Do you want to retain your youthful looks as long as you possibly can, just like loads of celebrities do? Then, a new option available in dermatologist offices can help prevent cheek jowls and sagging skin under your chin and on your neck. The new procedure is called microneedling and it involves puncturing your skin with tiny needles that use a radio frequency to inject an electric current into the skin. The combo is a “double whammy,” enthuses Dr. Bruce Katz, an NYC dermatologist and Medical Director of Manhattan’s JUVA Skin and Laser Center.
“The needles create tiny holes in the skin, which stimulate collagen production and tighten the skin. Then the electric current entering the skin also stimulates the creation of more collagen. It’s microneedling on steroids,” says Dr. Katz. “The reason that you start to get jowls and sagging skin under the chin and on the neck as you age, is because collagen in your face deteriorates, as you grow older,” he adds. Stimulating the creation of new and more collagen tightens the skin again and also fills in fine lines and acne scars.
Also, he points out that exposure to the sun causes collagen to deteriorate, so too much time sun bathing can also cause your cheeks and neck to sag prematurely. To fight back against this with microneedling, patients are first treated with numbing cream to take the edge off the intensity of the treatment, which takes about 25 minutes. The technician will microneedle all across your cheeks, upper lip, jawline and under your chin and down your neck. Some patients also have their décolletage and between their breasts treated to get rid of lines caused by sun exposure.
I tried the treatment and it’s a little uncomfortable. I recommend taking two tylenols beforehand to take the edge off the sensation. Four to five treatments at a cost of about $675 for the face or $975 for the face and neck, every two weeks, should get you highly noticeable results, says Dr. Katz. However, you probably won’t see the full results for six months, since it takes that long for all the new stimulated collagen to fill in and tighten the loose skin.
I have seen a definite improvement in my own face and neck. Now, yes, microneedling is not cheap, but it’s far less than a facelift at $25 to $30,000 plus at least two weeks of downtime after surgery. Microneedling takes less than one hour between numbing and needling and the redness following treatment can easily be covered afterwards and the next day, with makeup. Take a look at the embedded before and after photos and you can see the great results — it’s like a non-surgical facelift.
It’s easy to see how celebrities with these treatments plus a little Botox and line and crease filters can maintain looking forever ageless. Now, you can too.