Luxury skincare has never been more desirable. Beautiful packaging, indulgent textures and premium ingredients promise smoother, firmer, more youthful-looking skin. Products such as Crème de la Mer have achieved cult status, and many patients invest hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds each year into high-end creams and serums.
Yet one of the most common questions we hear in clinic is: “If I’m already using the best skincare, why does my skin still feel loose?”
The answer is simple but important. Skincare and medical treatments work in completely different ways. Even the most advanced topical products can only affect the surface of the skin, whereas treatments such as mini threads work beneath the skin to provide true structural support.
Understanding this difference helps you invest your time and money more effectively, and choose the right combination of home care and in-clinic treatment for your goals.
High quality skincare absolutely has a place in healthy ageing. Medical grade and luxury formulations can significantly improve the look and feel of the skin.
When used consistently, premium products can:
Improve hydration
Strengthen the skin barrier
Smooth surface texture
Enhance radiance
Support mild collagen stimulation
Reduce pigmentation and dullness
These improvements often make skin appear fresher and more luminous. Fine lines may soften slightly, and makeup tends to sit more evenly.
For many patients, this creates the impression that skincare is “tightening” the skin. In reality, what you are seeing is improved hydration and light reflection, not structural lift.
This is where expectations often become unrealistic.
Topical products sit on or within the uppermost layers of the skin. They cannot penetrate deeply enough to affect the connective tissue, ligaments or fat pads that determine facial firmness and shape.
As we age, several structural changes occur:
These changes happen beneath the surface. No cream, however luxurious, can physically reposition or support these deeper structures.
This is why questions such as “do face creams tighten skin?” often lead to disappointment. They can improve quality and glow, but they cannot create lift.
It can be helpful to think of skincare and medical treatments as working on different layers.
On the surface
Improving quality and appearance
Supporting day-to-day maintenance
Beneath the skin
Addressing structure and support
Creating measurable tightening and lift
Both are valuable, but they solve different problems.
Mini threads are a minimally invasive medical treatment designed to tighten and support the skin from within. They are made from biocompatible materials that are safely absorbed by the body over time.
During treatment, fine threads are placed beneath the skin using a small cannula. Once in position, they provide gentle structural support and stimulate collagen production around the thread.
This dual action leads to:
Immediate subtle tightening
Gradual collagen stimulation
Improved firmness and elasticity
Better skin support over time
Unlike creams, mini threads physically interact with the tissue, which is why they can achieve results that skincare alone cannot.
Mini threads create tightening in two ways.
First, they act as a scaffold, gently supporting areas where laxity has developed. This can create a soft lifting effect, particularly in areas such as the lower face, jawline and neck.
Second, the presence of the thread stimulates the body’s natural healing response. New collagen forms around the thread, strengthening the skin’s internal structure.
Over the following months, the skin becomes firmer and more resilient. Even after the thread dissolves, the collagen remains.
This makes mini threads an excellent option for patients seeking non-surgical skin tightening without the downtime of more invasive procedures.
Both luxury skincare products and mini threads treatments have value, but their capabilities are very different.
| Feature | Luxury Skincare (eg Crème de la Mer) | Mini Threads |
|---|---|---|
Where it works | Skin surface | Beneath the skin |
Main effect | Hydration and glow | Structural tightening |
Lift or contouring | No | Yes |
Collagen stimulation | Mild | Significant |
Results timeline | Immediate cosmetic improvement | Gradual tightening over months |
Longevity | Requires daily use | Long-lasting collagen support |
Skincare may be enough if you:
Are younger with minimal laxity
Mainly want improved glow and hydration
Have good underlying skin firmness
Prefer non-procedural options
In these cases, investing in high quality products and consistent routines can make a noticeable difference.
Mini threads may be more suitable if you:
Feel your skin looks loose rather than dull
Want subtle lift without surgery
Have tried skincare but want more visible tightening
Are seeking longer-lasting structural improvement
For these concerns, topical products alone are unlikely to deliver meaningful change.
At Skin Medical, we rarely see skincare and treatments as competing options. Instead, they work best together.
Skincare optimises the surface and maintains results, while medical treatments address deeper structural change.
Combining both allows you to:
Improve skin quality
Maintain hydration
Support long-term firmness
This layered approach tends to produce the most natural and sustainable outcomes.
Thread treatments require anatomical precision and medical expertise. Placement, depth and technique all influence both safety and results.
At Skin Medical, all thread treatments are performed by doctors with advanced knowledge of facial anatomy, ensuring:
Safe placement
Natural-looking outcomes
Personalised treatment plans
Long-term skin health
Our aim is always refinement rather than over correction.
If you are unsure whether to invest in skincare, in-clinic treatments or a combination of both, we can guide you through the most appropriate options for your skin and goals.
If you would like expert advice tailored to your skin and goals, book a consultation with our expert team of doctors at Skin Medical to discuss your options and create a skincare and treatment plan that’s right for you.
Creams can improve hydration and texture, but they cannot physically lift or tighten deeper tissue.
High-quality products can support skin health and glow, but they cannot replace medical treatments for laxity.
Mini threads are dissolvable threads placed beneath the skin to provide support and stimulate collagen.
No. They are minimally invasive and performed in clinic without general anaesthetic.
Results can last many months to years due to collagen stimulation.
Most patients experience only mild discomfort with local anaesthetic.
Downtime is usually minimal, with mild swelling or tenderness for a few days.
Yes. Skincare helps maintain and enhance the results of thread treatments.
Patients with mild to moderate skin laxity seeking non-surgical tightening.
Yes. Medical training ensures safer placement and better complication management.
Dr Sabika Karim was the consumate professional. I deeply respect her knowledge, experience and approach. She truly is one of a kind. I have worked within the field of medicine and skincare myself for 40 years and I would wholeheartedly recommend the clinic to anyone. I also had a Hydrafacial with Malini Patel who really listened to my concerns around my sensitive reactive skin. She gave me a lovely treatment which did not irritate my skin. Many thanks all round.
Skin Medical is a doctor-led aesthetic clinic known for subtle, natural-looking results delivered safely.
We serve patients from the world over, but closer to home we serve: London, Middlesex, Herefordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. We are within easy reach of Heathrow airport, M25, M1 and A40 by road and London by Met line tube. Our local patients come to us from Northwood, Rickmansworth, Pinner, Hatch End, Ruislip, Harrow, Beaconsfield, Amersham, Chorleywood, Marlow, Stoke Poges and Windsor.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. All treatments at Skin Medical are subject to a thorough consultation and suitability assessment with our expert clinical team.
