Zap it! Firm Up this Fall

If you wish your skin was a little firmer, you aren’t alone. Search #skintightening on Twitter and the hashtag yields over 13,000 results – from makeup to skincare to surgery. And while there are more good options than ever before, three basic, non-invasive, techniques promise some real results when it comes to skin tightening for your face and body. Read on for NDDA’s picks: Ultherapy to tighten up the face, neck and chest, and body contouring services with CoolSculpting and SculpSure.
Ultherapy: The “invisible facelift”
Gone are the days of invasive surgical procedures for lifting skin. Ultherapy, an ultrasound procedure that supporters call the invisible facelift, has earned the nickname “the lift without the stitch,” and it’s about as good as you can get without going under the knife. The procedure tightens and lifts skin by targeting the underlying tissues with precisely directed sound waves that stimulate collagen into a rebuilding process. And that process means firmer skin wherever the treatment is used. It is the only noninvasive treatment FDA approved to lift the skin on the eyebrows, neck, chin and improve lines and wrinkles on the décolletage. North Dallas Dermatology Associates is designated a “Center of Excellence” for the procedure, which means the practice is one of only a few national teaching sites designated by Ulthera.
Quick Recovery
You can return to work or other activities immediately, and the entire procedure takes only 60 -120 minutes or slightly more, depending on the areas treated.
You Only Need One to two Treatments Every Two Years
Ultherapy’s dramatic results often have patients asking when they can come back for more, but most people only need one treatment every two years to maintain the correction.
It’s Noninvasive and Customizable to Address Your Specific Areas of Concern
Because Ultherapy tackles skin laxity, it can be used as an added boost for other procedures such as Botox and fillers that address the signs of early aging, or alone for patients who want to avoid needles.
It Gets Better With Time
Because Ultherapy activates your body’s natural collagen stimulation process, it’s unlikely you’ll see instant results, but when they do start to show up – 3 to 6 months post-procedure – they are noticeable.
Body Contouring: SculpSure and CoolSculpting
Sometimes stubborn body fat won’t budge – even when you’re making exercise and a healthy diet a priority. When your spin class and daily salad aren’t cutting it, there are new options for, literally, melting the fat away. The two treatments that have been clinically proven and are FDA approved for permanent fat removal are SculpSure and CoolSculpting. Both treatments pack a powerful punch to get rid of belly, hip, and thigh fat or just about any other area, which can stick around despite the most stringent exercise regimen, as long as the procedure is complimented by a foundation of good basic health habits.
Coolsculpting is the cool approach to permanently destroying unwanted fat cells by freezing them to death. During a session, chin fat or other stubborn bulges are treated by a device that freezes the unwanted fat cells. And an added benefit of the procedure is that the freezing action quickly numbs the treated area, which means prep time and down time after the treatment is minimal.
Alternatively, a hot option for belly, hip, and thigh fat or fat in just about any other area that is sticking around, is a procedure called SculpSure, a laser-based technique that uses heat to zap fat cells. While the subcutaneous fat is targeted, the surface of the skin is kept cool to prevent burning or damaging non-fat tissue. SculpSure uses several small laser applicator pads to deliver the fat-killing heat directly to pockets of problem fat cells like love handles.
Both procedures have the power to make a difference in dealing with stubborn fat. Ask your doctor which one is right for you.
No Downtime. On average, treatment times last about 25 to 60 minutes per session and there is essentially no downtime. Patients may see some slight swelling and tenderness, but can go back to daily activities immediately.
Results show up in two to three months. While there’s minimal downtime, pain or recovery involved in body contouring sessions, the time it takes to see results can be anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks. That might seem like an eternity for those looking to shed a dress size (or two). But the results are worth the wait.