• The nonsurgical skin tightening procedure, which is known as plasma skin tightening, uses plasma to heat and tighten the skin.
• Even though the skin continues to age, plasma skin treatment results are permanent.
• People use plasma skin tightening for decreasing skin laxity on any part of their bodies.
• Plasma skin tightening comes with minimal complications and side effects, even though the recovery can take around one week.
A loose and sagging skin negatively impacts the appearance of most people, so it is an undesirable cosmetic concern. There are two proteins, elastic and collagen, in the skin. The breakdown of elastin and collagen causes skin elasticity. The role of these proteins is to give the skin its elasticity and firmness. What contributes to skin laxity? Genetics, overexposure to the sun (photodamage), and aging.
What is plasma fibroblast skin tightening? It is a nonsurgical cosmetic procedure for combating skin laxity and tightening skin using plasma. Photodamage and aging cause skin laxity.
CONTENTS
• How Does This Treatment Work?
• Are You a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
• What to Expect During Plasma Skin Tightening?
• The Results of Plasma Skin Tightening (studies)
• Safety and Side Effects
• The Cost of Plasma Skin Tightening
• Plasma Skin Tightening vs. Alternatives
How Does This Plasma Pen Treatment Work?
Plasma skin tightening ionizes or converts, gas into plasma using radiofrequency. Plasma generates heat and removes oxygen from your skin surface when it comes in contact with the outer layer of your skin, which is known as the epidermis. Plasma does not ablate or vaporize the epidermis in the process.
The process forms a layer of desiccated or dried skin by eliminating moisture from the treated region. The desiccated or dried skin helps in the healing process. The resurfacing generates electricity, so the desiccated tissue increases the resistance of the skin to the electricity.
The desiccated tissue guides the plasma to unheated areas and prevents the skin from getting overtreated. The collagen in the dermis is broken down by the generated heat. The dermis is the layer of the skin under the epidermis. The generated heat also triggers fibroplasia, which is the wound-healing response of the body. The fibroblast activity increases during fibroplasia. This increases the production of new collagen.
Efficacy
The collagen fibers immediately contract when the heat comes in contact with your skin during plasma skin tightening. You will see a visible decrease in cow’s feet, fine lines and wrinkles, and an improvement in skin laxity.
To get more noticeable and effective skin tightening, you require several treatments in low-energy plasma skin tightening. However, you require fewer treatment sessions in high-energy procedures, but they amplify the side effects.
New collagen formation continued in biopsies, which were taken 3 months after the plasma skin tightening procedure. The skin was more contoured and firmer skin after 1 year. This means there were improvements to the tissue for over one year.
Are You a Good Candidate Plasma Fibroblast Treatment?
The best treatment for the different skin tones and skin types is plasma skin tightening.
Here are some of the things that can make you not a good candidate for this treatment:
• Poor vascularization (blood vessels)
• A history of keloid formation (raised scar)
• Previously had a cosmetic treatment in the area
• Excess skin or significant lupus, scleroderma, scarring, or stretch marks
• Conditions that affect healing, including autoimmune disease, poorly controlled diabetes, or oxygen dependence
• Open sores in the area you want to treat
In addition, if you are breastfeeding or pregnant, do not undergo a plasma skin tightening procedure.
What Should I Expect During Plasma Skin Tightening?
Doctors use anesthesia before they begin plasma skin treatment. They use topical anesthesia for low-energy treatments, and they use an oral sedative or general anesthesia for high-energy settings plasma skin treatments.
They divide the treatment area into different segments and zones. They wipe away the anesthetic cream after one hour to allow the skin to better absorb the plasma. Then, they treat each zone one at a time.
They hold the device 5 mm away from your skin surface. They move the device as the painter moves a paintbrush on a canvas. They set the energy of the device to different levels. The energy setting depends on the area of the body they are treating and how deeply they want to send the heat into your skin. This prevents total dermal injury.
They use a lesser amount of energy to treat areas with thinner skin like around your eyes than the energy they use to treat other parts of the body like cheeks and forehead.
Doctors can complete low-energy treatment of a single passing through every zone in 15 minutes. They use the device in a single session to treat the areas of your body, that require several passes or higher energy treatment, in 45 minutes.
The device passes over your skin surface, so you can experience discomfort from the heat when the device passes over your skin.
Recovery
Once the plasma skin tightening procedure is complete, the downtime can last about one week. Your epidermis may peel away during this time. This process is known as epithelialization. Re-epithelialization begins after your epidermis peel away. Re-epithelialization reveals a new, tighter epidermis.
The total recovery time usually depends on the amount of energy the doctor uses during the treatment. Aftercare requires you to wear sunscreen to protect your skin from sun exposure.
The Results of Plasma Skin Tightening
Once the treatment is complete, you will see visible effects of treatment. Fibroblast activity will continue for around 1 year. It further decreases skin laxity and stimulates the production of new collagen.
The efficacy of this treatment depends on the number of treatments, especially if the doctor uses low energy in the first treatment. There were facial tightening improvements of the following in patients undergoing low-energy plasma treatments:
• 40% after two treatments
• 58% one month after three treatments
• 35% after the first treatment
• 68% three months after three treatments
Also, there were noticeable effects on other parts of the body during this treatment. Researchers reported improvement in the smoothness of skin, the severity of skin, and hyperpigmentation of:
• 41% to the skin of the neck
• 48% to the hands
• 57% to the chest
Doctors use higher energy to get quicker and more beneficial skin tightening results. However, these treatments can increase the downtime of the patient.
Are Results Permanent?
You will get permanent results from plasma skin tightening. However, it does not stop sun damage on the skin or stops the skin from continuing to age. Your skin will continue to age, even though the treatment improves the laxity and tightness of your skin.
It also does not stop the visibility of skin blemishes and imperfections, the appearance of new wrinkles, renewed skin laxity, and further breakdown of collagen.
Are there any Side Effects?
It is rare to experience serious side effects once the treatment is complete. It does not cause damage to your skin due to the incisions or cuts, and there is little trauma to your body because it is a non-surgical procedure. Therefore, there are mild side effects and they can clear up in the first month. It is safe to use plasma skin resurfacing.
Plasma skin tightening does not come with the risk of visible demarcation lines when you compare it to other alternatives, such as laser skin tightening.
The following are some of the side effects of plasma skin tightening:
• Localized hyperpigmentation for around one month (darkening of your skin) (use topical agents to resolve it)
• Skin peeling for around 9 days
• Mild to moderate skin redness for around 2 to 3 weeks
The Cost of Plasma Skin Tightening
Your health insurance is unlikely to cover plasma skin tightening because it is an elective procedure. The cost of treatment depends on the location of the office of your doctor, the specific type of treatment, and the treatment area.
Generally, the cost of plasma skin tightening for facial skin rejuvenation is can range from $300 to around $3,000 depending on where on you are getting treated
Plasma Skin Tightening Treatment Versus Others Alternatives
Some professionals tout plasma skin tightening as an alternative to laser skin tightening and facelifts. The results that these two alternatives deliver are dramatic and near-immediate. However, the side effects of these alternatives are harsh and more significant during recovery.
Some of these alternatives are much better for you. However, it depends on the severity of the laxity of your skin, your tolerance to side effects, your skin type, and your budget.
Topical Alternatives
It is easy to find skin tightening lotions and creams via prescription or over the counter (OTC). Check the ingredients of the creams before choosing them. Ensure the ingredients can stimulate collagen production and moisture and shield the skin from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Noninvasive Skin Tightening Alternatives
They do not involve cutting the skin because they are non-surgical. Therefore, you will not require anesthesia or sedation. Here are some of the noninvasive cosmetic procedures:
• Nonablative laser treatment
• Ultrasound skin tightening, including Ultherapy
• Radiofrequency skin tightening
Minimally Invasive Skin Tightening Alternatives
Even though the procedure is nonsurgical, you should expect some damage to your skin in a minimally invasive procedure. They require anesthesia or sedation and downtime.
Here are some of the minimally invasive procedures:
• Laser skin resurfacing
• Microneedling, which is collagen induction therapy
Surgical Alternatives
They are surgical procedures, such as neck lifts and facelifts, so they require anesthesia and sedation. Cosmetic surgeries have more side effects, risks, and downtime, even though they provide immediate and permanent skin tightening.
The length of downtime following this treatment is much longer than that for other noninvasive treatments. However, the efficacy of the plasma skin tightening is higher than the efficacy of other invasive and surgical alternatives, so it is ideal for effective, long-term skin tightening.
Takeaway
Plasma skin tightening heats tissue under the epidermis, it triggers fibroplasia and stimulates collagen production using plasma. The impact of the treatment on skin tightness is immediate and permanent. After the procedure, the skin laxity will continue to decreases for around one year.
Plasma skin tightening costs around $3,000. However, the cost varies depending on the part of the body you want to treat. When compared to invasive and surgical procedures, plastic skin tightening is the most effective and nonsurgical alternative. The treatment has a good safety profile, even though it has minor side effects and a significant downtime after the treatment.