It’s pretty safe to say that most women of a certain age are concerned about the physical signs of aging. Age spots, wrinkles, and dark circles are just a few of the things that keep women, and some men, angling for ways to look younger. Although plastic surgery seems to be more popular than ever these days, it does carry considerable risks along with some pretty steep costs. Fortunately, there are some noninvasive cosmetic procedures that can take years off your appearance without forcing you to go under the knife.
Laser Skin resurfacing
Laser resurfacing uses short, concentrated light beams to remove skin layers and improve its texture. It is perfect for reducing the effects of sun damage, acne scars, fine lines, and age spots. The main benefit of this procedure is that it builds up the patient’s own collagen and can even tighten the skin in some cases. Essentially, it stimulates the skin’s natural healing process to produce a younger, healthier looking complexion. The beauty of laser resurfacing is that it not only makes your skin appear younger, but it actually is younger.
Nonsurgical Fat Removal
Nowadays, there are a number of nonsurgical fat removal treatments such as CoolSculpting and SculpSure which yield effective results.
SculpSure – this is a body contouring procedure that treats troublesome fat areas with light-based technology. It permanently destroys treated fat cells around the abdomen, or the love handles to give patients the body shape they desire.
CoolSculpting – this noninvasive procedure works by exposing fat cells to controlled cooling, which gradually eliminates the targeted cells from the body. Because this method is quick and painless, it appeals to people who want to get rid of stubborn fat pockets without any downtime or interruption of their daily routine.
Skin Tightening
Another popular procedure that incurs no downtime or scarring, skin tightening is a radiofrequency treatment in which the deepest skin layers are heated to spur new collagen production and cell turnover for firmer, younger-looking skin.
While lasers target the skin’s surface, radiofrequency employs a lower frequency to penetrate to a deeper level. As a result, skin tightening firms up skin tone and can even lift tissue. Often, this procedure is done in combination with other minimally invasive treatments for overall facial rejuvenation.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are injected into your body to fill in depressions and wrinkles, thereby achieving a smoother, more even complexion. Some of the most popular, Restylane and Juvederm, use hyaluronic acid, a sugar found naturally in the body, to add volume and firmness to the skin. One of the advantages of injectables is that they can be applied to any area of your body that you want to restore.
Botox
Botox stands as one of the most popular and well-known nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed by doctors every year. Basically, it paralyzes the underlying muscles in the face to soften fine lines and wrinkles. If the muscles are unable to move, the overlying skin cannot crease, which gives the face a smoother, firmer appearance.
Common areas for Botox treatment include crow’s feet, frown lines, and the forehead. Typically, the anti-aging effects of Botox last for three to six months. It should also be noted that Botox is not useful for treating wrinkles resulting from sun damage.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
Another skin treatment which takes advantage of the body’s ability to heal itself is called platelet-rich plasma therapy. Known mostly as a way to repair injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints, platelet-rich plasma therapy, or PRP, uses a concentration of your own blood platelets to improve your skin. During this process, a doctor takes a sample of your blood and removes the plasma and the platelets to form the concentration.
With the next step, the doctor uses microneedles to inject the PRP back into your skin to stimulate natural collagen production. The goal is to jumpstart cell growth and rejuvenate damaged skin. Many patients opt for this procedure instead of dermal fillers as a more natural way to combat the signs of aging.
Regardless of your age, it is possible to obtain a more youthful look without resorting to surgery. Try one or more of these cosmetic treatments to achieve a more vibrant appearance with little to no downtime and no scarring.
