The clinicians at our Brisbane clinics are experienced with all forms of skin tightening techniques. We take into account your clinical findings, ethnicity, lifestyle & goals to come up with a bespoke skin tightening program.
Cutis Clinic has a vast array of skin tightening devices & procedures including:
Our results speak for themselves
Before
After
RadioFrequency can improve lower face laxity. This treatment works best in patients with little sun damage.
Ask us more about this treatmant
Preferred Consultation
Before
After
RF microneedling stimulates & contracts dermal collagen. 3-5 sessions required for best results.
Ask us more about this treatmant
Preferred Consultation
Before
After
Submental fat reduction & associated skin tightening using ultrasound focused energy.
Ask us more about this treatmant
Preferred Consultation
Treatments for Skin Tightening
What areas can be tightened?
Bespoke Laser Face Lifts
Skin tightening procedures can address laxity around the cheeks, jowl, eyes, jawline & neck. By understanding the level of laxity, we can restore volume, replace collagen & tighten the superficial & deep layers of the skin. An in-person evaluation of your current skin condition will give us an understanding of what is the best procedure required to meet your goals & expectations.
Our team of experienced dermatologists & laser nurses employ the most technologically advanced skin resurfacing lasers to restore an even-skin tone for softer, more youthful, fresh skin on face, neck, & décolletage.
Our bespoke hybrid Lasers remove superficial imperfections such as sunspots, age spots, scars & pigmentation, whilst at the same time target collagen in the deeper layers. Laser resurfacing delivers controlled heating to tighten the dermis & encourage new formation of collagen, elastin & hyaluronic acid.
Our clinicians are experts with all forms of skin tightening, ranging from lasers, deep peels, collagen stimulation, through to radiofrequency, ultrasound & surgical techniques. We take into account your clinical findings, ethnicity, lifestyle & goals to come up with a bespoke skin tightening program.
FAQs
Why Cutis Clinic?
Our team has over 20 years clinical experience in the field of dermatology & aesthetics. Coupled with the very latest in lasers & energy devices, we offer the widest selection of non-surgical & minimally evasive methods to treat skin laxity & tighten loose collagen.
Why is it important to have many ways to tighten skin?
The algorithm for effective skin tightening is complex – hence why Cutis invests in so many devices & procedures. A simple explanation is-
Age: older you are the more you require combination treatments to target all levels, from bone, fat, dermis, retaining ligaments, SMAS layer & superficial skin.
Race: Darker skin types do better with HIFU & RF devices, whilst lighter skin types may benefit from lasers & peels.
Dermal thickness: The thicker the dermal layer, the higher the odds of stimulating & contraction of collagen.
Fat layer: If you have low facial fat, don’t attempt HIFU or Ultherapy. Those with a good buffer layer are better candidates.
Level of photodamage & broken collagen: If you have sun damage you won’t respond well to HIFU or Radiofrequency. You need to repair damaged collagen, prior to contracting it. Lasers, deep peels & collagen stimulating hydrators are indicated in this cohort of patients.
Expectations: Lasers, RF, HIFU, threads & deep peels are not a subsite for a deep plane facelift. If you have moderate to marked laxity, your only predictable option is a face lift- preferably deep plane over a short scar.
What lasers are best for skin tightening?
CO2 & erbium lasers are best. The Ultrapulse with Deep & Active Fx modes or the eCO2 with erbium ablative are the most common combinations we use for deep wrinkles & marked laxity.
Hybrid laser resurfacing is another method to address moderate laxity. It has a shorter downtime & is more cost effective compared to deep CO2 resurfacing.
Can microneedling work?
Marginally at best. Microneedling is best for mild textural changes. Dermatologists use microneedling daily for hair growth & dermal drug delivery.
For collagen contraction & improving skin tone – texture, the use of controlled heating is best, hence why HIFU, RF microneedling, & deep lasers work better than cold needle microneedling.
Why do we use Genius RF microneedling over others for skin laxity?
Our team is familiar with all the big brands, including Morpheus 8, Venus, Intensif, Secret etc. we choose the Genius RF as the replacement for our Infini RFM.
Genius RF has-
- Insulated needles
- Resistance control (safety & efficacy)
- High power with strong solenoid motors
- Depth of 3.5 mm (which is more than enough for the face & neck area)
How do we tighten the skin on the neck & chest?
This area is challenging, even for specialists. The main reason is the extensive photodamage we see in our Brisbane – Coast patients. UV breaks down & fragments collagen, which adds another dimension to laxity.
We use a combination of- fractional lasers, RF microneedling, HIFU & collagen stimulating hydrators to aid in improving the appearance of weathered necks/chests/ decolletage.
How does Profound RF perform?
We have this device. We don’t use it (for the past 6 years), other treatments including Genius, Infini, lasers & peels work a lot better. If you think this is the address treatment for you, we can fire it up.
What chemical peels give the best results for treating skin laxity?
Deep peels including phenol & modified Jessner TCA. These peels are conducted under partial sedation in an operating theatre by our senior dermatologists. Downtime approaches 10-14 days in some cases.
For extreme sun damage & laxity, we often combine deep CO2 with peels. One session is required, downtime is epic, so are the results. It takes 4-6 months for optimal results as this procedure stimulates your own collagen.
Do we use Aptos threads for skin laxity?
No, the risk benefit ratio is too high for our mode of practice. We use Mint, Silhouette & PDO mono threads.
Why is a deep plane face lift the commonly used method of facial lifting & tightening?
A deep plane lift, as opposed to a short scar face lift, as the name suggests lifts many layers including the skin, fat, muscle, retaining ligaments, & SMAS. For patients with moderate to severe laxity, this is the definitive treatment.
Face lifting does not address facial volume, so take this into consideration.
What is the difference between hyaluronic acid hydrators & collagen stimulating hydrators?
A deep plane lift, as opposed to a short scar face lift, as the name suggests lifts many layers including the skin, fat, muscle, retaining ligaments, & SMAS. For patients with moderate to severe laxity, this is the definitive treatment.
Face lifting does not address facial volume, so take this into consideration.
Why do ethnics have better results with skin tightening?
It’s give & take when it comes to races. Darker skin patients are more prone to pigmentation, but pigment protects the breakage of dermal collagen, hence their fibres are relatively protected. Collagen is loose, not broken.
Darker skin patients also have a thicker dermal layer, meaning more collagen to begin with. Their collagen producing cells known as fibroblast are more numerous, larger, & react far more briskly than cells in lighter counterparts.
As a guide, procedures in darker skin types have a predictability rate of around 80% whilst it drops to 30-50% in lighter skin patients. It really depends on what therapy is chosen.
How long do the results of skin tightening last?
Between 6 months to 10 years. It is that variable. It depends on the type of procedure (deep laser resurfacing & peels last the longest), your age, genetics, ethnicity, lifestyle choices & more.
For threads, expect upward of 6-9 months, one year if you are lucky.
HIFU including Ultherapy, Ultraformer, around 18 months.
Same goes for radiofrequency, namely Tempsure, Pelleve, Thermage, & Genius – Infini RFM.
Do collagen supplements work?
Yes & no. There are 2 small studies showing that collagen capsules can be beneficial for skin health, & wrinkles. We are all for placebo, regardless of the efficacy, they can help with joint health, & given it costs less than a dollar a day, knock yourself out.
Can collagen stimulating creams improve skin laxity?
There is no such thing as a cream that removes wrinkles & replenishes volume, but creams can rehydrate the skin, & reduce future wrinkles, laxity & sagging. The key ingredients include retinol, ascorbic acid, ferulic acid, tocopherol & alpha-hydroxy acids. Hyaluronic acid-based creams are powerful moisturizers.
Learn more (link to anti-aging skin care in the anti-aging section)
What to consider prior to getting any skin tightening procedure?
Our biggest tip to consumers/patients is to carefully consider treatment options. Skin tightening is not cheap, so don’t waste your time & money for haloed treatments that won’t work.
If a clinic has one or two solutions, you will be sold one of these treatments. Consult professionals who understand lasers, energy devices, threads, peels, hydrators & surgery. This way you will be guided as to the best solutions for your degree of skin laxity.
As most of these procedures are not classed as laser-light treatments, Queensland Radiation & Safety is not involved in the accreditation, safety, or training for providers. The irony of the situation is that no paperwork is required to operate super powerful equipment such as HIFU / Ultherapy. These devices are much more powerful than most lasers. It’s akin to licensing air rifles but allowing the public to buy machine guns & hand grenades. It does not make any sense.
