The gold standard for reducing wrinkling, especially of the lower face and neck,  has been Thermage (Thermacool TC), a radiofrequency procedure that heats collagen deep in the skin and causes it to both contract and form new collagen in response to treatment.  It has been associated with pain, loss of fat from heating too deeply, causing loss of important face and neck volume and expense.  ND:YAG laser technology is an alternative that works as well for most patients with much less pain, discomfort or expense and because it does not penetrate into the fat layer as deeply as Thermage treatments, there is no loss of fat or volume.  The ND:YAG laser similarly heats collagen in the lower layer of the skin, causing collagen to contract and tighten and at the same time stimulating the lower layer skin fibroblasts to make more collagen.  A series of 2-6 treatments is usually required to see optimal results. Treatment is usually carried out with a scanner and simultaneous chilling to minimize discomfort.  Post-treatment there may be a little redness or very temporary swelling, which responds well to aloe gel applications.  There is virtually no downtime after the procedure.

Below is a copy of Dr. Taylor’s abstract of his split-face study comparing Thermage and ND:YAG laser treatments:

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