After Skin Tightening

Once you select your skin tightening specialist and schedule a consultation, you will be ready to schedule an appointment to have the procedure and get the treatments. Your physician will provide you with before and after care instructions, which all patients should follow, exactly to get the best results.

There is very little a patient will have to do before a treatment. Patient may be asked to avoid certain products, like retinol or products that contain ingredients and compounds that can make the skin irritated, swollen or raw. This helps ensure the best results after treatments. You may also be provided some topical creams to expedite healing and make your skin feel better during healing, after each treatment. However, this is based upon the type of treatment.

Depending on the type of skin tightening treatment and the area and delicacy of the skin you treat, your skin may be red and tender or it could be raw and oozing. There may be some crusting or mild breakouts as the skin heals over the next few days. The healing time and the ointments and downtime depend on the depth of layers and settings on the device used for skin tightening.

Since skin tightening is considered non-invasive, there are very few side effects. There may be some pain, swelling and mild welting or bleeding from the laser or acute tenderness of the skin for the first 24-60 hours, but over time, the skin will heal, firm and tighten on and around the treated areas, revealing tighter more taught skin, over the next six months. If you purchase a package or multiple treatments, your surgeon will let you know the length of time to wait between sessions, to allow your skin and the area proper time to recover and heal, before your next treatment.

After your skin tightening treatment, here are some simple instructions and guidelines to follow, in general.

• The treatment itself may be painful, depending on the device and the setting. Your clinician will provide numbing cream and perhaps a mild pain killer in advance of the treatment.
• The treatments normally take between 30 and 60 minutes each.
• Immediately after the treatment, you may feel sunburned and experience redness, mild pain, swelling, inflammation or even marks or tracks from the device. This redness and swelling may last between 2-3 days.
• You will be provided a soothing post topical cream, ice or gel packs to help with the redness, pain and swelling. You will also be given some care instructions and cosmetic products to help the healing process while recovering at home.
• Your skin may feel dry, itchy, irritated, flakey, and you may have mild breakouts, depending on the treatment you received. Avoid scratching, picking, rubbing treated areas.
• Your skin may seep, which may cause more pain and longer healing time. If you notice any severe reactions, contact your surgeon or specialist.
• It is very important to avoid sun exposure. This may cause damage and hyperpigmentation after treatments. Wear sunblock, daily (SPF 50+), especially after treatment and all year.
• Ask your physician or clinician how long you should wait between treatments and when to schedule your next session, before returning for another treatment in the same area.

The best results are noticed over the course of months, and they last up to a year. Skin tightening works best when repeated - to keep the collagen stimulated. Ask your surgeon about specials and purchasing several sessions at a discount.