Sagging Skin

Treating Sagging Skin Without Surgery

Skin sags when it loses the collagen and elastin that keep it firm and springy. Production of both falls with age, and sun, smoking, pregnancy, weight going up and down and plain genetics speed it along, which is why loose skin shows up on the face and neck first and then on the tummy, upper arms, thighs and knees. Rapid weight loss, including weight loss injections, is the other big cause we see, because the skin is left behind when the fat underneath goes.

Mild to moderate laxity responds well to non-surgical treatment. Every treatment below works the same way at heart: controlled heat or energy in the deeper layers of the skin makes the existing collagen contract and prompts the skin to build new collagen over the following weeks, so the area firms and lifts gradually and the result looks natural. At RT Aesthetics in Whickham, Newcastle, the plan is built at a free consultation around where the skin has loosened and why.

Sagging skin on the face and neck

HIFU (ULTRAcel Q+)

HIFU is the strongest non-surgical lift we offer. Focused ultrasound reaches the SMAS layer that a surgeon tightens in a facelift, so it suits jowls, a softening jawline, a loose neck and a heavy brow. Usually one session: full face £1,095, face and neck £1,295, neck £995, eyes and brow £895. See HIFU Newcastle.

Exilis Ultra Face

For finer, crepey laxity and for areas where HIFU is less comfortable, Exilis Ultra Face combines radiofrequency and ultrasound to heat and firm the skin evenly. It is a course of four or six sessions that feels like a hot stone massage: face from £1,075 for four, face and neck from £1,275, neck from £975. If the neck is the main worry, our non-surgical neck lift page compares the two for that area.

Polynucleotides

When the skin is thin and crepey rather than loose, tightening alone leaves it looking crumpled. Polynucleotides at £250 a session rebuild the skin’s own quality, and they are the treatment for crepey under-eyes and necks.

Sagging skin on the body

Exilis Ultra Body

Exilis Ultra Body uses the same radiofrequency and ultrasound on the tummy, upper arms, inner thighs and knees, tightening loose skin and reducing a little of the fat beneath it. A course of four sessions is £785 for one area, £1,285 for two and £1,785 for three.

HIFU for the body

HIFU body treatment lifts and tightens loose skin on the stomach, arms and thighs in one or two sessions, and suits skin that has been left behind after pregnancy or weight loss.

EMSculpt Neo

Loose skin on the stomach often sits over muscle that has stretched or separated, particularly after pregnancy, and no amount of tightening fixes that on its own. EMSculpt Neo builds the muscle underneath and reduces fat at the same time, so the skin has something firm to sit on. A course of four sessions is £2,000 for one area.

Sagging skin after weight loss

Losing a lot of weight, whether through diet, surgery or weight loss injections, leaves skin that no longer fits. On the face that shows as a drawn, older look with hollow cheeks and loose jowls; on the body as a loose tummy, arms and thighs. The answer is usually a combination: HIFU or Exilis to tighten, polynucleotides or a little filler to rebuild what the face has lost, and EMSculpt Neo where muscle has gone with the fat. Our guide to skin and muscle after weight loss injections goes through it in detail.

What non-surgical tightening can and cannot do

Non-surgical treatments firm and lift mild to moderate laxity and they do it without cuts or recovery time. They do not remove skin. Heavy, advanced laxity, the kind that folds over, is a surgical problem, and if that is what we see at your consultation we will tell you so rather than sell you a course that will not get you there.

What to expect

Your consultation is free and there is no obligation. Your practitioner assesses how loose the skin is and how thick it is, and sets out a plan with the number of sessions and the full price before anything is booked. HIFU takes one to two hours and feels like heat and prickling under the skin; Exilis sessions take 30 to 90 minutes and feel like a warm massage. Expect mild redness for a few hours and nothing that stops you working or driving.

Results and how long they last

Some tightening is visible straight away, the real change builds over 8 to 12 weeks as the new collagen forms, and it keeps improving for months after a course finishes. Results from HIFU typically last 12 to 18 months depending on age, skin and lifestyle; Exilis results are usually maintained with a top-up session or two a year. Many people also notice an all-round improvement in skin texture alongside the tightening.

Safety

HIFU, Exilis and EMSculpt Neo are non-invasive, CE-marked treatments with no needles and nothing injected. The main risks are temporary: redness, mild swelling, tenderness and occasionally a small bruise or numb patch that settles over days to weeks. RT Aesthetics is a medically led clinic, so every plan follows our clinical protocols with a clinic medic and a qualified nurse practitioner on the team for any medical questions.

Book your consultation

If loose skin is bothering you, book a free consultation at our Newcastle clinic. You will get an honest opinion on what will and will not work for your skin, and a plan with the full price before anything is booked. For the full breakdown of the machines we use and every area we treat, see our skin tightening Newcastle page.

Read more

• Skin tightening in Newcastle
• Non-surgical facelift in Newcastle
• Jowls treatment
• Mummy tummy treatment
• Bingo wings treatment
• Non-surgical neck lift: turkey neck and loose neck treatment
• Non-surgical neck lift