Skin Tightening vs Fillers

Why Skin Tightening? Why Dermal Fillers? 

We get asked these questions and more every week about skin tightening and dermal fillers at our skin tightening clinic in Hertfordshire. Both dermal fillers and skin tightening treatments are incredibly effective in improving the skin and both have a place in our skin treatment armoury. 

But why do we choose one treatment over the other? 

I’m going to tell you what professional skin care experts know… 

What are Dermal Fillers? 

Most dermal fillers are made of a substance called hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is found within our skin but depletes as we age and helps to maintain the moisture in our skin and aids regeneration.  Additionally, hyaluronic acid behaves like a sponge, drawing and retaining up to 1,000 times its own weight in water; this means that the skin is plump, smooth, and hydrated. Therefore, it’s fair to say dermal fillers will improve the hydration of your skin and tissues. This is easily seen after treating dry, dehydrated lips with dermal filler. 

However, hydration is not usually the main reason we treat the skin with hyaluronic dermal fillers. For filler treatments, the hyaluronic acid your practitioner uses comes in the form of a soft gel which is strategically placed with a fine needle. 

What are Dermal Fillers used for?

Filler has many uses; commonly it is used in three ways to immediately help with signs of ageing:

1. Filler replaces volume that has been lost in the tissues. As we age, the underlying fat pads in our faces shrink and can drop. Thanks a lot gravity. On top of this our bones shrink. This can leave us with the appearance of flat cheeks; thinner, undefined lips; dipped temples; and tired looking, hollowed under eyes. Filler isn’t restricted to the face, it is frequently used to treat ageing hands

Dermal filler can subtly replace the volume and definition that you once had to give you a refreshed, more youthful appearance. 

1. Wrinkle filler. Filler can be placed directly into wrinkles to smooth them out. This is an extremely popular treatment for marionette lines and nose-to-mouth (nasolabial) lines. This is also a treatment option for some types of scars, but I won’t go off track and into that now.
2. Definition. Dermal filler is regularly used to redefine and sculpt areas such as the cheekbones and jawline.

What brands of Dermal Filler are there?

There are lots of filler brands on the market and not all are equal. What we look for at our skin clinic is a good safety profile and the type and length of results that can be achieved. We will spend more on our fillers rather than sourcing cheaper alternatives because, in our experience, you get what you pay for. 

The brands we prefer to use at The Skin to Love Clinic are Belotero, Teosyal, Restylene and Juvederm and we carefully match the filler to the client and their needs. 

Am I a candidate for Dermal Filler?

This would be decided upon consultation but as a guide, dermal fillers may be suitable for you if:

• You have noticed a loss of your natural volume in the cheeks and midface.
• You have nose to mouth lines that you wish to soften.
• You have marionette lines that you wish to soften.
• You have thin, undefined lips that you wish to define and subtly volumise.
• You have hollowing in your temple area that you wish to smooth
• You have noticed that your jawline is not as sharp as it was.
• You have prominent, hollow tear troughs under your eyes that you would like to 

soften.

Let’s move on to skin tightening, shall we?

What is Skin Tightening?

Skin tightening is a little more varied in the treatment options in comparison to dermal fillers. After all, dermal fillers are quite simply dermal fillers; skin tightening is an umbrella term for several treatments including Thermage, the Thread Lift (also known as the Mini Thread Lift), Regenlite, Byonik, Profhilo and Sunekos.

What treatment is best for your unique requirements depends on many things including where you want skin tightening-body or face- and whether your skin requires lifting or firming or both. Skin tightening can be a combination of tightening treatments or you may require just one type of treatment. 

 Which Skin Tightening is the best?

As I mentioned before, this is determined upon assessment on an individual basis; there’s not a one-size-fits-all skin tightening treatment. However, I’m going to explain a little more about some of the skin tightening treatments available so you can see if there are any that you would consider.

Thermage

We are extremely proud to be a Thermage clinic and have the experience and knowledge of our nurse, Jane, who was the Thermage trainer for Europe, Middle East, and Africa prior to dedicating herself full time to our skin clinic. And we have seen beautiful, natural looking skin tightening results from Thermage.

Thermage is a non-invasive radio frequency treatment that can be used on the eyelids, around the eyes, face, neck, and body.

The radio frequency technology that Thermage harnesses, triggers your skin to remodel itself resulting in firmer, tighter skin. Thermage works deep down in your skin, rather than superficially, which means that the results are long-lasting, but it does take a few months to see your full results; ideal if you would rather others didn’t know that you’ve had a treatment done because there are gradual changes in your skin in the lead up to your final outcome. 

As there is some lead-in time with the results from Thermage, we usually recommend having this treatment a minimum of three months prior to any special occasion that you’re having it done for, such as a wedding, as this is not an ‘overnight fix’. Good things come to those who wait however, as the average results last for a year to 18 months, at which time you can have the treatment again, should you require or wish.  

Thermage is our go-to procedure for those who have droopy, crepey, thinning eyelids as it is particularly effective in giving skin its bounce back and tightening and firming loose, sagging skin. It’s also popular on crepy tummy skin, around the knees and on the arms.

Thermage is a favourite amongst celebrity clients, such as Jennifer Anniston, because there is no recovery required and, therefore, no obvious sign that you’ve had a treatment. 

Thermage skin tightening might be a good option for you if:

• You have crepey, sagging skin on your face and body.
• You are noticing sagging, loose skin in your jowl area
• You’ve noticed your eyelids becoming hooded.
• Your upper and lower eyelids have become crepey.
• You’re seeing that your jawline is less defined.
• The skin on your neck is becoming loose and crepey.
• You are noticing fine lines and wrinkles.
• If you are looking for a non-invasive skin tightening treatment.

Thread Lift

Referred to as the non-surgical facelift, the Thread Lift treatment is a great option if your skin really needs *lifting*. Jawline, I’m talking about you. 

The Thread Lift is one of the big guns that we pull out when skin needs something to help it defy gravity. This skin treatment can be used to treat the face and is used for this frequently in our skin tightening clinic, but also the body; tummy, knees, thighs, arms are all areas of concern that can be tackled with the Thread Lift treatment. 

The treatment involves your medical practitioner strategically placing small threads made from complex carbohydrates (the same as the sutures used in heart surgery) into the area of concern; you can read more about the threads in our Ultimate Guide to the Thread Lift. Once placed, these threads are gently tightened to physically lift your skin. One of the wonderful things about this treatment is that it’s surprisingly comfortable; we use local anaesthetic to numb the treatment area so you can focus on how good your skin’s going to look at the end. 

Once the treatment is finished your skin will further improve as the threads trigger the production of your natural hyaluronic acid and collagen, resulting in smoother, plumper, firmer skin. 

The Thread Lift treatment may be a good option for you if:

• You wish to lift and firm your face and neck.
• You wish to tighten and redefine your jawline
• You wish to lift and firm your neck and chin
• You wish to soften nasolabial lines
• You wish to soften marionette lines
• You wish to rejuvenate your mid-face area
• You wish to elevate your eyebrows
• You wish to improve signs of ageing around your mouth
• You wish to generally improve the elasticity and brightness of your skin
• You wish to rejuvenate and tighten your tummy, buttocks, thighs and/or inner arms
• You are looking for a non-surgical treatment

Byonik

Byonik is the world’s first pulse-triggered laser treatment (we’re talking actual NASA technology here guys). 

There is ever such a lot to this treatment, which you can read about here. But, simply put, Byonik uses your unique pulse frequency to trigger its laser light; it’s not witchcraft, you wear a pulse reader on your finger throughout the treatment. This then stimulates your skin at a cellular level making it tremendously absorbent; allowing each treated skin cell to absorb the hyaluronic acid and powerful antioxidants applied to your skin during the treatment, not just simply coating the outside of the cells; something usually only topical medication can do. 

This non-invasive treatment re-energises and repairs your skin cells and elastin, whilst allowing the hydrating hyaluronic acid to stay in the cells for up to 4 weeks. As a result, skin looks brighter and fresher and younger. 

As you can see, there are many ways Byonik improves your skin. When it comes to skin tightening, one of the most important things Byonik does is releasing your elastin fibres. Elastin plays a major role in your skin’s tightness. Over time, fats, salts, amino acids and calcium accumulate around your elastin fibres, tethering them, so that their ability to create tightness in the skin diminishes; this results in wrinkled and sagging skin. The Byonik laser energy releases your elastin fibres, causing a lifting effect in the treated skin. 

The Byonik treatment may be a good option for you if:

• You are seeing natural signs of ageing, including lines, wrinkles, crepey and dull skin
• You would like to redefine your features and improve your skins plumpness
• You would like to maintain healthy skin, youthful-looking skin and improve your skin’s overall appearance
• You would like to improve the health and overall appearance, tone, and texture of your skin 
• You are looking for a non-invasive skin tightening treatment

Profhilo

Similar to dermal fillers in that Profhilo is an injectable treatment that uses a form of hyaluronic acid (HA), that’s really where the similarities start and end. 

Profhilo uses HA which has a very different form to the gel-like product used during dermal filler treatment. Profhilo is a slow-release hyaluronic acid, which is honey-like in consistency which, once it’s strategically placed into your skin, gradually disperses into your tissue.

As the Profhilo spreads and disperses into the desired area, it triggers a process called ‘bioremodelling’ within your tissues; better quality elastin and 4 types of collagen are stimulated, the fatty layer of your skin is regenerated, and the tissues are deeply hydrated. This results in improved skin tightness, firmness, smoothness, and hydration.

The Profhilo treatment may be a good treatment choice for you if:

• You have skin that is lacking in elasticity
• You have skin crepiness
• Your skin is thin and lacks volume and plumpness
• You are noticing lines and wrinkles
• You have dehydrated, sun damaged skin
• You would like to prevent early signs of skin ageing
• You are looking for a non-invasive skin tightening treatment

Regenlite

Regenlite is a Pulsed Dye Laser which can be used on the face or the body to tighten your skin. This skin treatment works by ‘tricking’ your skin into making completely new collagen. Studies have shown a 99.5% increase in the collagen production rate following the first treatment and an incredible 148% after another treatment two weeks later. 

This is a discreet and gradual skin tightening treatment with the additional bonus of zero recovery time. You’ll be in and out of your treatment session and nobody will realise that you’ve had a treatment and are on the way to smoother, firmer skin. Winning! 

The Regenlite laser treatment may be a suitable option for you if:

• You are noticing loose skin on your face and body
• You have wrinkles and fine lines
• You have skin crepiness
• You are looking for a non-invasive skin tightening treatment

Sunekos

Winner of the 2019 Safety in Beauty Innovation and Pioneering award in 2019, is an injectable treatment with a formula which blends amino acids with Hyaluronic acid (HA). The Sunekos HA is not to be confused with the HA used for dermal fillers however. 

Unlike fillers which are designed to fill and smooth wrinkles, SuneKos firms, strengthens and deeply hydrates your skin thanks to its unique cocktail of amino acids and HA. Sunekos can be used for revolumising your tissue, but not in the same way that filler does; the Sunekos volumizing effect is purely in the tissues-so ideal for thinning skin, rather than acting as a ‘scaffold’ or ‘pillow’ for the skin to sit on top of, as dermal fillers do. This combination of ingredients not only hydrates and volumizes, thus reducing the appearance of wrinkles, but they also regenerates your Extracellular Matrix. The Extracellular Matrix is a meshwork within your skin composed of a type I and III collagens and elastin.  

Unlike Profhilo, Sunekos can be used under your eyes and on your forehead.

The Sunekos treatment might be suitable for you if: 

• Your skin is thin and lacks volume and plumpness
• You are noticing lines and wrinkles
• You have skin crepiness
• You have skin that is lacking in elasticity
• You have dehydrated and/or sun damaged skin
• You would like to prevent early signs of skin ageing
• You are interested in a non-surgical skin tightening treatment

Skin tightening vs fillers? I don’t believe that one is better than the other. Both types of treatment do different things and have their own unique merits. Both dermal fillers and the various methods of skin tightening can be used as standalone treatments or in combination with skin tightening and other rejuvenation treatments. 

Should you like to discuss your unique skincare concerns, dermal fillers, skin tightening or other anti aging treatments, please contact our skin tightening clinic st albans.

Disclaimer: This blog is not to be used for diagnostic purposes. We are all unique which means that our results, recovery and suitability for any type of treatment will vary. Always seek the advice of a professional should you have any health or cosmetic concerns or to discuss treatments specifically for you.