Women have several skin-tightening options that range from spending a few dollars in a drugstore to invasive surgical treatments that affect the musculature and surrounding skin. Depending on what part of your body needs tightening and how much time and money you can commit, an option exists to restore firmness and a more youthful appearance to your skin at almost any age.
Anatomy
Skin is made of three layers: epidermis, dermis and subcutis, a layer of fat at the bottom. The epidermis consists of keratinocytes and loosely arranged collagen fibers. The dermis comprises collagen bands and elastin. The decrease in collagen and elastin production and turnover leads to skin loosening. Skin tightens when the production of these is boosted to fill out the epidermis, when another formula fills out the epidermis or when the loose skin is removed and sewn back together more tightly.
Moisturizers
The use of moisturizers helps women who want to tighten their skin. Primarily, formulas that contain collagen and elastin-boosting peptides are the most useful for tightening skin, provided the formula contains a sufficient amount to make a difference. You may find an improvement with hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that allows skin to retain moisture to fill the dermo-epidermal juncture between the skin's top two layers.
Fillers
Dermal fillers provide the look of tighter skin by filling up any places where skin sags or wrinkles with an injected formula. Depending on who your state licenses to perform injections, your doctor, a nurse practitioner or aesthetician injects your face with filler. He or she may use your own harvested fat, human or bovine collagen, hyaluronic acid or calcium hydroxylapatite, a mineral compound found naturally in your bones. These are "lunchtime procedures," because treatment in fast, nearly painless and, in most instances, has no downtime. Dermal fillers cost from $200 to more than $1,000, depending on your location and the procedure.
Lasers
Laser skin tightening is advancing quickly. Older women can rely on this range of options to tighten the skin on the face, at the neck, arms, stomach or anywhere else. Middle-aged women may begin laser treatments to maintain a youthful look. Lasers heat the collagen fibers of the dermis, prompting them to reorganize and tighten, while inspiring new collagen growth at the same time. The laser device also simultaneously cools the epidermis to avoid burns, although redness afterward is not unusual. Laser skin tightening costs roughly $1,000 in most cities and may require several treatments.
Mini-Lifts
Mini-lifts are a slightly more invasive option for skin tightening. A surgeon slices your facial skin, pulls it back by your ears and staples or stitches it to cover your face more tightly. Another option is to thread the skin back without cutting it in order to minimize scarring. A mini-lift costs several thousands of dollars, but the results can be dramatically improved, tighter skin that still exhibits a youthful fullness. Downtime is anywhere from a few days to more than a week. Your doctor will administer anesthesia for a mini-lift.
Lifts and Tucks
Lifts and tucks are serious surgery. Women can choose to tighten skin almost anywhere on their bodies with surgical intervention. Your surgeon cuts and pulls tight the skin before sewing it back into place. These surgeries usually involve larger parts of the body and may impact muscle groups -- like in a tummy tuck, which involves re-arranging the loose abdominal muscles. The risks of these skin-tightening procedures are higher than other options. Heavy drugs are administered to accomplish surgery. You will lose blood during surgery. You may have a considerable downtime that involves bed rest or avoiding certain activities.
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