Nonablative Skin Tightening: A Review of the Literature

Rhytides, wrinkles and other signs of photoaging are gaining in prevalence due to increased sun exposure, phototoxic drugs and demographic changes. Cosmeceutical products, lasers, and surgery have all been used to reverse the signs of aging. However, these treatment modalities have suffered from either limited efficacy or a high incidence of side effects and prolonged downtime. In order to overcome these limitations, physicians have turned their attention to nonablative modalities, in hopes of achieving a balance between efficacy and safety. Recent advances suggest that nonablative lasers may be effective treatment options for wrinkles by inducing skin tightening. The goal of this review is to shed light on the technical aspects and clinical outcomes of the most promising nonablative lasers currently being used to achieve skin tightening.