Skin firming with Titan laser treatment

Firming and rejuvenation of the skin using the Titan laser

Titan treatment for sagging skin is a safe, non-surgical technique in which your dermatologist uses an infrared light source to make your skin firmer and reduce the signs of aging skin.

The infrared light energy heats up the deeper layers of the dermis in an efficient way. Infrared light provides an extremely uniform energy distribution. Due to the absorbed heat, the collagen fibres contract. Collagen is the main proteinaceous component of the connective tissue that gives the skin its firmness. With the contraction of the collagen fibres, a natural recovery process is put into motion through which new collagen is created (collagen neogenesis). As a result, wrinkles and fine lines are less visible and the skin looks firmer and younger.

During the Titan treatment, you will feel the heat of the infrared light, immediately followed by a brief tingling. Meanwhile, your skin is continuously cooled so that the treatment remains comfortable and the epidermis undamaged.

At the Cutaneous Laser Centre, we use the Titan device to strengthen and lift the skin of the face and neck. We also treat sagging skin and excess skin in other areas of the body, including the décolleté, arms, stomach, thighs, etc.

Is the Titan skin firming treatment painful?

• The Titan skin firming treatment is well tolerated by most people.
• Each pulse lasts about eight seconds. Usually, towards the end of the warm-up phase, a quick burning pain occurs which disappears immediately afterwards during the cooling-down phase.
• Certain areas of the skin are more sensitive than others.
• In patients with a lower pain threshold, we will consider treatment with a lower energy setting and more frequent pulses. 

What to expect after the Titan treatment?

• Normally, aftercare following the Titan treatment is not necessary.
• After the Titan treatment for skin tightening, a very moderate redness (erythema) and possibly a slight burning feeling occurs which can last up to an hour. 
• In places where the treated area was insufficiently cooled (for example, because the patient has moved during a pulse, or around pronounced folds or skin strands …) a small accidental blister reaction may occur which will dry within a week. This reaction is rare, but if you do suffer from it, the blisters can be pierced with a disinfected needle. In the case of an accidental detachment of the blister head, you can apply Flamigel 2x a day on the blisters. Usually, this heals without any sequelae.
• The risk of scarring is negligible.
• Treatment for skin firming with the Titan laser can be performed for all skin types, including black or tanned skin, and during all seasons.
• Preliminary or future sun exposure does not present any risk or affect. 
• Associated skin problems including brown spots, couperose, etc. do not affect the result of a skin firming treatment with the Titan laser and these conditions are also not affected by the treatment. 

The expected results and frequency of the Titan treatment

• The optimal result of a Titan treatment can be expected after about two months. After which, the next session can be performed.
• The first Titan treatment seldom gives any visible improvement. The signs of improvement only become visible after a second treatment. For example, you will see less deep folds between the nostrils and corners of the mouth (nasolabial folds) and a firmer line to the jaw in case of a facial treatment, a tightening of the neck skin with less obvious neck folds, etc.
• A standard treatment consists of three sessions every 2 months. If necessary, additional sessions can be scheduled.
• The number of skin firming treatments with the Titan device is unlimited. Some patients choose for an annual maintenance treatment to retain the satisfactory results.
• The operating principle of the Titan device, the results presented at conferences and our own experiences show that you can expect good results in the case of the correct assessment.
• The Titan treatment with infrared light can only strengthen sagging skin and will not be able to address other problems. If for example, fatty tissue plays a role in the problem, such as in the neck or in the case of cellulite, we can consider treating this in advance.
• Prior to the skin firming treatment with the Titan device, we always take photographs in order to better assess the results and evolution. However, photos sometimes give a distorted image. If the patient's posture, the lighting and / or shot position before and after are not completely identical, it is sometimes difficult for us to sufficiently and clearly see the obtained results through the pictures. Typically, the patients themselves experience the improvement in skin tension, the fading of folds and tightening of skin structure.
• Although with the correct assessment, an improvement is almost always achieved, this cannot be guaranteed for each patient. In addition, it is also difficult to estimate the degree of improvement. If a patient after two Titan treatments is not convinced of any improvements, it makes little sense to continue the treatment. In that case, it is useful to ask ourselves if the correct assessment was made, and also whether the patient had unrealistic expectations.
• The Titan treatment provides a natural tightening of the collagen fibres and is significantly slower than a treatment using the UltraPulse CO2 laser. After 2 treatments (thus, after 4 months), there will be a clear improvement in comparison to the original photos, but the result will be less spectacular than with the UltraPulse CO2 laser fractioned resurfacing treatment, which is a laser treatment for the face with a healing phase of 7 days.
  To give you an example of the possible outcome, an appreciation of 8/10 for an UltraPulse CO2 laser resurfacing of the face and of 5/10 for a Titan treatment is a realistic comparison. 

What you also need to know

• None of the existing techniques can improve the skin elasticity. This means that, with skin firming obtained through the shrinking effect of the collagen, the quality of the skin will never equal that of a youthful skin.
• Long-term adverse effects are not expected by repeated use of the Titan device on the skin.
• During a preliminary consultation, the alternatives for a Titan treatment can be discussed, including acceptance of the current situation, the use of cosmetics, an UltraPulse CO2 laser fractioned resurfacing or surgical treatment.
• During treatment, the patient, the physician(s), staff and any attending family have to wear special glasses to protect their eyes from the laser light.

If you have any question about skin firming by means of the Titan treatment, do not hesitate to contact us.