Skin Laxity
When the skin loses its firmness and begins to sag.
Skin laxity is one of the most significant and most visible signs of facial ageing — and one of the most challenging to address effectively without surgery. It develops as the structural support beneath the skin gradually diminishes, allowing the skin to sag rather than remaining taut against the underlying tissue.
Several distinct processes contribute to skin laxity. Collagen and elastin — the structural proteins that give skin its firmness and snap-back quality — decline progressively from the mid-twenties. As they reduce, the skin becomes thinner, less resilient and less able to hold itself against the underlying structure. Volume loss in the fat compartments of the face removes the support that once held the skin in place. Ligaments that anchor the skin to the underlying bone loosen over time, allowing the soft tissue to descend. The cumulative effect is skin that sags, jowls that develop, a neck that loses definition, and an overall heaviness to the face that replaces the lifted contours of youth.
Skin laxity is influenced by genetics, lifestyle and sun exposure history. Significant weight loss can accelerate laxity considerably, as the skin that previously contained a larger volume is left without adequate support. Smoking and chronic sun exposure both accelerate collagen breakdown and worsen laxity significantly.
Treatments to consider.
Treating skin laxity effectively requires treatments that either lift and support the skin structurally, stimulate the body to rebuild the collagen and elastin it has lost, or a combination of both. The right approach depends on the degree of laxity, where it is most pronounced, and what the patient wants to achieve.
Ultherapy® is the most powerful non-surgical treatment for skin laxity — the only non-invasive procedure with FDA clearance to lift skin on the face, chin, brow and neck. It works at the structural foundation layer beneath the skin, stimulating deep collagen and elastin renewal that produces a genuine lift from within. For patients with mild to moderate laxity who want the most significant non-surgical result available, Ultherapy® is the starting point. Collagen stimulating treatments — Sculptra®, Radiesse® Dilute and Gouri® — rebuild structural collagen progressively over time, improving skin firmness and quality across broader areas. Dermal fillers restore the volume loss that contributes to laxity, providing structural support and lift. Tixel® and microneedling stimulate collagen production and improve skin quality and firmness over a course of treatments. Skin boosters improve hydration and elasticity, complementing more structural treatments.
Treatments that may help: Ultherapy®, Collagen Stimulating Treatments, Sculptra®, Dermal Fillers, Tixel®, Microneedling, Skin Boosters, Professional Skincare.
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