How Effective Are Face-Lifts, and How Can We Measure Skin Tightening?

One of the main problems with novel skin-tightening devices (e.g., infrared light, radiofrequency, and ultrasound devices) has been convincing the FDA that they work. Most of these devices are approved for brow lifting, not for skin tightening or laxity reduction, which are difficult to define precisely. As noninvasive skin tightening has proliferated, it has become more important to accurately compare results with these devices with results of traditional face- or neck-lifts. These authors are plastic surgeons who previously developed a questionnaire measure to assess patient satisfaction after face-lifts. In this smaller study, they publish photographs of early and long-term results in six patients, so that readers may correlate patient s…