We’re all profoundly lucky to see the signs of aging begin to show. It’s an achievement to reach this age, and you should pat yourself on the back for it!
However, we don’t have to like all the effects of maturity. At MedSpa at ChristiMD, our team specializes in addressing many inevitabilities of aging—including sagging, wrinkled skin on your face and body. Using RF microneedling in Houston, TX, we can help tighten that skin and erase years off your look. Read on to discover why our skin does what it does, and how we can urge our body to address it.
Why does our skin sag as we age?
One of the natural processes of aging involves the loss of collagen. This is a tough protein found in many of our body’s structures:
- Skin
- Blood vessels
- Tendons
- Bones
- Connective tissues
- And more.
To say collagen is important is to vastly understate its relevance for our health and wellbeing. Collagen contributes to your skin elasticity and plumpness, your joint health, your blood flow, and more. It holds us together, and makes us look and feel more youthful.
As you age, your body makes less collagen. Skin loses its natural stretchiness, its firmness, and it thins as the hydrating effects of collagen diminishes. That “drying” helps create the fine lines and wrinkles that often surprise us in the mirror.
Contributing factors to collagen loss
Aging accounts for a large part of collagen dissipation, but other lifestyle factors weigh in, too.
Sun exposure
Yes, we all love a sunny day, whether working in the yard or playing at the pool or the beach. Generating all that Vitamin D has a price, though. The UV (ultraviolet) rays in sunshine can cause your skin’s collagen to break down at a higher rate.
Strangely (and definitely under the “that’s just not fair!” heading), the UV rays penetrate the middle layer of the skin. This causes a buildup of elastin. Elastin functions to let your body tissues stretch and shrink back to size.
Usually elastin is great to have, but too much of it is a bad thing. The accumulated elastin produces enzymes which end up breaking down collagen. So it’s not the sunlight directly destroying the collagen, but rather your body’s reaction to sunlight causing secondary conditions that break down collagen.
Inflammatory foods
Sugar tastes good to most of us. But that sweet treat doesn’t treat our insides so sweetly. Dietary habits high in sugar, simple carbs, and processed foods make our immune systems kick into overdrive. This immune reaction causes inflammation throughout our body.
Have you ever eaten a lot of sugary foods, and an hour or two later your back aches? Or your joints start to hurt? That’s inflammation, and it not only hurts joints and aggravates arthritis, it can interfere with your body’s natural healing processes.
That includes healing damaged skin cells. Too much sugar (even beyond diabetes) can cause your collagen to harden and fragment, which weakens the foundation of your skin. When that happens, sagging occurs, and your skin ages prematurely.
Genetics
Inheriting money and those beautiful eyes? Love it. Inheriting a natural propensity for your skin to age early? Not so great. But genetics are what they are, and there’s a good chance that if your parent’s skin ages early, yours probably will too. That’s why controlling the other factors in your life that affect your skin could be all the more important.
Smoking
You might have to scan down the long, long list of health-declining effects of tobacco use to find it, but smoking is a major contributor to collagen damage.
Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your tissues. Your tissue needs oxygen not just to operate, but to regenerate when damaged, and to stay strong. When you smoke, it weakens and/or damages healthy cells, and can kill already-damaged ones. When combined with aging and other collagen-affecting lifestyle choices, it’s like throwing gas on a fire.
That’s why people who smoke have a tendency to develop wrinkles, crows feet, facial lines and more earlier than non-smokers.
Weight loss side-effect
If you’ve lost a large amount of weight quickly, first—congratulations. As long as you did it in a healthy fashion, we applaud you! Getting healthy isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it.
However, your skin stretched to accommodate that extra weight. Since you lost the weight most likely faster than you gained it, your skin couldn’t keep up with the change. This leaves extra skin sagging, hanging loose, and taking some of the “Yes!!” out of your triumph.
ChristiMD can help with all of the above, using radiofrequency (RF) microneedling.
What is RF Microneedling?
MedSpa at ChristiMD utilizes the SECRET™ RF Pro system to tighten and smooth aging, sagging skin. It resurfaces skin by sloughing away the outermost layer of dead skin cells. It stimulates regrowth and helps with scarring, including stretch marks and acne.
What’s not to love??
This state-of-the-art technology provides the gold standard for dermal remodeling and skin tightening. SECRET™ RF Pro treatments can bring back your youthful appearance
How RF Microneedling in Houston, TX works
RF Microneedling using the SECRET™ RF Pro system involves 3 steps.
Microneedling
Your ChristiMD specialist will apply a numbing cream to the treatment area to increase your comfort during the treatment.
Then, the microneedling treatment uses tiny, micro-fine needs to make extremely small punctures in your skin. These punctures trigger your body’s healing process, which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, and regenerates new cells and blood vessels.
The new collagen plumps and smooths the skin. Not only can this combat aging, but it helps with acne scars and other skin issues. Microneedling is minimally invasive, so your top layer of skin remains intact while the true work happens below in the epidermis.
Radiofrequency
The RF energy produced by the SECRET™ RF Pro applicator heats the underlying skin layers. This causes the skin to constrict and tighten, and also stimulates collagen production. It’s almost like doubling-up on collagen. The RF part of the treatment also helps to speed up the results so you can have your more youthful skin more quickly.
CO2 Laser as the final step
As the last part of your skin rejuvenation treatment, SECRET™ RF Pro uses a powerful CO2 laser to resurface your skin. This smooths and brightens your skin as it enhances both tone and texture. And this step promotes collagen production too, for the triple crown of youthful feel.
Benefits of SECRET™ RF Pro Microneedling
When you come to ChristiMD for skin tightening through RF microneedling in Houston, TX, you’ll experience noticeable results quickly. The benefits include:
- Collagen stimulation and remodeling
- Quick treatments for all size areas
- Availability for all skin types
- Customizable depth of treatment
- Reduced acnes scars
- Smoother skin with that “youthful glow”
- Surgical scar treatment
- Lessening of stretch marks
- Zero downtime
- Can be done anywhere, including the face
- Minimally invasive
Side benefit: treating hyperhidrosis
hypNot only can your skin experience rejuvenation, RF microneedling in Houston, TX, can help to permanently treat hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. The treatment can be customized to help reduce the number and/or size of sweat glands.
RF Microneedling aftercare
Because microneedling does require tiny puncture wounds in the treatment area, along with increased sensitivity to the sun from the RF and CO2 laser treatments, there are a few aftercare rules that should be followed.
- Apply ice packs as needed to reduce swelling and/or discomfort.
- Don’t apply makeup to the treated area for 12 hours after treatment.
- Avoid extended sun exposure (or the use of a tanning bed) for 14 days.
- Wear SPF for 2 to 3 weeks after your treatment to compensate for increased sensitivity
Complementary treatments
Several MedSpa at ChristiMD treatments complement and support SECRET™ RF Pro microneedling in Houston, TX.
Dermaplaning
Exfoliating deeply before a treatment helps serums penetrate more deeply. Dermaplaning removes the top layer of dead skin cells, immediately returning a “youthful” glow while preparing the skin for improved, deeper treatment.
PRP
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments are booming. Orthopedic doctors have used it for decades, helping to heal joints. Now it helps with bladder control, sexual dysfunciton—and skin rejuvenation!
IPL Photofacial
The Cutera limelight system at MedSpa at ChristiMD selectively targets sun-damaged pigments. This IPL Photofacial eliminates sun spots and hyperpigmentation without damaging normal skin.
DiamondGlow Facial
The professional DiamondGlow Facial exfoliation treatment has four different modes, so that you can choose how you want your skin to be refreshed and revived.
RF MicroneedlingIn Houston FAQs
What does it feel like to get SECRET™ RF Pro skin tightening?
Though the treatment involves needles, there is very little to no pain. You may feel some pressure in the treatment area from the applicator, along with slight heating from the RF.
Be sure to tell your ChristMD specialist about any sensitivities or concerns you may have.
Are there any side effects to RF Microneedling?
You may experience redness in the treatment area(s) for 1 to 2 days. Also, there might be minor swelling for a few days, and a possible patterning that goes away in a few days.
Any other side effects are rare and can be discussed with your ChristiMD specialist.
How long do treatments take?
SECRET™ RF Pro microneedling sessions last 45 minutes.
How many SECRET™ RF Pro treatments will I need?
Most patients have 3 to 4 RF microneedling sessions to achieve the best results.
How long does it take for the results to show up?
Several results of SECRET™ RF Pro microneedling treatments show up almost immediately, such as smoother skin and that youthful “glow.” However, the best results usually come within 3 months of the last treatment.
RF Microneedling in Houston, TX at ChristiMD
SECRET™ RF Pro is an easy, safe and effective procedure that requires only a few visits to achieve tighter skin. When you come to MedSpa at ChristiMD for treatment, your treatment starts with respect, understanding, and an open atmosphere.
You can talk about your concerns honestly, with a compassionate, caring medical team who truly believes that when we feel good, we can spread that joy to those around us.
Isn’t it time you approached life’s challenges in high spirits, being your best you? Contact us, or give our virtual consultation a try. It’s your time to shine. We would be honored to help you do that every day, at MedSpa at ChristiMD in Houston, TX.
