The Best No-Downtime Treatments For Every Skin Concern, According to Experts

Before and after photos make it tempting to book in-office, corrective skin care treatments. But downtime — the short-term aftermath that can include redness, flaking, textural changes, and even bruising and swelling — makes scheduling appointments for lasers, peels, and all varieties of skin needling (nano, micro, radiofrequency, et al.) difficult at best. Not everyone has the luxury of hiding away at home with a puffy, red face, or wants to head out to dinner with flaking, peeling skin. This is why zero-downtime skin care treatments are on the rise.

Sofwave

Dr. Shamban names Sofwave as one of her favorite "lunchtime specials" for tightening, lifting, and toning the skin. The device uses a fractional ultrasound beam that is lauded for being less painful and more user-friendly than its older alternatives. Medical esthetician Amy Peterson notes that its Synchronous Ultrasound Parallel Beam Technology (SUPERB) rebuilds collagen in the face, treating skin laxity of the neck, submental area, and even the eyes via lifting the brow, while also addressing facial lines and wrinkles on the face. Dr. Shamban adds that skin will be plump and feel tighter almost immediately, but that over time the "fibroblast cascade response [that] supports skin thickening, tightening, and firming." As board-certified nurse practitioner Jennifer Hollander of the Beverly Hills Center points out, Sofwave generates new collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid in the skin.