What Does “Skin Tightening” Really Mean?

Most people use “skin tightening” as a catch-all phrase, but a few different issues are usually happening at once:

• Extra fat under the skin making areas look fuller or heavier.
• Lax skin, where the “envelope” is too big for what’s inside.
• Changes in skin quality, like fine lines, crepe-iness, or sun damage.
• Deeper support issues, like stretched fascia or muscles after pregnancy or major weight loss.

Different treatments target different layers:

• Topical skincare and mild lasers mainly target texture and pigment at the surface.
• RF microneedling and many lasers rely on controlled heat in the dermis to stimulate collagen; helpful for mild laxity,
  but they typically don’t remove excess skin.
• Renuvion® works
  under the skin to coagulate and contract soft tissue following liposuction and to improve lax neck and submental skin.
• Ellacor® micro-coring (BodyLuxe CoreTight™)
  can remove tiny columns of skin, directly reducing redundancy.
• Facelifts, neck lifts, and tummy tucks surgically remove and reposition larger amounts of tissue when laxity is severe.

Understanding which layers are involved in your case is the first step toward choosing the right skin tightening strategy.

How BodyLuxe Approaches Loose Skin

At BodyLuxe, we aren’t interested in collecting every new device that trends on social media. Our focus is on technologies that:

• Integrate seamlessly with our awake FormSculpt® body contouring approach.
• Have clear and evolving clinical data and regulatory guidance.
• Allow us to treat the right layer for the problem we’re trying to solve.
• Fit within a safety-first, patient-first philosophy.

That’s why our skin tightening toolkit centers on:

• FormSculpt® awake liposuction for reshaping and controlled fat removal.
• Renuvion® as an adjunct when we want extra subdermal tightening after liposuction.
• BodyLuxe CoreTight™, our protocol built around Ellacor micro-coring, for patients who want more than what energy-only devices
  can deliver for the face and now for selected body areas with sagging skin.

We’re also honest about when a surgical lift (such as a facelift, neck lift, or tummy tuck) is still the most reliable solution. No device — including the ones we use — can fully replace surgery when there is significant extra skin.

FormSculpt® Awake Liposuction and Natural Tightening

FormSculpt® is our awake liposuction technique designed to sculpt areas like the abdomen, waist, flanks, arms, thighs, and under the chin.
It’s performed under local anesthesia so you stay awake and comfortable, similar to what we describe in our

“Awake and Comfortable” guide.

• You’re numbed with local anesthesia instead of going under general anesthesia.
• Through tiny incisions, we remove targeted fat to reshape your silhouette.
• In the right candidate, the skin will naturally retract over your new contour over time, especially if your skin is reasonably elastic.

Liposuction alone isn’t always enough, especially when:

• The skin has been stretched by pregnancy or major weight changes.
• Areas like the upper arms or lower abdomen already show significant laxity.
• Age, sun exposure, smoking, or genetics have reduced elasticity.

In many of these cases, we start with FormSculpt and consider adding Renuvion or — for selected facial/body concerns — CoreTight to enhance tightening.

Renuvion® Skin Tightening with FormSculpt®

What Is Renuvion®?

Renuvion® is a minimally invasive device that combines radiofrequency energy with helium plasma to rapidly heat and cool subcutaneous soft tissues beneath the skin. The Renuvion APR handpiece is FDA-cleared for:

• Coagulation of subcutaneous soft tissues following liposuction for aesthetic body contouring.
• Improving the appearance of lax (loose) skin in the neck and submental (under-chin) region.

In plain language: after we’ve removed fat with FormSculpt, Renuvion can be used underneath the skin to help the tissue envelope tighten more closely around your new shape.

Where Can Renuvion Help?

Within its indications and in carefully selected patients, Renuvion may be especially helpful for:

• Chin, jawline, and neck contouring (see our chin/neck/jawline liposuction and Renuvion guide).
• Abdomen and waist tightening after liposuction.
• Upper arms, flanks, and other areas with mild to moderate loosening.

Benefits (for the Right Patient)

• Uses the same small access points as liposuction — no long incisions.
• May provide more visible tightening than liposuction alone in some areas.
• Fits naturally into a single awake body contouring session.

Risks and Safety Context

Like any energy-based device, Renuvion carries potential risks, including burns, contour irregularities, nerve injury, and scarring, especially if misused
or used outside its indications. The FDA has issued updated guidance and clear indications to improve safety, and clinical data support its use when
appropriate protocols are followed. For more information, you can review the FDA’s 
safety communication.

At BodyLuxe, Renuvion is never a default add-on. Dr. Farrugia recommends it only when he believes it will meaningfully improve your outcome while keeping safety at the forefront.

BodyLuxe CoreTight™: Ellacor® Micro-Coring for Face and Body

What Is Ellacor / BodyLuxe CoreTight™?

Ellacor® is a first-of-its-kind micro-coring device that removes thousands of
tiny, full-thickness cores of skin without using heat. As these micro-cores heal, the surrounding skin tightens and wrinkles soften. The internal diameter of each needle is less than 0.5 mm, which clinical studies suggest is below the threshold that typically leads to scarring (learn more here).

Ellacor was originally FDA-cleared to treat moderate to severe wrinkles in the mid-to-lower face in adults 22+ with Fitzpatrick I–IV skin types. More recently, the FDA granted expanded clearance so that Ellacor’s micro-coring technology can be used for full-body resurfacing to treat sagging skin on body areas. You can read more in this Derm Digest article and Cytrellis press release.

At BodyLuxe, we’ve built a comprehensive protocol around this technology called BodyLuxe CoreTight™.

Where Does CoreTight Shine on the Face?

• Jowls and jawline contour.
• Marionette lines and lower-face wrinkles.
• “Smoker’s lines” and perioral creases.
• Overall softening of moderate mid-to-lower facial wrinkles.

CoreTight for the Body

With Ellacor’s full-body indication, micro-coring can now be considered for:

• Mild to moderate abdominal skin laxity.
• Crepey or sagging upper arms.
• Selected thigh areas with excess skin.

Not everyone is a candidate, and deeper or more severe laxity may still require a surgical lift. As with any newer indication, careful patient selection
and a detailed discussion of evolving data are essential.

How Is CoreTight Different from RF Microneedling or Lasers?

• CoreTight / Ellacor: removes micro-cores of skin without heat, mechanically tightening the area as it heals.
• RF microneedling: delivers heat through needles to stimulate collagen, but does not remove tissue.
• Lasers: use light energy to heat or partially remove skin, great for pigment and texture but limited for significant excess skin.

For the right candidate, being able to physically remove excess skin on a microscale can produce improvements that
energy-only options struggle to match.

CoreTight Downtime and Limitations

• Expect swelling, redness, and a grid-like pattern of tiny marks initially.
• Social downtime for facial CoreTight is often about a week or more; body areas vary with intensity and coverage.
• Results build gradually over 3–6+ months as collagen and elastin remodel.
• Not ideal for all skin types, medical conditions, or degrees of laxity.

Renuvion & CoreTight vs Morpheus8 and Lasers

How RF Microneedling (Morpheus8) Works

RF microneedling devices like Morpheus8 use fine needles to deliver radiofrequency heat under the skin, stimulating collagen and elastin. They can improve:

• Fine lines and mild wrinkles.
• Some texture issues and acne scars.
• Mild skin laxity in suitable candidates.

However, the FDA has issued a safety communication noting reported complications such as burns, scarring, fat loss, disfigurement, and nerve damage when RF microneedling is misused. Additional commentary from professional groups (for example,this overview and this MedSpa-focused summary) emphasizes that these are medical procedures, not casual spa treatments.

How Lasers and Other Energy Devices Work

Laser and other energy-based systems (like ultrasound or non-ablative RF) mainly work by creating controlled thermal injury in the skin.
They can:

• Improve pigment, sun damage, and surface texture.
• Stimulate collagen for modest tightening in mild laxity.

But most lasers do not physically remove lax tissue in the way that surgery or micro-coring can.

Mechanism Comparison (At a Glance)

Where Renuvion and CoreTight May Offer Advantages

In carefully selected patients:

• FormSculpt + Renuvion can reshape the body and enhance the skin envelope in a single awake session, which surface-only devices cannot do.
• CoreTight can provide structural tightening by actually removing micro-portions of excess skin rather than only heating it,
  which may yield more noticeable tightening for moderate laxity.

That does not mean RF microneedling or lasers are “bad” or never appropriate. They can still be reasonable options for:

• Milder laxity and early texture changes.
• Patients not ready for micro-coring or subdermal treatments.
• Specific issues such as acne scars or pigment, in experienced hands.

At BodyLuxe, we simply find that for many of the contouring and tightening cases we see, technologies that directly contract or remove tissue often
align better with our goals.

Which Skin Tightening Option Is Right for Me?

While only a consultation can give you a personalized recommendation, some general patterns can be helpful:

• Mild laxity, good skin quality, localized fat:
  FormSculpt® alone may be enough, with or without non-surgical adjuncts.
• Mild to moderate body laxity with stubborn fat:
  FormSculpt + Renuvion may make sense for areas like the abdomen, waist, flanks, and chin/neck.
• Moderate facial laxity and wrinkles mid-to-lower face:
  BodyLuxe CoreTight may bridge the gap between skincare/energy devices and a surgical facelift.
• Localized sagging skin on body areas (abdomen, arms, thighs) without massive excess: CoreTight/Ellacor for body is an emerging option under its new clearance and may be considered in carefully selected patients.
• Significant hanging skin:
  When there is a large abdominal apron, very heavy jowls, or severe neck banding, traditional surgery (tummy tuck, body lift, facelift, neck lift) often
  remains the most predictable option.

Your medical history, skin type, healing tendencies, and lifestyle all matter. That’s why we emphasize a face-to-face consultation before recommending any plan.

Recovery, Downtime, and Results

FormSculpt® Alone

• Expect soreness and swelling for a few days to a couple of weeks.
• Compression garments are often recommended for several weeks.
• Shape continues to refine over several months as swelling resolves.

FormSculpt + Renuvion

• Downtime is similar to liposuction alone, with possible additional deep soreness or swelling in treated zones.
• Early improvements may be visible within weeks.
• Tightening continues to evolve over several months as tissue remodels.

CoreTight (Ellacor)

• Visible treatment marks, swelling, and redness initially — especially for the face.
• Social downtime is often about a week or more; body treatments vary.
• Results gradually improve over 3–6+ months.

RF Microneedling & Lasers

• Downtime ranges from mild redness for a day to several days of swelling and peeling, depending on device and settings.
• Results from collagen stimulation are gradual and tend to be best for mild changes, not severe laxity.

For all technologies, good skincare, sun protection, weight stability, and healthy habits help your results last longer.

Frequently Asked Questions About Skin Tightening at BodyLuxe

Next Steps: Planning Your Skin Tightening Journey in Chicago

“Skin tightening” is not one single procedure; it’s about matching the right tools to your anatomy and goals. At BodyLuxe, we use FormSculpt® awake liposuction, Renuvion®, and BodyLuxe CoreTight™ to treat different layers and degrees of laxity, and we are always transparent when surgery is the better option.

If you’re considering skin tightening in Chicago and want a clear, safety-focused plan, the best next step is a consultation with Daniel J. Farrugia, MD, PhD, FACS at BodyLuxe. We’ll examine your tissues, review your goals, and design a plan that balances meaningful results with your comfort, safety, and lifestyle.

You can request a complimentary in-person consultation on our Consultation page,
view real patient outcomes in our Before & After gallery, or explore our Financing options with up to 24 months zero-interest financing for qualifying patients.