New skincare procedure offers people who are afraid to go under the knife a chance to look younger

PHOENIX - Have you ever wanted to turn back the clock a bit and look a few years younger, but are afraid to go under the knife? Well, there's good news.

As technology evolves, so do more non-invasive skincare treatments, and the newest one is now being offered at a local plastic surgeons office. 

"That whole notion of skin tightening has really been the last frontier for us, because we haven't been able to do it without actually pulling and tightening the skin, so that's what's so amazing about this," said Dr. Daniel Shapiro, as he talked about the InMode AccuTite. 

InMode AccuTite is the newest non-invasive treatment to hit the market, and it is now being offered in his office. It uses radiofrequency or heat generation to tighten the skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and produce collagen.

"What's nice about this is it doesn't break the surface of the skin like lasers do, so you don't get a lot of downtime so you don't get redness and peeling and that kind of stuff," said Dr. Shapiro. "You really don't know that we've done it."

Shapiro says this type of technology has been around for some time, and is typically used on larger areas of the body like the legs and stomach. He says what makes this tool so cutting-edge is it can be used on more targeted areas.

"I can do it beneath people's eyes, I can do it in the forehead to help tighten up the skin a little bit, if someone has some early jowls I can do it there," said Dr. Shapiro.

As for how it works, Dr. Shapiro uses a needle and makes a small entry point in the skin at the treatment site. He then places the small probe beneath the skin and starts the procedure.

"Directly below, anywhere between one to two to three millimeters below the skin, and it just goes back and forth using radiofrequency to both heat the tissues below the skin and on top of the skin," said Dr. Shapiro. "What it does is it dissolves a little bit of fat, and then it tightens the layers below the skin that tighten the whole outside like shrink wrap, and also tightens the surface of the skin."

Angie Anthony had the procedure done under her eyes two weeks ago.

"If you're worried about pain, there was no pain. Downtime, there was no downtime. A little bit of bruising, perhaps make-up could cover it up, but it was so easy and no pain," said Anthony. "I didn't feel anything hot, I didn't feel anything. I just felt pressure."   

Anthony is already seeing results, but to see the full benefit will take some time.

"You don't see the result right off. You see it within about three months, and then the final result takes about a year to happen. It's a gradual production of collagen both beneath the skin and at the skin's surface that tightens the area," said Dr. Shapiro.

This procedure is done in the office. There's no scarring, little to no downtime, and it's minimally invasive. If you have problem areas you're concerned with, AccuTite may be your answer to help make it right.

According to Dr. Shapiro, to see results, you typically need just one treatment. The cost of the treatment starts at $2,500.