Stimulative vs destructive treatments for skin tightening: safety and effectiveness
LipoTherapeia® Plus: Check our advanced skin tightening and cellulite treatments in London, based on the strongest SAFE technologies in the world (deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation followed by high-power LED phototherapy) and on more than two decades of experience and more than 20,000 cellulite treatments provided.
Keeping skin firm with exercise and healthy nutrition is great, but sometimes it is not enough
Skin tightening surgery: only for extremely loose skin
Non-surgical skin tightening treatments: ideal for most cases of skin looseness
Which skin tightening treatment?
Destructive skin tightening treatments: promises of instant miracles, delivery of adverse reactions instead
With a numbing cream/injection you never know if treatment is too strong and thereby unsafe - or too light and thereby ineffective
Stimulative skin tightening treatments
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency: how to tighten skin on thighs, butt, tummy and entire body naturally
Nothing else compares: the second-best treatments
What about cellulite reduction?
In summary
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the cellulite experts
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Keeping skin firm with exercise and healthy nutrition is great, but usually it is not enough
As repeatedly mentioned on this website, exercise and everyday physical activity are essential for skin firmness, together with a healthy nutrition, rich in protein and polyphenols.
Exercise and physical activity offers skin fibroblasts (collagen- and elastin-producing cells) the necessary mechanical stimulation they need to keep producing collagen and elastin. Collagen provides skin firmness, while elastin provides elasticity. Together they lead to firm, elastic, healthy, good looking skin.
On the other hand, protein from food is used for the synthesis of collagen and elastin, which themselves are also proteins. Polyphenols and nutrients such as vitamin C favour the synthesis of collagen and elastin and protect against their breakdown.
So indeed exercise and general movement do lead to firmer skin and, as mentioned above, they are absolutely essential to maintain skin tightness and elasticity.
However, exercise and healthy nutrition act very slowly in reversing skin laxity and can only go so far in tightening skin in specific areas or throughout the body. So, indeed you can firm up your skin with exercise and nutrition but usually not enough - and definitely not fast enough.
Hence the need for a good, strong skin tightening treatment, for faster, more pronounced results than from just exercise and healthy eating.
Skin tightening surgery: only for extremely loose skin
Even the best non-surgical skin tightening treatment in the world is not a miracle and cannot completely reverse the more serious cases of skin looseness (don’t believe those smooth operators on instagram and tiktok who promise miracles with fake ‘before and after’ pictures).
For those extreme skin laxity cases, a surgical thigh lift, breast lift, butt lift, “tummy tuck” etc is the only option, despite their potential adverse reactions and limitations.
Non-surgical skin tightening treatments: ideal for most cases of skin looseness
However, for the vast majority of skin looseness cases, a good non-surgical skin tightening treatment is the most effective, natural and safe option.
A good skin tightening treatment can act several times faster and much more effectively than exercise and definitely within weeks/months, rather the months/years needed with exercise/nutrition.
Again, collagen and elastin are not built within minutes, hours or days. So if someone promises instant skin collagen production, they are simply lying - so beware.
Which skin tightening treatment?
There are plenty of skin tightening treatments but they can be divided in two categories: the ‘stimulative’ and the ‘destructive’ ones.
Destructive skin tightening treatments: promises of instant miracles, delivery of adverse reactions
Destructive treatments aim to literally BURN the deeper layers of the skin with the HOPE that the body will repair the damage and build new collagen-rich SCAR TISSUE.
If the intensity used is “just right” for the individual client, we have some new scar tissue collagen synthesis in the area, in typically 3-6 months. This result is then baptised as ‘SKIN TIGHTENING’, while in effect it is ‘SCAR TISSUE-ING’:
The skin burning that occurs is euphemistically called ‘coagulation’ (well, it is actually burning)
The scar tissue synthesis that occurs is euphemistically called ‘neocollagenesis’, i.e. new collagen fibre growth. However, arrangement of these new collagen fibres is that of scar tissue, not of healthy, functional collagen tissue.
There is no ‘neoelastogenesis’, i.e. new elastin fibre growth, anywhere in the area, because scar tissue is poor in elastin. Therefore such treatments lead to a collagen-rich, elastin-poor, and thereby hard-to-the-touch skin.
Within about a year the body gradually gets rid of the scar tissue and people are left with more or less loose skin again
When the intensity used is too high for the individual client, quite often these treatments lead to excessive scar tissue growth (hard bumps, which do not go away for years) and/or inflammation / hyperpigmentation (which take a lot of time, creams and laser treatments to go away)
Sometimes the body does not respond to the damage with the synthesis of new collagen (remember the “HOPE” word, above), leading to even looser than before, paper-thin skin
When intensity used is too low for the individual client, nothing happens and the whole treatment is a waste of time
With a numbing cream/injection you never know if treatment is too strong and thereby unsafe - or too light and thereby ineffective
The problem with destructive treatments is that that they require the use of anaesthetic cream or injections, to mask the extreme pain.
However, by losing the skin sensation and the sense of burn/pain, we lose all feedback as to whether treatment is too strong, too light or just right.
It’s just a shot in the dark, based on the mythical “average”. But no single person is an average of 1000 people. Hence all the complications (when intensity is too high) or no results (when intensity is too low).
The most popular examples of destructive skin tightening treatments are:
HIFU / high intensity focused ultrasound, when used at high intensity (at low and medium intensities nothing much happens)
RF microneedling (due to the needling adverse reaction can occur at any intensity, but especially so at high intensities)
With these treatments you literally play with fire and they are totally unnatural.
Furthermore, with all the above treatments, results are hit and miss, despite all the pain and adverse reactions.
You can easily recognise destructive treatments, as:
They always require the use of anaesthetic cream
They require downtime
They are provided in a static, stamp-like manner (as opposed to continuous applicator movement)
They promise results in one or two miraculous sessions, with results promised to appear in 3-6 months after each session - if they ever appear
They are reassuringly exorbitantly priced - up to rip-off level - so people think that “if it hurts and it’s very expensive it must work, right”? Well, wrong…
Stimulative skin tightening treatments
Stimulative skin tightening treatments are the natural option, as they are not based on burning the skin with the hope that the body will then rebuild the damage.
Stimulative treatments are based on STIMULATION - not the damage - of the skin’s natural collagen and elastin synthesis processes.
When applied by a well-trained practitioner, stimulative treatments are extremely safe. At our clinic we have better than 99.5% safety record, with the remaining 0.5% (or less) of the cases being mild, very temporary irritation - no comparison to the disaster stories from destructive treatments.
Just like resistance exercise, which needs repeated sessions to stimulate muscle building, such treatments need repeated sessions too (typically 6-12 sessions). But as with exercise, results are natural, organic, functional and long-lasting.
You could say that stimulative skin tightening treatments are exercise for your skin:
With resistance exercise you tighten/lift the muscles, from the inside
With stimulative skin tightening treatments you tighten/lift the skin, from the outside
The combination creates a nice toned body.
With a good stimulative skin tightening treatment, 80-90% of the results should be seen in about a month after the last session (remember, collagen/elastin synthesis takes weeks, not days to occur). And some 10-20% of the results keep occurring for up to 6 months after the last session.
In most cases anything between 6-12 sessions are needed, with up to 24 sessions for the more severe cases (if a case is so severe that needs more than 24 sessions, surgery is a better option).
The problem with stimulative skin tightening treatments is that most of such treatments on the market are not strong enough (too low power) or deep enough (too superficial).
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency: how to tighten skin on thighs, butt, tummy and entire body naturally
According to more than two decades of professional experience and constant research in this field, the most effective stimulative skin tightening treatment is continuous-movement, deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, ideally combined with high-power LED red/infrared light therapy.
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, combined with high-power LED red/infrared light therapy, stimulates:
Collagen contraction, which materialises within a few minutes to a few days - younger people have a faster response (ideal for cellulite reduction too)
Collagen and elastin synthesis, which occurs within a few days to a few weeks (ideal for cellulite reduction too)
Microcirculation (ideal for cellulite reduction too)
Fat release from fat cells, which occurs within a few minutes to a few days (ideal for cellulite reduction too)
When applied with high-end equipment and by a well-trained practitioner there is nothing more effective or safer.
How about ultrasound cavitation?
Done the right way on the right type of skin, high-power ultrasound cavitation can be almost as effective as deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency for skin tightening. But that requires skill, knowledge and, of course, very good equipment.
So, for simplicity, deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency is preferred in most cases.
Nothing else compares: the second-best treatments
During the last 20+ years we have tried, examined and/or assessed all skin tightening technologies and at the moment of updating this article (March 2025) everything else is just not that effective or safe:
Infrared LED light therapy on its own is too too weak and not deep enough for body and face skin tightening. It is perhaps OK for the face with the right equipment and protocol, but still not as good as deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency, combined or not with infrared LED light therapy (red light therapy is definitely too superficial).
Superficial radiofrequency (such as bipolar RF, tripolar RF etc) is too superficial to reach the dermis and hypodermis, where fibroblasts are located
Microneedling is just too superficial
Static, extreme intensity RF is just too painful and too dangerous, as mentioned above
Low intensity RF is just pointless - nothing happens
High-power HIFU is also too painful and too dangerous, as mentioned above
Low-power HIFU is just pointless - nothing happens
RF microneedling, is even more painful and dangerous, as mentioned above, yet no more effective
Low power ultrasound cavitation is a waste of time and money
Strong cellulite-specific massage helps a bit with skin firming, but not enough and not fast enough
Microwave radiofrequency is just too weak, unless applied on small areas
Electromagnetic muscle stimulation (HIFEM) is not nearly as effective as strong, deep tissue RF for skin tightening. No comparison, regardless of what the marketing blurb says.
Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) does not do anything for skin. Nothing.
Microcurrents are not nearly as effective as deep tissue RF
Vibration massage does stimulate collagen but also causes spider veins - there is no point damaging one thing to fix another
What about cellulite reduction?
Everything we presented above for stimulative and destructive skin tightening treatments applies to cellulite treatments.
The same technologies used for body skin tightening are quite often used for cellulite removal, both the destructive and the stimulative ones. Absolutely nothing changes:
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency is also the best technology for cellulite reduction, as it acts on all major aspects of cellulite
High-power ultrasound cavitation is a close second for cellulite reduction and, as mentioned above, not so important for skin tightening
High-power LED red/infrared light therapy helps maximise the above two technologies, when provided right after them, but it is not helpful on its own
In summary
So our best suggestions for SAFE and effective fast skin tightening in a few weeks (NOT hours and days) are:
Exercise a lot
Have enough protein and polyphenols (think herbs, veg, berry fruits, citrus fruits, spices, herbal teas, green tea, decaf coffee, cocoa etc) in your diet
Have 6-12 collagen- and elastin-stimulating sessions of deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency for skin tightening, combined ideally with high-power LED red/infrared light therapy (with deep acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation added to the mix in certain cases or for extra help with cellulite reduction)
And our best suggestion to waste time and money or to have a disaster treatment is:
Believe in super-expensive, one-session, destructive, lunchtime miracle “procedures”, based on tabloid hype, exaggerated claims and fake Instagram “before and after” photos. We can’t say it more clearly and more honestly than that.
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts
At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.
This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.
As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.
Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.
And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.
Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.
And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.
We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 200mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.
We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.
Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.
On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.
Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic.
The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, LED phototherapy, cellulite and skin tightening?
Attend a half-day, 1-day, 2-day or 3-day one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.
Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.
Learn more or check prices and book training at our London clinic or via Zoom.
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