Dr Parag Telang
In this era wherein everyone wants to look good and look young, a host of skin firming and tightening techniques are available. The skin on the neck is more fragile than the skin on the rest of the body, which is why it’s all the more important to take good care of it. Fine lines, sagging skin and wrinkles are all signs of aging. However, this does not mean that younger people are immune to it. Skin aging is a natural process. Sometimes, due to our unhealthy habits and poor environmental standards, our skin starts to age before time. Premature aging can make you look older than you are and that’s never a sign of good health. As we age there are many problems which we start to see especially in the face region. The two main issues that happen are sagging of the facial skin and loss of volume.
Causes of skin sagging
As we age, the collagen support of the skin keeps on reducing. This makes the skin develop wrinkles and look aged. At the same time, at a deeper level, the facial tissues and muscles also lose its tonal strength and become lax. All of these contribute to causing facial skin sagging.
Routine skin care can help delay the appearance of skin sagging. Collagen supplements in powder or liquid form are available and can be taken on a daily basis to help maintain adequate collagen levels and delay the appearance of wrinkles. Of course basic tips such as adequate water intake and sun protection also help keep the skin healthy.
How can skin be tightened
Dermal fillers are a good option for skin tightening. They are composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) which is a natural component of the skin. Dermal fillers are like gels and can be used to tighten under eye or cheek areas and make the overall face look younger.
How to improve skin sagging
The process of sagging starts from the 30s and continues as we age. The latest treatment option for correcting the sagging is by use of COG threads. These threads are made of a dissolving material called PLA which remains for 1.5-2 years. This thread lifting is done under local anaesthesia and needs only 2-3 days recovery time.
For advanced sagging of the face in older people, we have to do a surgery called facelift and neck-lift. This gives very good improvement in facial appearance and makes a person look 15-20 years younger. But, surgical procedures have a downtime of 3-4 weeks for recovery, the result lasts for many years.
Tips to improve wrinkles
Wrinkles are caused by action of specific muscles. These can be eliminated by injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) in specific areas. This remains effective for 6-8 months and then needs to be repeated. These injections are very safe and give a good anti-ageing effect due to loss of wrinkles.
The latest advances in anti-aging are Nano-fat injections and PRP. Our own fat and blood have a lot of regenerative cells. In Nano-fat treatment, a small amount of our fat is removed using a tiny needle, it is processed and the concentrate is injected in specific areas of the face to improve wrinkles, sagging and under eye dark circles. Similarly our own blood can be processed to get Platelet rich plasma (PRP) and inject this in specific areas of the face for anti-aging effect. There are a lot of advanced laser treatments, face tightening machines such as HIFU (High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound) and Ultherapy which also give a good effect on skin laxity.
Dr Telang is a certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, practising in UAE and India.
He is a Director, Designer Bodyz Centre for Advanced Cosmetic Surgery, Mumbai.
