No Sagging in Your 20s: Should You Get Preventive Lifting Early?

There's no study yet showing that lifting skin that isn't sagging makes it sag less later. More people in their 20s are looking into ultrasound lifting after hearing that "if you do it now, you'll sag less later." Because it isn't cheap, the first questions are whether now is the right time and when it starts to make sense.

This article explains what lifting does inside the skin, how long treatment results lasted, what care has evidence in your 20s, and when a procedure is worth considering.

What does lifting do inside the skin?

What does lifting do inside the skin?

Ultrasound lifting leaves the skin surface alone and focuses heat at set depths beneath it, creating tiny heat points. Collagen at those points contracts and pulls the tissue tighter, and over the following months new collagen forms and the skin firms up. Heat reaching the SMAS layer that covers the facial muscles is what sets it apart from lasers that treat only the surface.

That's why lifting shows a difference when there is loose tissue to work on. The American Academy of Dermatology explains that people with a small amount of sagging skin respond well to these treatments, and that lots of sagging may not respond. We found no data confirming a preventive effect in skin that isn't sagging.

SMAS layer: a thin sheet beneath the fat under the skin that wraps the facial muscles. It's also the layer lifted in facelift surgery.

What does lifting do inside the skin?

How long did lifting results last in studies?

How long did lifting results last in studies?

In a 2025 literature review of 67 ultrasound lifting studies, the pooled response rate was 77% at 90 days and 69% at 180 days after treatment. One study of the area under the chin found a significant lift at 90 days, but the difference was no longer clear at 180 days. Three of the review's authors worked for the device maker, and the ages of study participants weren't summarized.

The American Academy of Dermatology says that after 1 ultrasound treatment, most people see modest lifting and tightening within 2 to 6 months. It also notes that radiofrequency lifting shows its full result at about 6 months and can last 2 to 3 years with good skin care.

How long did lifting results last in studies?

A response rate that drops over time means it's hard to assume a treatment done years before any sagging would still be working by then. The review also concluded that evidence on whether multiple sessions beat a single one is limited. For someone in their 20s without sagging, lifting now is less like saving up results for later and more like paying for a change that shows for a few months.

Care with evidence for slowing sagging in your 20s

Care with evidence for slowing sagging in your 20s

In an Australian trial that randomly assigned 903 adults under 55, the group that used sunscreen daily showed no detectable increase in skin aging over 4.5 years. Compared with the group that used it only when they chose to, aging was 24% lower. Unlike lifting, this result was confirmed before any sagging appeared.

The care the American Academy of Dermatology recommends in your 20s is daily habits, not procedures.

• Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day
• Use vitamin C products to reduce skin aging, and retinoids for mild fine lines
• Wear sunglasses and avoid tanning
• Quit smoking and drink less

People who keep a healthy weight and don't smoke also get better results from sagging treatments. The habits you build in your 20s will support your results if you get lifting later.

With sunscreen, amount and consistency decide the effect. What made the difference was the daily habit, not the type of sunscreen. Spread enough over your whole face, and don't skip it on cloudy days or in winter. Retinoids often cause dryness and redness at first, so start with a small amount at night and increase slowly as your skin adjusts. If you're planning a pregnancy, check with a doctor before using retinoids.

How STON Clinic approaches lifting consultations in your 20s

How STON Clinic approaches lifting consultations in your 20s

First, we check whether there's any sagging now. We look at whether the jawline has blurred and whether the skin around the smile lines and under the chin has loosened, from the front and in profile, and we also tell apart a face that looks wide because of fat or muscle rather than sagging. A different cause calls for a different treatment.

If mild sagging is already visible, it's time to consider lifting. At that point the gap from other treatments matters too. The 2025 literature review recommended waiting at least 2 weeks after botulinum toxin and at least 28 days after filler before ultrasound lifting, because ultrasound within 14 days reduced the effect of the earlier treatment.

Tell us first and postpone lifting in these cases.

• You're pregnant or planning a pregnancy
• You have a skin infection or inflammation in the treatment area
• You take medication regularly

At the consultation, starting with "Is there sagging on my face now, and if so, where?" makes it easier to decide whether you need a procedure at all. When you contact the clinic, please include front and profile photos and the dates of any recent botulinum toxin or filler.