Tighter Skin For Women Over 50 – Without Surgery?

Woo-Hoo! Surgery Free Skin Rejuvenation – Dr. Jon Turk M.D. Leads the Way!

Non-surgical cosmetic procedures for women 50 are becoming more and more popular. If you’re a woman in her 50’s who is not ready for a facelift, Exilis might just be your secret weapon for surgery free skin rejuvenation! Enter Dr. Jon Turk, a renowned facial and reconstructive surgeon who has been voted one of New York’s top surgeons for several years in a row. Dr. Turk has unique insight on a cutting-edge non-invasive aesthetic device for facial contouring. Does Exilis offer a new cosmetic solution for tighter skin without surgery for women over 50? Dr. Turk was kind enough to share with us his analysis of Exilis with FiftyIsTheNewForty.com This sounds pretty awesome, ladies…

SKIN TIGHT: Radio Frequency Energy Recontours Without a Scalpel

By Dr. Jon Turk

With the explosion in non-surgical cosmetic procedures, particularly the injection of wrinkle relaxers and skin plumpers, the focus on facial rejuvenation has, for many, shifted from the operating room to the office. While injectable treatments modify the muscles and deeper soft tissues of the face they have little to no effect on the skin’s surface. In addition, facelift surgery simply elevates older skin into a new position without actually rejuvenating the skin at the cellular level. Treatment of the outer covering has been left mainly to the cosmetics industry. But with a younger population now seeking cosmetic improvement and fewer of these patients being surgical candidates, office treatments must include both subsurface enhancements and surface rejuvenation.

Lasers have been in the limelight over the past several years for skin rejuvenation, but often certain factors limit their usage. These limitations apply to people with medium to darker skin, the downtime associated with treatment and the potential for complications such as scarring and hyper (too much) pigmentation or hypo (too little) pigmentation. A new generation of non-laser skin rejuvenating devices has recently been introduced to the aesthetic world. These devices work to stimulate collagen and improve skin tone and texture, at the same time avoiding all the drawbacks of laser treatments. Best used in conjunction with other non- or minimally invasive skin care modalities, these technological breakthroughs fit in well with the modern aesthetic practice. A logical approach includes a simple home treatment regimen of retinoids, skin lighteners and growth factors. This is coupled with office based Hydrafacials, an exfoliating, cleansing and skin stimulation system that removes dead skin and impurities and reduces pore size.

Hydrafacials also prepare the skin for a variety of superficial to medium depth skin peels. These peels and masks have become much more sophisticated in their ability to target specific skin problems such as excess pigmentation, acne and photoaging. Finally, a non-invasive, non-laser skin tightening device such as the Exilis treatment system offers skin tightening without the down time, cost or risk of many laser procedures. The important thing for good skin care is developing a regimen in conjunction with your plastic surgeon, dermatologist or aesthetician and sticking with it. People who do home and office based skin procedures on a regular basis achieve consistently impressive and noticeable results.

EXILIS FOR FACIAL CONTOURING TAKES CENTER STAGE

The Exilis is a non-invasive aesthetic device that is FDA approved for skin tightening and fat reduction in the face and body. Advanced radio frequency technology safely transfers heat to the undersurface of the skin (the dermal layer) initiating a process called collagen remodeling. Older, stretched out collagen strands are denatured by the radio frequency energy and during the body’s repair process these strands line up in a more youthful configuration. The result is tighter, more elastic and smoother skin in about 90 days. At deeper settings the radio frequency energy and heat can be transferred directly to smaller fatty deposits in the body with the effect of “melting” the fat, which is then excreted by the body’s own natural processes. The combination of deep fat melting and more superficial skin tightening results in effective facial and body contouring without surgery, liposuction or laser therapies.

Exilis is an ideal therapy for people, who are not yet ready to consider a surgical facelift and for people who had a lift and want to maintain their results. The treatments are comfortable, no anesthesia is required, and we have seen consistent, incremental, lasting and measurable results.

IT ALMOST SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Although it is very effective for the right candidates, it should be mentioned that Exilis is not right for everyone. The device works best for people in their 40s and early 50s who are not yet surgical candidates for face and neck lifting procedures. I also have developed a protocol to treat patients who have undergone face and neck lifting to maintain their surgical results and extend the longevity of their invasive procedures. For patients in their 50s and 60’s who have loose skin, fatty deposits under the chin or along the jawline or other structural changes in the face there is still no substitute for a well executed face and neck lift. Similarly, while patients with small unwanted fatty deposits in the body (such as in the under arm, inner thighs, flanks and lower abdomen) may be good candidates for Exilis body contouring, if there is a larger volume of fat to be reduced, liposuction should be considered the gold standard. Exilis skin tightening can be a good adjunct to liposuction anywhere in the body because skin that has lost its underlying fatty layer tends to become looser over time. Lastly, Exilis is a good option for patients who are simply not surgical candidates due to medical issues or who are just turned off by the thought of going under the knife. At least now there is a safe, reasonably priced alternative available.

WHAT TO EXPECT

“Sessions are scheduled every one to two weeks and each treatment takes about 30 to 40 minutes with no pain, no downtime, or limitations on activities afterwards. We get beautiful results, and our patients are really happy with how they look.” – Emelia Kozlowski Medical Aesthetician

The Exilis procedure is performed as a series of four to six treatments spaced one week apart. Each treatment session runs between 20 and 40 minutes depending upon the number of areas to be treated. The only pre-treatment preparation is that patients be properly hydrated. Patients who are pregnant or who have pacemakers are not candidates for Exilis. During the treatment session a smooth handpiece is moved in a circular fashion over the area to be tightened. The warmth of the energy transfer is noticeable, but unlike prior treatments, there is no pain associated with the procedure and the full therapeutic amount of energy can be safely transferred to the underlying dermis or fat. Immediately following the session there is temporary redness of the treated skin, but this dissipates in a matter of minutes. Patients may return to all normal activities immediately. Some skin tightening is noticeable almost immediately, but the full effect of the collagen remodeling takes about 90 days. The cost of the Exilis procedure is more reasonable than many more invasive treatments; fees range from $1700 to $3500 for a series of treatments. Results are also long lasting – three to five years in most people.

Exilis presents a safe, effective, affordable alternative to liposuction, body contouring, and tummy tucks for many people

FACE AND BODY SOLUTIONS

Fat cells are stored in the body in lobules that are clustered like a bunch of grapes. These clusters are wrapped in a fibrous tissue layer similar to a hairnet that holds them together. This fibrous tissue layer makes it difficult to reach the fatty clusters without a liposuction cannula instrument or surgery. The FDA cleared Exilis bi-polar radio frequency system is able to rattle the fat lobules out of their fibrous cage, while blasting them with heat to ramp up their metabolic activity and shrink the size of the fat cells for contouring of the face and neck. The heat also stimulates fibroblast activity to produce new collagen resulting in visible skin tightening for turkey necks and jowling.

Everyone has a stubborn fat deposit or trouble spot they’d like to get rid of. It used to be that liposuction and body contouring surgery was the only way to reduce unwanted fat on the body, but Exilis allows us to change your body’s shape without the pain and recovery associated with liposuction or other surgical procedures. After a treatment, patients can immediately return to their normal activities. It is the newest non-surgical method for body shaping and circumferential reduction of targeted fatty deposits and skin laxity on the body.

Jon B. Turk MD, FACS is a board certified facial plastic surgeon with offices in Long Island and New York City. 173 Froehlich Farm Boulevard, Woodbury, 516.921.8989, 800A Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 212.421.4845.

Emilia Kozlowski is a certified medical aesthetician who is an expert in Exilis face and body contouring. She was honored as one of the top 10 aestheticians in New York by Allure magazine.