If you have loose skin, you know how upsetting it can be. It is never fun to feel like you are not looking your best. Getting rid of loose skin may seem like a daunting task. You might think it requires surgery, and sometimes you might be right. But surgery is best used to repair the severely sagging skin that comes after rapid weight loss. Mild to moderate loose skin that appears as a natural sign of aging can often be controlled by other methods. One of those methods is treatment with lasers.
What Types of Loose Skin Lasers Treat
The location of your sagging skin rarely affects your ability to seek laser treatment. Lasers work nearly anywhere because they can easily be pointed where there beams are needed. The more important factors in determining what types of loose skin lasers can treat are skin type, general skin condition and severity of the skin sags.
In general, you are a better candidate for laser treatment if your skin is light. However, there are laser skin treatment tools these days capable of treating darker skin. Nevertheless, you must be aware that dark skin does increase your risk of skin discoloration after laser treatment. If your skin is too oily, laser treatment may also not be recommended because of the increased burn risks. Additionally, there are some skin conditions that can be complicated by lasers, such as acne. So, if you need your skin tightened but suffer from such a condition, your skincare professional may recommend a different course of treatment.
What a Laser Treatment Actually Does
You may wonder what a laser treatment actually does to improve the health of your skin and help it tighten up. There are two answers. The first is the heat from the laser reacts with collagen in your skin. It causes the collagen to pull towards other collagen. The effect smooths your skin out by causing tightening because collagen is what helps your skin cells connect to each other.
The other way laser treatment can make your skin seem tighter is it can cause increased production of new collagen in your body. That new collagen is used to repair the minor damage done by the laser. In the process, it can also strengthen cellular bonds and make your skin stronger as a whole. However, the production and distribution of new collagen is a lengthy process. You will not see those results during or immediately after treatment.
Weighing the Cost of Laser Skin Tightening
Laser skin tightening can cost as little as $500 per session, but it can also cost $3,000 or more. It depends on the severity of your skin sags and the size of the treated area. You have to weigh those costs carefully when deciding if it is right for you. When judging laser treatment costs, you must also consider the need for multiple treatment sessions. It is common to need up to five or six sessions for the best results.
You can get estimates from various clinics to find the best price, but you also need to consider the reputation of the clinic before making a final choice. It is often better to pay a bit more to have treatment at a well-established clinic. Check for references and see how long each clinic has been in business before making a final choice about where to have your laser skin tightening procedure performed.
As you mentioned, seeing that I have loose skin can be upsetting at times. Still, this is a result of my last pregnancy and no amount of exercise can help me get rid of the skin around my arms. It might be a good idea to visit nearby clinics and see if getting holistic skin tightening services can help me solve this insecurity.