Non Surgical Skin Tightening & Lifting

Quick facts

  • Skin tightening or lifting has traditionally required surgery, however,  there are now non-surgical methods available
  • Anti-wrinkle injections can help to reduce the action of downward pulling muscles in the face resulting in an upwards lift of the skin
  • Dermal fillers can replace lost volume in the face and this can help to re-expand and tighten skin
  • Lasers such as the carbon dioxide laser can resurface as well as tighten skin on the face
  • A thread lift can be used to lift the skin on the face without surgery
  • The Pelleve uses radiofrequency to gently heat the skin and tighten it without any pain or recovery period

How can I lift and tighten my face non-surgically?

Lifting or tightening the skin on the face has traditionally required surgery. Surgical procedures such as face lifts, eyelid skin reduction (blepharoplasty) and brow lifts have been performed to elevate and tighten facial skin. However, surgery is not for everyone. There are various sub-groups of people where surgery is not required. These groups may include;

  • Those where surgery is not warranted as they are too young or have too little skin laxity to justify a surgical procedure. These people generally want to tighten the skin or lift the skin as a preventative measure
  • Those who are unfit for surgery
  • Those who just prefer not to have surgery if possible
  • Those who would like to delay surgery as much as possible, and in the meantime try to achieve some skin tightening/lifting with less invasive non-surgical procedures.
With new technology and techniques, it is now possible to lift and tighten the face without surgery. These techniques are minimally invasive, and require no significant recovery period in most cases.

Anti-wrinkle injections - The muscles of the face generally work in pairs, and usually there is a downward pulling muscle which is opposed by an upward pulling muscle. For example, there is a muscle that pulls the corners of the mouth upwards and backwards when you smile, and opposing muscles that pull the corners of the mouth downwards.

Anti-wrinkle injections can be used to selectively relax various muscles of the face. By relaxing the downward pulling muscles of the face, it is possible to allow the upward pulling muscles to be relatively stronger, and therefore cause an upward lift in the face. Examples of this include;

  • relaxing the muscle underneath the brows to create an eyebrow lift
  • relaxing the muscle that pulls down the corner of the mouth to help lift the corners of the mouth
  • relaxing the muscles in the neck that pull the jawline/jowls/cheeks down it is possible to lift the jowls and improve the jawline. Often this technique is called a Nerfertiti lift, named after the Egyptian Queen, who was known for her defined jawline. 
Dermal fillers - One of the key causes of facial ageing is volume loss. Volume loss can lead to skin laxity, in a similar way that a beach ball would if it lost some air.  Replacement of lost volume can therefore 're-inflate' the face, tighten and lift skin. Dermal fillers are the most common way of replacing lost volume in the face. They can be used in areas such as the cheeks, brow, jawline, and chin to help to lift skin and to improve skin firmness.

Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing -  This laser is used to resurface skin for the reduction of wrinkles, sun damage, pigmentation problems, and also to tighten skin. It actually removes a layer of skin as well as heating the skin to tighten it. It is particularly effective around the eyes for skin tightening. It can be performed in fractional mode (small columns of laser energy are fired into the skin, leaving some untreated skin) which reduces healing times, or in non-fractional mode, which has greater downtime.

Thread lifts - Thread lifts are a non-surgical method of lifting the tissues of the face by using specialised suture material. These specialised sutures are inserted into the skin without cutting the skin. Because they have small barbs on them, they are able to grab on to the skin and hold it in a higher position.

Pelleve skin tightening - This is a no downtime treatment that involves heating of the skin with a radiofrequency device. It is actually a relaxing and pleasurable treatment that gently heats the skin to about 41 degrees celsius. At this temperature, the collagen fibres in the skin shrink and therefore the skin tightens.

Why should I choose The Victorian Cosmetic Institute as my provider of non-surgical skin tightening and lifting?

At The Victorian Cosmetic Institute, our doctors have a large range of dermal fillers for you to choose from to suit your needs and goals. We specialise in anti-wrinkle injections for facial lifting. Also, we have the latest technologies available so that you can have the best treatment possible.

Making that first phone call can be a confronting task - many of our patients have preferred filling out our online enquiry form. We can then contact you with an understanding of the results you are hopeful of achieving and ensure the treatment is appropriate.

It's as easy as clicking either of the buttons below and completing the provided form.

Otherwise, you can phone us directly on (03) 8850 0655 (Templestowe) or (03) 9707 0888 (Berwick).