Skin Tightening (Thermage, Ultherapy, Sofwave, Ellacor, EmFace)

Non-surgical skin tightening at UnionDerm using five distinct device platforms: Thermage (monopolar RF for deep dermal heating), Ultherapy (focused ultrasound for SMAS-level tightening), Sofwave (parallel-beam ultrasound), Ellacor (micro-coring), and EmFace (synchronized RF and HIFES for facial muscle and skin). All administered by board-certified dermatologists at 19 Union Square West. Treatment plans customized by concern — laxity, sagging, jowls, neck, brow lifting.

Union Square Laser Dermatology's non-surgical skin tightening portfolio is one of the most comprehensive available at a New York City dermatology practice, encompassing five distinct technology platforms that address skin laxity through different biophysical mechanisms and at different tissue depths. This multi-platform approach allows the treating board-certified dermatologist to select the optimal modality based on the patient's anatomy, degree of laxity, downtime tolerance, and treatment goals — rather than fitting every patient into a single-device protocol. Thermage (Solta Medical) delivers monopolar radiofrequency energy deep into the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, generating precise volumetric heating that denatures collagen and stimulates a long-term remodeling response over 2–6 months post-treatment. Thermage FLX treats the full face, neck, eyes, and body in a single comfortable session with no downtime and is particularly valued for patients who want gradual, natural-looking tightening without the recovery associated with surgical lifting. Ultherapy (Merz Aesthetics) uses micro-focused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) to deposit precise focal thermal zones at the 1.5 mm, 3 mm, and 4.5 mm tissue depths, with the 4.5 mm depth targeting the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) — the same anatomical layer addressed by surgical facelift — enabling non-surgical brow elevation, jowl reduction, and neck tightening. Sofwave (Sofwave Medical) uses parallel-beam technology (SUPERB) to deliver regenerative ultrasound energy homogeneously to the mid-dermis at 1.5 mm depth with a built-in cooling system, producing collagen and elastin synthesis with essentially no downtime. Ellacor (Cytrellis) is a micro-coring device that physically removes small micro-columns of skin tissue to reduce skin laxity through a fundamentally different mechanism from energy-based treatments — mechanical skin reduction with collagen contraction. EmFace (BTL Aesthetics) simultaneously emits synchronized RF energy and high-intensity facial electromagnetic stimulation (HIFES), targeting both dermal collagen/elastin and the underlying facial muscles, aiming to restore both skin quality and muscular tone in one non-invasive session. NovaThreads (PDO thread lifting) provides immediate mechanical lifting via dissolvable sutures. UnionDerm's Ultherapy appointments require a larger deposit than standard procedures.