, natural-looking results without the deer in the headlights look that is sometimes seen after plastic surgery. Potential downsides: It may take more than one treatment to achieve the desired look, and the results dont last as long as traditional plastic surgery.
Monopolar Radiofrequency (Thermage)
The Thermage procedure has been available for almost 10 years to non-invasively tighten skin around the eyes, jawline, chin and body. While the earliest treatments were quite painful and the results unpredictable, the most advanced techniques deliver appreciable tightening with minimal discomfort. Although the results are not as dramatic as a facelift, over 90% of patients obtain noticeable tightening of the treated areas and it never looks pulled. The procedure can be repeated every 1-3 years as needed to maintain the results.
Focused Ultrasound (Ulthera)
The most advanced technology involves focused ultrasound to visualize through the skin to target and treat deep support structures. Deep skin layers are targeted and heated to stimulate the growth of collagen, which gradually lifts the skin in 3-4 months. It is currently used for a non-invasive eyebrow lift and can be used to return definition to the jawline and improve the area under the chin. The ultrasound treatment can be quite effective to non-invasively rejuvenate the face; it is best performed using light pain medication to increase comfort during the treatment. As compared with plastic surgery, there is no cutting, no recovery, and all patients can resume their normal activities immediately. Several months after treatment, patients look refreshed and rejuvenated, never pulled. Its suggested to repeat the treatment every 2-3 years to maintain the results.
i'm 37 but ive had a rough life i'm prolly more close to 50 then most people ...
You don't look old in your picture. PS is the final step for me. I had the 5 Re:pairs, with the last one in 2011. I still feel a noticeable tightening especially in the upper cheek area. I do not see this in the neck area. I am winding down to final retirement - probably 2020, and I want to have the face, neck, eyes and possibly nose done as a retirement gift to myself in 2018. I want to be underweight when I go in for this procedure. I have seen too many pictures of overweight people getting PS.
i posted a pic of myself on fb and someone i know took the pic photoshopped it where u couldn't see the scars then sent it to me ...isn't that like such a low blow?
If that happened to me, that person would no longer be a friend. I don't need people like that in my life. If the person is fat, bald or something else, I'd return the favor -- Photoshop a picture, post it on his/her timeline and then de-friend.
I have had people make rude comments about my skin and I am always quick to point out a flaw in return. It has never gone over well.
Wow, sorry that happened. Every time I think I've seen and heard it all, I'm just dumbfounded by people's capacity for cruelty.
Cut them off, you don't need people like that in your life at all. I completely understand what you mean when you say it can really do a number on your psyche. Just know you're not alone, because I've gone through some major personal crises and really dark times as well. If you have people in your life that love you unconditionally, flaws and all, focus on that.
i've been through so much hell now that i am 37 i don't even feel normal anymore ...i think it has messed up my head so much i can never go back
i've been through so much hell now that i am 37 i don't even feel normal anymore ...i think it has messed up my head so much i can never go back
Sorry to hear you are down. I have been through a lot in life as well. I try to look at it as a blessing in disguise and force myself to keep moving forward. A couple years ago, I started cutting out negative people from my life and putting my needs first. It was difficult at the time but looking back, I am happy I made a positive change. You deserve better and should allow yourself to have it.
Also don't take my advice on returning the favor with a photoshopped image. If I were you, I would definitely think about it but I wouldn't do it. I would say something equally cruel though before cutting the person off. At times people don't realize they are being insensitive until the roles are reversed.
i've been through so much hell now that i am 37 i don't even feel normal anymore ...i think it has messed up my head so much i can never go back
Again as someone older than yourself, I can promise you that you can change your life in amazing ways. You say you are in good shape and that is a great start. I was a mess when I started my Re:pair treatments, and I have turned my life around and you can too.
Wow, sorry that happened. Every time I think I've seen and heard it all, I'm just dumbfounded by people's capacity for cruelty.
Uh, I think it depends on what were the intentions of that person.
Maybe that picture was supposed to be an allusion, like, "hey, look how good can you look w/o scars. You just have to do something about it".
A lot of people have absolutely no knowledge of how to treat acne scarring. I mean, why would anyone with great skin research scar treatments? They think that a simple procedure or one laser treatment will make your problem go away, unfortunately they are terribly mistaken.
It's normal (I speak from personal experience) and I wouldn't care much about it. Unless the intention was to make you feel like crap, in that case I agree with cutting such person off.
Wow, sorry that happened. Every time I think I've seen and heard it all, I'm just dumbfounded by people's capacity for cruelty.
Uh, I think it depends on what were the intentions of that person.
Maybe that picture was supposed to be an allusion, like, "hey, look how good can you look w/o scars. You just have to do something about it".
A lot of people have absolutely no knowledge of how to treat acne scarring. I mean, why would anyone with great skin research scar treatments? They think that a simple procedure or one laser treatment will make your problem go away, unfortunately they are terribly mistaken.
It's normal (I speak from personal experience) and I wouldn't care much about it. Unless the intention was to make you feel like crap, in that case I agree with cutting such person off.
Sorry I disagree. That is like photoshopping a photo of someone overweight and saying you would look great skinny. Go on a diet. How do you know that person doesn't have a medical condition and can't lose weight? Or, why not photoshop a picture of a bald friend and say I hear you can get hair surgically added today. Saw it on TV. I would never point out someome's physical flaws and tell them to do something about it. I do not need superficial friends like that. If I did not confide in you about my insecurities and flaws, what would make you think it is okay to point them out and worse, why in the world would you be researching a way to fix my skin condition. Believe me, scar sufferers are clearly aware of their scars and disfigurement. Don't need a so-called friend pointing it out.
In some cultures, this might be okay. Where I am from, you'd be completely out of line. Mind your own business and focus on your own problems.
Sorry I disagree. That is like photoshopping a photo of someone overweight and saying you would look great skinny. Go on a diet. How do you know that person doesn't have a medical condition and can't lose weight? Or, why not photoshop a picture of a bald friend and say I hear you can get hair surgically added today. Saw it on TV. I would never point out someome's physical flaws and tell them to do something about it. I do not need superficial friends like that. If I did not confide in you about my insecurities and flaws, what would make you think it is okay to point them out and worse, why in the world would you be researching a way to fix my skin condition. Believe me, scar sufferers are clearly aware of their scars and disfigurement. Don't need a so-called friend pointing it out.
In some cultures, this might be okay. Where I am from, you'd be completely out of line. Mind your own business and focus on your own problems.
Yes, you are right, but some people are just expressing their opinions like that, that doesn't necessarily mean they did that to hurt you, more like to encourage you. But then again, they have no idea there is no quick fix when it comes to acne scarring, that was my point. That being said, I would never do something like that myself.
I disagree as well. Even if they truly meant it to "encourage" him, I would STILL delete this person for the simple fact that they are monumentally stupid and ignorant to think it would be acceptable. Two things I can't tolerate in life are mean people and stupid people.
It's no one's place to tell anyone else how they should look. The only situation where I think something like that can even be considered acceptable is if Rob himself asked someone to photoshop him. This person took it upon himself, unsolicited, and sent Rob that photoshopped picture. How is that acceptable and excused by "good intentions"? Unfortunately, you are right though that people are indeed that ignorant about scarring, and think that a few zaps of laser can give someone porcelain smooth skin again. Again, it's part of the psychology of blaming the scar sufferer, like "stop whining and fix it with laser." If only it was that easy.
People who do nasty stuff like this are let off too easy, and when they are confronted, they backpedal and say it was not their intentional.
i posted a pic of myself on fb and someone i know took the pic photoshopped it where u couldn't see the scars then sent it to me ...isn't that like such a low blow?
If that happened to me, that person would no longer be a friend. I don't need people like that in my life. If the person is fat, bald or something else, I'd return the favor -- Photoshop a picture, post it on his/her timeline and then de-friend.
I have had people make rude comments about my skin and I am always quick to point out a flaw in return. It has never gone over well.
I have never experienced anybody saying something rude to me about my scarring to my face. I couldn't even imagine what my reaction would be. I guess I'd say that I've been lucky enough in my life for people to only tell me how much they've noticed my skin's improvement after the many treatments I've undergone.
The closest thing I've come to receiving a negative remark was when a friend from out of the country visited me and apparently wondered about my scarring to my mother. My friend and I hadn't seen each other for 7 years, and she wasn't living in the U.S. when I began to get adult acne and sustained the worst of my scarring. The kicker is that my mom ended up telling me about my friend asking about my acne scars. Nothing mean. Just something along the lines of "what happened to her skin?". It was pretty hurtful.
Honestly, it's something that I would rather have never known in the first place. I'd like to blame my mom for being tactless enough to relay my friend's inquiries to me, but at the time my mom didn't understand that there is no way to eradicate acne scarring 100%. She thought it would only take a few procedures, and my skin would look like it did when I was 15 or 16. I wish.
That being said, I have a friend who is a photographer, and I've actually asked her to take photos of me with my scarring Photoshopped. I'd love to see what I'd look like in pictures without acne scarring.
However, I do understand that it's a completely different situation when someone sends you a Photoshopped picture of yourself without your asking for something like that in the first place. Pretty rude and hurtful, if you ask me.