Skin resurfacing treatments in NYC

Not all resurfacing treatments are equal in the results that can be achieved. Dr. Darren Smith has dedicated his professional career to staying abreast with the latest developments in aesthetics and offers advanced skin resurfacing treatments with the Morpheus8 system. This system achieves results with radiofrequency (RF) energy technology combined with microneedling, which heats the deep layers of the skin to stimulate natural regeneration and rejuvenation. Many of the changes associated with aging skin like laxity and a drooping appearance are caused by a loss of skin elasticity. Dr. Smith uses Morpheus8 to directly combat these changes by actually generating increased collagen formation (“collagen induction therapy”).

Why choose Dr. Darren Smith for skin tightening and resurfacing?

Dr. Darren Smith is widely regarded as a leader in the field of aesthetic enhancement. His level of education outstrips most other practicing plastic surgeons. His luxury Upper East Side Manhattan clinic was established for discerning patients who demand superior results. He performs skin tightening and resurfacing with the Morpheus8 system as it has proven to be one of the most effective anti-aging, skin restoring treatments available in the USA – and he feels his patients deserve the best.

What’s the best way to tighten skin using Morpheus8?

We’ve had great success with radiofrequency devices, especially those from Inmode, in achieving skin tightening and skin resurfacing. These devices really come in two flavors. The first is incision-free, and the second is minimally invasive (a series of 3mm or less entry ports). These devices work by creating a controlled injury that will evoke a tightening and shrinking response in the skin, which in turn leads to a more youthful, pleasing appearance.

Morpheus8 fits into the category of incision-free skin tightening treatments. Morpheus8 is fairly unique in that it uses radio frequency microneedling to create two different kinds of controlled injury. Specifically, the Morpheus8 device deploys a series of extremely small needles to a depth ranging from two to four millimeters in the skin, and these are creating a controlled physical injury in the form of microscopic holes. At the same time, the device is emitting radio frequency energy, which amps up the healing process. Together, these holes and the controlled thermal injury from the radio frequency energy triggers a robust healing response that over time results in skin shrinking and tightening.

For more aggressive skin tightening, we can go to a minimally invasive device using bipolar radiofrequency energy. Again, our favorites in this category are from InMode. The most widely used device in this category is called BodyTite, and this is a bipolar radio frequency device. These devices feature two “poles” or sites from which radio frequency is emitted. There is one pole that goes underneath the skin and one pole that stays on top of the skin, and radio frequency energy is essentially fired between the two poles to heat the skin. There is a heat sensing device both on the internal pole and on the external pole. The temperature is therefore very precisely regulated within a safe range, but we generate enough heat to reach the temperatures at which we know that skin contraction will be induced. Of the two probes used by BodyTite, one is internal and one is external. The internal probe is inserted through a port as small as 2mm in diameter. That internal probe is passed under the skin while the external probe follows on top of the skin.

We have also had a great deal of success in combining Morpheus8 external radio frequency energy with this BodyTite form of radio frequency energy to achieve a full, three dimensional treatment of both the skin and underlying tissues. This approach offers a cumulative synergistic effect to achieve very powerful skin tightening.

Bipolar radio frequency devices also take the form of FaceTite and AccuTite. These devices are essentially just smaller sizes of the original BodyTite handpiece. The FaceTite device is the intermediate member of the family, and it works well for the lower third of the face and the neck. The AccuTite handpiece is the smallest device in the lineup. We use AccuTite for areas as delicate and small as the upper and lower eyelids, the nasal labial folds, and the jowls. There is therefore a great deal of flexibility with these devices that allows us to achieve some really stunning results.

With Morpheus8 as well as the bipolar radiofrequency devices, it does take time to see the final results. This is due to the fact that we are relying on the healing of a controlled injury to produce skin tightening, and this is not an instant process. While you can see a small improvement fairly quickly, it really does take several months to see the final result from these procedures. The other nice thing about these procedures is that they can be performed on an outpatient basis, and they generally don't take more than an hour.

For context, while Morpheus8 is great for enhancing skin tone and addressing lighter laxity, and BodyTite, FaceTite and AccuTite are good options for moderate skin laxity, severe skin laxity is only effectively addressed with surgical skin removal. For the face or neck, the facelift and the neck lift serve this purpose. For the arms, an arm lift or brachioplasty is the way to go. For the thighs, a thigh lift is the procedure of choice for extreme skin laxity. Finally, the abdomen with severe skin laxity is best treated with an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).

These invasive procedures serve as a benchmark for the efficacy of minimally invasive skin tightening procedures. While the results with minimally invasive skin tightening procedures are variable, we find that these procedures can achieve approximately 30-40% of the results that can be realized with excisional skin surgery. So, for someone who wants to avoid traditional invasive surgery, either from a medical perspective, a downtime perspective, or a cost perspective, these minimally and noninvasive options can be a great fit.