Looking younger seems to be the holy grail of modern times. A 2019 American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) report indicates that Americans laid out more than $16.5 billion on cosmetic plastic surgery and minimally invasive procedures in 2018 to turn back the hands of time.
Here at Eterna Vein & Medical Aesthetics in Puyallup, Washington, our team of experts provides a wide array of aesthetic services to help you look and feel your best. One of our premier services is plasma resurfacing, a skin regeneration procedure that uses ionized nitrogen gas to remove fine lines and wrinkles, as well as tighten and smooth your skin — including your droopy eyelids. Here’s what you need to know.
The process of plasma resurfacing
Collagen and elastin are structural proteins that give skin its strength and resilience. However, production begins to decrease in our early 20s at the rate of about 1.5% per year. In addition, exposure to environmental factors like UV light and pollution degrades the proteins, leading to premature wrinkling.
Plasma resurfacing stimulates new collagen and elastin production. We use NeoGen PSRT™ (Nitrogen Plasma System) to deliver high performance results to our patients. NeoGen converts nitrogen gas into plasma energy, which emerges from the handpiece in controlled pulses that can be adjusted in intensity to meet your unique needs. The energy passes right through your outer skin layers (epidermis) and rapidly heats the deeper layers, triggering a healing response — building more collagen cells and restructuring your elastin.
Since the outer layers aren’t damaged (nonablative technology), they serve as a natural “dressing” for the wounds, providing protection for and speeding healing in the layers underneath. And because the system treats the entire skin structure, you don’t have any “islands” of untreated skin to contend with.
Treating droopy eyelids
Plasma resurfacing — and the NeoGen system — is ideal for treating both the upper and lower eyelids, as well as the wider periorbital region. Other technologies deliver inconsistent results at best and can’t be used in these areas.
The NeoGen skin regeneration procedure around the eyes takes only 10-15 minutes, and clinical tests show improvement in three primary areas: wrinkling, skin laxity, and skin texture. One study showed an average of 22% improvement in upper eyelid skin tightening and a 35% improvement in periorbital wrinkles as a result of the plasma resurfacing treatment. NeoGen also produces ongoing improvement — up to two years after the procedure.
In addition, recovery time with NeoGen is shorter than for other procedures, and post-treatment care is easier. Even with the most intense treatment, it takes just a little over a week for skin to fully restore. With less intense treatments, there’s no restoration time, and you can even apply makeup right away.
When will I see results?
Since the NeoGen system can be adjusted to provide either light or aggressive energy treatments, we recommend that you get either an initial series of three lighter treatments or one aggressive treatment.
In both cases, you’ll see some immediate results. After about 5-10 days, you’ll notice that the upper skin layers of the treated area will come away with normal washing, leaving your face bright and fresh.
Collagen and elastin reproduction take time to build up, so it will be about three months until you can see a difference in your skin lifting and tightening.
Fibroblasts, which produce the extracellular matrix and the structural framework for tissues, and which play a critical role in wound healing, remain active for a long time, so you can see improvement for 1-2 years following the treatment.
If you choose a light (low energy) treatment, you can repeat it monthly, though we recommend getting three treatments a month apart to start. If you choose an aggressive treatment, you shouldn’t have to repeat it for a couple of years, though you can repeat it yearly if you desire.
Are your droopy eyelids getting you down? Tighten them up and give your whole face a boost with a plasma resurfacing treatment. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at 253-268-3400 today.