Skin firming treatments are very much in vogue. Do you also wish to get a firmer and a smoother skin? Are you considering skin firming treatment as an option? Are you confused whether they will actually work or not? Then this article is a must read for you!
With so many types and brands of lotions and creams in the market it becomes quite difficult for users to buy the ‘quality’ ones! Moreover, there is also no guarantee whether the products will give satisfactory results as they claim in their advertisements. But the advertisements do look promising, don’t they? But that doesn’t solve the problem!
So read on and know what the experts have to say about the skin firming treatments!!
What causes skin sagging?
Before, we start discussing about the treatments for skin firming; we need to first understand what actually cause our skin to become loose and sagging!
As we age, our metabolism weakens and production of collagen and elastin decreases. These two proteins are the ones which maintain the elasticity of the skin. Moreover, the other connective tissues also weaken and get damaged. All these things together result in skin sagging, loose skin and cellulite (an orange peel like appearance on the thigh).
What are the natural ways to get smoother and firmer skin?
There are a number of activities you can try to smoothen and tighten up loose and sagging skin! These are a great and a safe alternative to all those skin firming creams and lotions you find in the market.
Regular exercising!
Regular follow up of the weight training regime will help in toning muscles under the skin which will make it look tighter and smoother.
Cut down on calories
Reducing the calories intake will not only reduce your weight but also reduce the cellulite formation.
Regular oil massage
Massaging your body regularly with oil helps in tightening of the skin. Just massage upwards with a little pressure soon you will see some changes on your skin.
The above methods are some of the popular natural ways of getting back the tight smooth skin. However, they take a very long time and don’t give results like lotions and creams. They also don’t work on every individual, as everybody is different. But these are very safe unlike the chemical products found in the market.
But do the Skin tightening creams actually work?
The skin tightening creams which you find in the market contain some ingredients which temporarily help with skin firming and mild dimpling. These include active retinoids, peptides and caffeine!
Retinoids:
- It is a derivative of Vitamin A.
- It increases collagen synthesis
- By increasing connective tissues, cellulite condition can be controlled
- It produces small amount of collagen which has a very short lifespan not even enough to reduce the cellulite.
Peptides:
- This is a next generation active which supports collagen synthesis
- Although they work well in vitro but they don’t show good results in vivo (user’s body).
- So, it does the least work in reducing cellulite and skin tightening.
Caffeine:
- It is a blood vessel constrictor and diuretic.
- It dehydrates the fat cells
- It flushes out some excess fluid
- The effects last for a very short time.
Although, these active elements are found to be effective for mild sagging and cellulite but these are not good for severe sagging because they don’t have enough strength and depth penetration ability. So these are not useful if you are looking for permanent long-lasting results.
What about the skin tightening treatment technologies in the market?
As the world is progressing every day, newer and newer technologies are coming up. There are many technologies for skin tightening treatment also. But people get confused in deciding which one they should try out. So here are few tips for selecting the best skin tightening technology!
- Look for the US FDA approved lasers, avoid the Chinese and Korean lasers which do not get approval of the US FDA and only have CE approval.
- If any laser doesn’t have the US FDA approval stamp, then their machine may not work properly. So always try to avoid those!
- Look for the machines which have more than one technology. Try those machines which have 4 treatments in 1 instead of only skin tightening ones. For example Accent Ultra!
- See whether the technologies used in the machines have the right kind of science involved. For example, Low-level Laser Therapy and Cryolipolysis (also known as CoolSculpting) cannot support large amount of data, so the efficiency and result may not be that satisfactory.
- Try to avoid Cryolipolysis if possible as it has side-effects such as redness, pain and numbness for months
- Go for ultrasound and radio-frequency technologies as they have lesser side-effects.