Wrinkles, dark spots, and sagging – these worries are surely not confined to the face. They can also emerge on the skin of your body, becoming more conspicuous as the warmer climate arrives and we shed our multiple layers of clothing. The positive aspect? Many of the identical devices and treatments that doctors depend on for the face can be equally advantageous for the body's skin. When considering which one is suitable for you, what you aim to address is more significant than where you aim to treat it.
"Most of these treatments will function identically anywhere on the body," remarks New York City board-certified dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank. Consider your skin concerns – are you attempting to handle superficial sun damage or deeper matters, such as looseness? This is the prime approach to determine which procedure will be the most efficient, he adds. Just be ready to expend a considerable amount more on your body compared to your face. "Body treatments are typically more costly, given the larger areas being treated," says Dr. Frank, who notes that treatments can sometimes be twice as pricey as when they're being utilized on the face alone.
Ahead, five of the outstanding treatments for addressing spots, sagging, and more, on the skin beneath your chin.
The treatment: BroadBand Light Therapy
What it's beneficial for: mild to moderate indications of sun damage
Dr. Frank states that BBL is one of his preferred choices for (usually younger) patients seeking to address more mild to moderate indications of sun damage, such as hyperpigmentation and uneven complexion. It's comparable to intense pulsed light (IPL) technology – a broad-spectrum pulsed light of numerous wavelengths that can target multiple skin concerns – but it's an advanced form that is far more efficient and efficacious and can be carried out very rapidly, he explains. (For reference, he says you can treat the arms and legs in merely 30 minutes.) It functions well anywhere on the body, even on larger areas like the chest and back, and doesn't demand numbing. Frequently, a single session is adequate – and while you'll need to avoid the sun for two to three weeks thereafter, there's truly no recovery period.
The treatment: Erbium YAG
What it's beneficial for: more severe indications of sun damage
To address more extensive sun damage – brown spots, red spots, mottling, wrinkles – Dr. Adam Schaffner, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, asserts that this laser is an excellent means to resurface the skin. In more extreme cases, it can even be combined with a fractionated CO2 laser: "The two complement each other and can be used together, in a graduated manner, as long as you don't go too deeply," he says. Just anticipate about a week of recovery time. Additionally – particularly if you're treating an area that's constantly exposed to the sun (consider the neck and décolletage) – it might take some time to witness the optimal results. According to Dr. Schaffner, a sequence of several treatments, spaced six months apart, is often necessary.
See the before and after
The treatment: Biostimulatory Fillers
What it's beneficial for: crepiness, sagging
For aiding in building collagen and firming the skin, Dr. Frank prefers Sculptra and Radiesse. Unlike hyaluronic acid fillers, which operate by attracting and absorbing water to create volume and fullness, these biostimulatory fillers function by triggering the body to generate more collagen, a boon for enhancing textural issues such as crepiness and even sagging. That being said, "you need to have collagen to build collagen," notes Dr Frank, signifying that these are most effective in areas where the skin is already slightly thicker initially; he tends to employ them to address laxity on the fronts of the thighs and the backs of the knees. Also good: it's a treatment that only needs to be done once a year. However, this is a case where the cost is significantly higher for the body than the face. For context, Dr. Frank charges anywhere between $3,500 to $7,500 when using these types of fillers on the body compared to approximately $2,800 for the face.
The treatment: VirtueRF
What it's beneficial for: uneven texture and tone, skin laxity
Radiofrequency microneedling presents the unique advantage of addressing multiple layers of the skin simultaneously. The depth of penetration of the needles can be adjusted anywhere from one to five millimeters, allowing you to even reach the fatty layer of the skin, notes Dr. Frank. Translation? Not only does this assist in improving superficial textural and tone issues, but it also provides favorable skin tightening effects, he elaborates. He frequently uses it on the décolletage, the thighs, and the insides of the arms, noting that the device's new, larger handpiece makes it ideal for these and other body parts. Usually, three treatments, spaced a month apart, are required, with a three- to five-day recovery period after each.
The treatment: BodyTite
What it's beneficial for: skin laxity
According to Dr. Schaffner, subdermal radiofrequency treatments, such as BodyTite, are much more effective than other noninvasive tightening treatments when it comes to building collagen and firming the skin on the body, where the dermis is thicker. "Delivering the heat subcutaneously means you can obtain more of it without 'overheating' the surface of the skin," he says. Dr. Frank adds that BodyTite is also a favorable middle option for those who may not desire or require the full-scale surgical option of a tummy tuck or thigh lift (though for your information, some doctors perform BodyTite under general anesthesia). He often pairs it with liposuction for maximum outcomes, which he says can be visible as early as one month after; it takes three to six months to observe the complete results. Anticipate some mild bruising and/or swelling for a few days after.
