Skin laxity is a common sign of ageing and can affect various areas of the body such as the face, neck, arms, legs or abdomen. It occurs when the skin loses its elasticity, resulting in a saggy, loose appearance.
Loss of skin elasticity may present as:
Fine lines and wrinkles: When skin loses its elasticity in the dermal matrix (second layer of skin), it is prone to fine lines and wrinkles. These lines can appear deeper and more prominent over time.
Jowls: As we age the bones tend to shrink, leading to the muscular layer (SMAS) and dermal layer to then droop and create the jowls.
Drooping Eyelids: As with the jowls, this drooping tissue affects the orbital area. Ptosis (the drooping of the skin of the upper eyelid) can be the result.
Crepey Skin: When the support in the dermal matrix is lost or declines, and the surrounding glycosaminoglycans (GAG’S), that provide the cushioning and the environment of collagen and elastin, this depletion leads to the skin having the appearance of thin, tissue-like skin.
Skin laxity is caused by a combination of intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external) factors that affect the skin’s structure and function. Some of the scientific causes are:
Age and hormonal changes where the collagen and elastin fibres, which provide support and elasticity to the skin, degrade over time, leading to thinning and sagging. Additionally, the skin’s ability to produce new collagen and elastin decreases with age.
Exposure to prolonged UV radiation from the sun damages the collagen and elastin fibres. This damage can result in the formation of wrinkles and sagging.
Certain lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of sleep, excessive alcohol, and smoking all add to oxidative stress resulting in the skin breaking down and not having the ability to regenerate.
Genetics can play a huge part in the loss of laxity in the skin, and this can happen earlier in some compared to others.
Other areas to affect loss of elasticity in the skin can be glycation, dehydration, significant weight loss and extreme temperature environments.
When choosing the most appropriate treatment for your area of concern there are several factors to review such as
- Different areas will respond better to one treatment rather than another, HIFU, RF, RF Microneedling and Plasma Fibroblast can provide more significant skin tightening for moderate to severe skin laxity, while microneedling will address fine lines and moderate skin laxity.
- Different modalities are better suited for specific areas of the body. HIFU and RF can be used on the face and body, while RF Needling and microneedling are primarily used on the face and neck. Plasma can be used on the face and body but is not suitable for all body areas.
- Depending on your timeline for your result HIFU and Plasma can provide more immediate results, while RF and RF Needling usually require multiple treatments.
- Your pain tolerance this also must be a strong consideration for the appropriate treatment.
- Budget is also a consideration. HIFU and Plasma Fibroblast are typically more expensive than RF, RF Needling and Microneedling.
What is the primary skin concern?
- moderate to severe laxity
- fine lines and wrinkles
- Mild to moderate skin laxity
Which area do you want to target?
- face and body
- face and neck
- face only
How soon do you want the results?
- Immediate
- within a few weeks to months
- over time with multiple treatments
How much downtime will you tolerate?
- no downtime
- some downtime
- little to no downtime?
What is your budget?
- high
- moderate
- low
It is so important to combine both in Clinic treatments, a good home care regime and a healthy lifestyle in order to achieve your optimum results.
