8 Non-Scary, Non-Surgical "Tweakments" That Sculpt Your Face

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Search Search Close search 10 Non-Scary, Non-Surgical "Tweakments" That Sculpt Your Face By Alice Hart-Davis

Alice Hart-Davis Alice is a journalist, author, and the founder of thetweakmentsguide.com. She has covered skincare and tweakments for over 20 years. Byrdie's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 20, 2021 11:31AM Reviewed by Dara Liotta, MD, FACS

Reviewed by Dara Liotta, MD, FACS Dr. Dara Liotta is a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon with offices on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Dubai. About Byrdie's Beauty & Wellness Board Plastic Surgeon Fact checked by Erika Harwood

byrdie senior style editor erika harwood

Fact checked by Erika Harwood Erika has worked in fashion editorial for over five years and has been Byrdie's senior style editor since 2021. She previously worked as a fashion writer for NYLON, Vanity Fair, and MTV Style. LEARN ABOUT BYRDIE'S EDITORIAL GUIDELINES and Anna Harris Fact checked by Anna Harris Anna Harris is an experienced fact-checker and researcher and a beauty writer and editor. LEARN ABOUT BYRDIE'S EDITORIAL GUIDELINES Close

woman touching her face while doing skincare routine — Stocksy

"Tweakments" are gaining popularity in the aesthetics world. This buzzy term is a catch-all phrase to describe subtler versions of non-surgical anti-aging and cosmetic treatments. Nearly everyone can benefit from tweakments, as the treatments can target various concerns, from firming to lifting the skin.

Board-certified dermatologist David Kim, a fan of tweakments, says these subtle procedures make significant differences. "You can do tweakments periodically to maintain a refreshed appearance rather than doing a lot all at once," he explains. "I think it's best to consistently do little tweaks tailored to what the skin and face need at any given time."

Ahead, Kim and facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Levine share more insight into tweakments and ten treatments they recommend.

Meet the Experts

Dr. Jennifer Levine is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon in NYC.
David Kim, M.D. M.S. is a board-certified fellowship-trained cosmetic dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology in NYC.

01 of 10

Baby Botox

Small amounts of Botox can soften fine lines and wrinkles on the forehead, at the outer corners of the eyes, and between the eyebrows. Botox and other neuromodulators such as Dysport, Juveau, Daxxify, and Xeomin work to temporarily limit the communication between the nerves and muscles that tell the muscles to contract, allowing the muscles to relax so the skin appears smoother.

Dr. Kim prefers injecting small amounts of Botox (known as baby Botox) into areas of movement like the forehead, the 11s (between the eyebrows), and crow's feet to help soften the lines without looking frozen or unnatural. "You will still have movement, but it will be much softer."

According to Dr. Levine, injecting a bit of Botox into the lower part of the face can make a difference, too. "There's a lot of clenching and grinding that can widen the lower part of the face, and treating it with Botox helps," she says.

02 of 10

Cheek and Jawline Filler

Dr. Levine explains that in your mid to late 20s, the deeper fat pads of the face start to move downward. She says you can restore lost volume and balance the face with hyaluronic acid filler in the cheeks. "Little drops of filler in the jawline will help soften the jowls and give more definition to the jaw," Dr. Kim adds.

03 of 10

Lip Filler

Dr. Levine shares that appropriately volumizing the lips with filler can instantly define and balance the face. "But it's important to volumize the lips only when the face has adequate lip support," she notes. "On someone older, I wouldn't treat just the lips since they would need adequate facial support of the mouth first."

It's always best to have your dermatologist or plastic surgeon start with microinjection and incrementally add volume over a few appointments rather than overinflating the lips.

04 of 10

EmFace

Dr. Levine says she often treats clients with EmFace, which lifts, tightens, and defines the face. "It combines electrical stimulation with radiofrequency to increase density to the brow, mouth, and cheek muscles and elevate them," she explains. "The treatment also creates some natural volume and can reduce wrinkles."

However, patience is a virtue with EmFace. "You'll need to wait approximately three months after the last treatment (you'll need four) to see the results," Dr. Kim says. He adds that while Emface is a downtime-free treatment, it is still relatively new. "With any new treatment, the full efficacy is not usually known until the technology has been available for several years, so that's something to keep in mind."

05 of 10

Microneedling

One of the most popular and requested tweakments is microneedling. It works by safely and gently piercing the uppermost layers of skin with tiny needles (hence its name) to create controlled micro-injuries that elicit an inflammatory response. As the skin heals itself, it produces new collagen over the coming months, plumping and smoothing the skin, making it appear more glowy and with fewer pores, lines, wrinkles, and acne scars.

Adding platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to a microneedling session, known as a Vampire Lift, can further boost collagen. Dr. Kim says that including PRP with microneedling treatments helps minimize post-treatment redness and downtime.

06 of 10

Morpheus8

If you want to up the ante of a standard microneedling treatment, consider Morpheus8, a microneedling treatment with radiofrequency (RF) built into the device tip. This tool heats the dermal layers of skin to tighten minimally lax skin and tissue. While different RF microneedling devices reach the deeper layers of skin at varying levels, InMode's Morpehus8 can go as deep as eight millimeters under the skin. Its steady yet safe dose of radiofrequency remodels the skin to improve its texture, reduce pore size and erase acne scars while reducing small pockets of stubborn fat.

Dr. Kim says Morepheus8 is one of the most popular radio frequency microneedling treatments because it provides longer-lasting results with anti-aging benefits to the skin. "The downtime isn't bad and has more long-term benefits," he points out.

07 of 10

Kybella

Kybella is an effective way to spot-treat pockets of fat, specifically the double chin. It relies on deoxycholic acid, a naturally-occurring molecule that helps break down fat, to destroy it permanently.

"Kybella works incredibly well for people who are within 10 to 15 pounds of their goal weight but haven't been able to get rid of the stubborn fat," Dr. Kim says. "It's even being used off-label on other body parts to get rid of fat on the bra line, abdomen, and arms." However, regarding your chin and jawline, you will need at least three treatments spaced two months apart to reduce fullness in the area.

08 of 10

Sofwave

Sofwave leverages Synchronous Ultrasound Parallel Beam (SUPERB™) technology to generate heat 1.5mm below the skin's surface in the dermal layer to increase collagen production and tighten existing collagen. The FDA-cleared treatment is proven to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, lift eyebrows, and improve the tightness of the chin and neck (with no downtime). All of these results are noticeable within 12 weeks post-treatment.

09 of 10

Ultherapy

Like other tweakments, Ultherapy focuses on creating new collagen to firm the skin via micro-focused ultrasound delivered to three different levels of the skin. Dr. Levine says Ultherapy remains very popular to "naturally" lift the lower face, neck, and brows. The one-time treatment, which boasts results that can last a few years, is compatible with all skin types, but it is uncomfortable, so make sure your doctor uses topical numbing cream before administering the treatment.

10 of 10

Thermage

Thermage is the OG radiofrequency (RF) treatment for smoothing, firming, and contouring the skin for subtle improvement. Dr. Kim says it is a suitable treatment for people in their mid to late 20s who wish to achieve a gentle lift by stimulating collagen production. "It takes about six months after the final treatment to see the full outcome, and it's recommended to do about two sessions per year," he adds. "What's nice about Thermage is that it can be used around the eyes and on the eyelids for a bit of a lifting effect if you're not ready to go under the knife with a full blepharoplasty."

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