Best For
Mild to moderate sagging of the cheeks, jawline and neck.
Home Facial Esthetics Skin Conditions Sagging Skin
Skin Condition
Sagging Skin & Skin Tightening
Expert, top-rated treatment for sagging skin: non-surgical skin tightening for jowls, sagging cheeks and a loose neck
Skin loosens slowly, and then one day the mirror shows it: softer cheeks, the start of jowls, a neck that is not as firm as it was. It happens because your skin makes less collagen and elastin every year. A facelift is not the only answer. At Deluxe Esthetics, sagging skin is treated with minimally invasive procedures that lift, tighten and rebuild collagen, and every treatment is performed by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI, an 8-Time Top Dentist and official Care Esthetics partner, at a practice with 800+ five-star reviews. Start with a $49 in-person consultation, applied to your treatment.
- Official Partner Care Esthetics
- $49 In-Person Consultation Applied to your treatment
- Performed by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI
What Is Sagging Skin?
Sagging skin, which doctors call skin laxity, is skin that has lost its firmness and no longer springs back. It is caused by the natural decline in collagen and elastin, the proteins that hold skin up and let it stretch, together with outside factors such as sun exposure and lifestyle.
On the face it follows a pattern. The cheeks flatten and drop, the folds from the nose to the mouth deepen, the jawline blurs into jowls, and the neck loosens.
Skin tightening is the name for the treatments that answer it. They share one aim: they stimulate collagen and tighten the skin naturally, and lifting threads add a lift the same day.
For an independent overview, read the American Academy of Dermatology’s guide to firming sagging skin.
Skin Tightening at a Glance
The short answers, before the details.
No Surgery
Minimally invasive treatments, done in the office.
A Lift the Same Day
Lifting PDO threads raise sagging cheeks, jowls and neck at the visit.
Collagen Over Months
Smooth threads, laser therapy and PRF tighten gradually as your skin rebuilds its own collagen.
How Long It Lasts
About one to two years for smooth threads, and one to three years overall for lifting threads, with maintenance.
Performed by the Doctor
Every treatment, by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI.
Jowls, Turkey Neck and Sagging Cheeks: Where Skin Sags First
Sagging has a different name in each part of the face, and a different treatment. These are the ones patients ask about.
Jowls
Skin and tissue that have slipped below the jawline. Lifting PDO threads raise the jowls the same day, and dermal fillers along the jaw soften early jowls.
Turkey Neck and Sagging Neck
Loose skin under the chin and down the neck. Lifting threads lift the neck, and smooth PDO threads tighten it and soften necklace lines.
Sagging Cheeks
Cheeks that have flattened and dropped. Lifting threads reposition them, and Bio-LIFT firms sagging cheeks with PRF from your own blood.
A Blurred Jawline
The clean line from chin to ear softens. Lifting threads and fillers, often together, bring back its definition.
Deeper Smile Lines
As the cheeks drop, the nasolabial folds and marionette lines deepen. Lifting threads, fillers and Bio-LIFT each address them. See fine lines and wrinkles.
Crepey Skin
Thin, finely wrinkled skin, first on the neck, under the chin and on the cheeks. Smooth PDO threads and microneedling with PRF rebuild the collagen it has lost.
What Causes Sagging Skin?
Time is the main cause. These add to it.
Sun Exposure
Years of sun wear down the skin’s support.
Weight Loss
Skin that was stretched does not always tighten again.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy stretches the skin in a short time.
Lifestyle
Habits such as smoking and unprotected time in the sun wear on the skin.
Medical Conditions
Some conditions, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, can also cause skin to sag.
How Is Sagging Skin Treated at Deluxe Esthetics?
With minimally invasive procedures, chosen by how much the skin has loosened and where. Dr. Godko often combines them, because lift, volume and skin quality are three different jobs.
Lifting PDO Threads
Dissolvable threads lift sagging cheeks, jowls, jawline and neck the same day, then stimulate collagen. About lifting PDO threads
Smooth PDO Threads
Fine threads with no barbs tighten the skin gradually by building collagen. About smooth PDO threads
Bio-LIFT
The Care Esthetics PRF treatment uses your body’s own growth factors to firm sagging cheeks and jowls. About Bio-LIFT
Laser Therapy
Laser skin tightening: laser light improves skin texture and tone while promoting collagen production. About laser therapy
Two more treatments often join the plan: microneedling with PRF for crepey, thinning skin, and dermal fillers to restore the volume that once held the skin up.
What Is the Most Effective Skin Tightening Treatment?
It depends on what your skin needs: a lift, new collagen, or both. This is how the main options compare.
Skin-Firming Creams
The American Academy of Dermatology says the results from a skin-firming cream are subtle at best. A cream cannot lift skin that has dropped.
Radiofrequency and Ultrasound
Devices such as Thermage and Ultherapy heat the deeper skin so that it builds collagen over the following months. We build collagen with laser, threads and PRF.
Laser Skin Tightening
Laser heat tightens the collagen you have and starts new collagen. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that laser resurfacing can tighten skin, usually better than any other skin-tightening procedure short of surgery. About laser therapy
PDO Threads
The one option here that lifts the same day. Lifting threads reposition the tissue, and both kinds of thread build collagen as they dissolve.
PRF and Fillers
These work on volume. Bio-LIFT uses PRF from your own blood, and fillers replace what has been lost under the skin.
Facelift or Neck Lift
Surgery gives the most dramatic change and is the answer for severe sagging. It is also the most invasive choice, with a surgical recovery.
How Long Does Skin Tightening Take to Work, and How Long Does It Last?
A lift shows at once. Collagen takes months. These are the figures for each treatment.
Lifting PDO Threads
The lift shows the same day and keeps improving for two to three months. The overall effect can last one to three years, with maintenance.
Smooth PDO Threads
One to three treatments, about four to six weeks apart. The skin firms over three to six months, and results last 12 to 24 months.
Laser Therapy
Typically 2 to 3 sessions, one month apart, to start collagen production, then a visit about once a year.
Bio-LIFT
Results build over multiple sessions, as the growth factors in PRF start new collagen. Dr. Godko sets the number in your plan.
Skin keeps aging, so every result needs maintenance. Daily sun protection is what makes it last.
Sagging Skin Before and After: What Results Can I Expect?
Firmer skin and a cleaner line. Drag the picture to compare.
Drag to compare
Can Sagging Skin Be Tightened Without Surgery?
Yes, when the sagging is mild to moderate. The American Academy of Dermatology puts it plainly: it is possible to tighten your skin without a facelift. Non-surgical skin tightening has less downtime and suits many people who are not ready for surgery.
It is honest to say where it stops. Non-surgical treatment does not match a facelift or a neck lift, and when the skin has dropped a long way, surgery is the better answer. Our treatments are for the face and neck. Dr. Godko tells you plainly at your consultation what non-surgical treatment can and cannot do for you.
What you do at home helps your skin stay firmer and helps your treatment last:
- Exercise regularly
- Wear sunscreen
- Stay hydrated
These habits keep skin fresher. They do not lift skin that has already dropped.
Which Sagging Skin Treatment Is Right for Me?
It depends on how far the skin has dropped. Earlier looseness and crepey texture often suit smooth threads or laser treatment. A significant amount of sagging usually calls for lifting threads, sometimes together with Bio-LIFT or fillers. Dr. Godko looks at your face and neck at your consultation, reviews your medical history and recommends the treatment, or the combination, that fits.
Skin tightening without surgery suits adults with mild to moderate sagging, skin that still has some spring, and realistic expectations.
- A plan based on how much your skin has loosened
- Minimally invasive: no surgery
- Treatments that rebuild your own collagen
- Performed by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI
Who performs your treatment
Who Performs Your Treatment? Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI
Every treatment at Deluxe Esthetics is performed by Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI, an 8-Time Top Dentist. Perfecting smiles has always been his passion, and he came to see that true beauty extends beyond a radiant smile.
His search for natural, holistic solutions led him to Care Esthetics. Today he offers botulinum toxin, dermal fillers and PDO threads alongside the Care Esthetics treatments, Bio-CARE® and Bio-LIFT®.
More About Dr. GodkoSagging Skin Questions and Answers
Many patients are concerned about sagging skin but unsure where to start. These are the questions they ask most.
What causes sagging skin?
Aging, sun exposure, weight loss, pregnancy and the loss of collagen and elastin can cause skin to sag. Some medical conditions, like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, can also cause it.
What is the most effective treatment for tightening skin?
It depends on how far the skin has dropped. A surgical facelift gives the most dramatic change. Without surgery, lifting PDO threads are the treatment that lifts the same day, while laser therapy, smooth PDO threads and PRF tighten gradually by rebuilding collagen. Dr. Godko recommends the one, or the combination, that fits at your consultation.
Is there a skin tightener that actually works?
Not in a jar. The American Academy of Dermatology says the results from a skin-firming cream are subtle at best, and that a cream cannot lift sagging skin. Treatments that reach below the surface do more: threads that lift the tissue, and laser and PRF treatments that make the skin build new collagen.
Can you really tighten saggy skin?
Yes, when the sagging is mild to moderate. Non-surgical skin tightening works by stimulating your skin’s own collagen, and lifting threads add a lift the same day. It does not match a surgical facelift, which is the answer for severe sagging.
How do you get rid of jowls?
Jowls form when the cheeks drop and the skin along the jaw loosens. Lifting PDO threads raise the jowls and sharpen the jawline the same day, dermal fillers along the jaw soften early jowls, and Bio-LIFT firms sagging cheeks and jowls with PRF from your own blood.
How do you tighten a turkey neck without surgery?
A turkey neck is loose skin under the chin and on the neck. Lifting PDO threads lift the neck, smooth PDO threads tighten the skin and soften necklace lines, and laser therapy builds collagen. A neck with a great deal of loose skin may need a surgical neck lift.
How long does skin tightening last?
It depends on the treatment. The overall effect of lifting PDO threads can last one to three years with maintenance, and smooth PDO threads last 12 to 24 months. Laser results are kept up with a visit about once a year. Skin keeps aging, so maintenance is part of every plan.
When should I be concerned about sagging skin?
See your doctor if sagging skin causes you emotional distress, if you notice a sudden or notable change in your skin, or if loose skin hangs down and causes chafing, irritation or pain.
How much does skin tightening usually cost?
The cost depends on the treatment and the areas treated. You receive a personalized quote at your $49 in-person consultation, and the $49 is applied to your treatment.
Where can I get sagging skin treated at Deluxe Esthetics?
We have offices in Lawrenceville, NJ and Skillman, NJ. Schedule online at www.deluxedentistry.com or call our Lawrenceville, NJ office at (609) 400-1393 or our Skillman, NJ office at (609) 303-2005.
Where to Go Next for Sagging Skin
Each treatment has its own page, with what it does, what a visit is like and how long it lasts.
See everything we offer: Skin Conditions, Skin Treatments, Facial Esthetics.
Ready for Firmer Skin Without Surgery?
Find out in one visit which treatment fits your skin. Your $49 in-person consultation with Dr. Maxim Godko, DDS, FICOI, is applied to your treatment.
Deluxe Dentistry & Esthetics, with offices located in Mercer County, NJ, in the town of Lawrenceville, NJ, proudly serving the towns of Hightstown, Pennington, West Windsor, Ewing, Hopewell Township, Robbinsville, Lawrence Township, Hopewell, Trenton, Hamilton, Princeton, East Windsor, NJ, as well as in Somerset County, NJ, located in Skillman, NJ, near Bernards Township, Hillsborough, South Bound Brook, Montgomery, Bound Brook, Far Hills, Bedminster, Raritan, Warren, Watchung, North Plainfield, Millstone, Bridgewater, Rocky Hill, Branchburg, Peapack-Gladstone, Somerville, Franklin Township, Manville, Bernardsville, Green Brook, NJ. Schedule online at www.deluxedentistry.com or call our Lawrenceville, NJ office at (609) 400-1393 or our Skillman, NJ office at (609) 303-2005.
Two Locations
Deluxe Dentistry & Esthetics
With offices in Lawrenceville, NJ and Skillman, NJ.
