Are you looking to soften the first signs of aging with something more than skin care products? Do you have questions about tightening up the skin and have concerns about the costs, recovery and risk involved? If so, it is time to investigate the world of ultrasound and high-tech facials!

Although the word “ultrasound” may conjure up images of babies or pregnancies, there’s an increasing amount of industry buzz about non-invasive ultrasonic facials to stimulate collagen and improve sagging skin. Plus, with no recovery time needed, no scarring, and lower treatment costs, ultrasound facials could be an effective alternative to a surgical facelift and lasers. Read on to find out why an ultrasound facial treatment could be what you have been looking for.

What Is an Ultrasound Facial?

Ultrasound facials, also known as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) are used to improve the look of sagging skin around the eyes, eyebrows, jowls, neck and chin area. An ultrasound facial treatment is non-invasive and uses energy to stimulate deep layers of skin. HIFU is ideal for those who would like to firm up soft, crepey skin and improve the look of fine lines.

How Do Ultrasound Facials Work?

After prepping the area, one of our trained skin care professionals holds a handheld device to your skin. The machine head emits heat and high energy waves through the skin’s layers, to a single point deep below the skin’s surface, between 4.5-5 mm. Bypassing the top layers of skin and going deep into the skin’s layers is “crucial,” It’s important because collagen production takes place in these deeper layers.

Without leaving any visible marks on the skin, the heat targets specific cells in these deeper layers, causing cellular damage that serves to trigger a healing response. This response stimulates the production of skin-plumping collagen and elastane. In the following two to three months as collagen is produced, the skin should begin to thicken and tighten.

According to The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, ultrasound facial benefits the skin in several ways:

• Smoothing facial wrinkles and improving the look of fine lines
• Improving skin elasticity
• Improving both neck and facial skin
• Reducing the appearance of “jowls” and firming up the skin under the jaw
• Lifting drooping eyelids or eyebrows
• Tightening the skin on the chest

The Ultrasound Facial Procedure

Breakdown of a treatment:

1. Facial Cleanse
2. Application of corrective serums and hydrating conductivity gel mask.
3. Customization adjusting the modality device setting using a screen viewer.
4. Deliver of ultrasound energy to the target areas for 20 to 80 minutes.
5. Although the procedure is not considered painful, you might experience “a slight discomfort,” like tiny electric pulses, small bursts of heat or “a light prickly sensation’
6. Treatment takes between 50 – 90 minutes depending on the size of the treatment areas and type of high-tech modality used.

What Results Should You Expect?

Although a small “lift” is noticeable soon after the treatment, full results appear between three to six months after the appointment as this is how long the body takes to rebuild new collagen. The results are plumped-out wrinkles, tighter skin and reduced crepiness. This replenished skin can last between a year to 18 months.

The dermis layer of the skin contains most of the skin’s specialized cells and structures. It synthesizes less collagen each year after about age 20. For women, estrogen levels decrease after menopause. This leaves the skin drier, thinner, and not as taut as before.

Once the dermis begins producing the new collagen, sagging facial and neck skin lifts and starts to look younger and tighter.

Most Clients will need 6-8 procedure for optimal results. However, depending on skin laxity and a biological response to the collagen-building process, some could benefit from 3 sessions only and see the accumulative results just after one treatment.

After the Treatment

One of the biggest advantages of an ultrasound facial is the ability to immediately resume normal life once the appointment is over. However, it’s important to know you may experience some redness and swelling on the day of treatment as well as tingles around the treatment area in the weeks after. More extreme reactions include numbness or bruising but these are rare and are likely to disappear in a few days.

Clients should monitor for possible side effects and should reach out for professional assistance if they notice:

• Redness that lasts more than one day after treatment
• Persistent skin tenderness or swelling that lasts more than a month
• Skin bleeding under the dermis for a few weeks post-treatment
• Scratch-like marks on the skin

Who can Benefit from An Ultrasound Facial and Who Should Avoid It?

Ultrasound treatment is best for younger skin between ages of 30-50 with “mild-to-moderate skin laxity” who might be looking to minimize the early signs of aging. HIFU is also ideal for those looking for an alternative to a traditional facelift but who wants to avoid the risks and recovery involved with surgery or stronger lasers.

Although ultrasound therapy has an “excellent safety profile” according to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, there are some Clients who won’t benefit from the treatment. Clients with severely sagging skin wouldn’t be ideal candidates as they won’t see as strong results. Clients who have infections, wounds or active acne lesions around the treatment area should also avoid energy treatments to those same areas until any wounds have healed. Pregnancy and those on certain strong medications should also avoid energy-based treatments.

The Benefits Of An Ultrasound Facial

• Non-invasive procedure with no scarring or stitches.
• A low-cost alternative to surgery.
• Ideal as a preventative treatment to firm sagging skin and to soften the first signs of aging.
• Is considered a relatively safe, low risk and a relatively painless treatment.
• A series of treatment 2 weeks a part give results that can last with maintenance.
• The entire treatment can be performed in spa in around one hour.
• No recovery time, simply continue your day after the appointment.

The Downsides

• While not as expensive as a facelift, the treatment is still an investment.
• Although full results are expected in a few months, results aren’t instant.

If you would like even more education about our Oxylight and Ionix high-tech spa treatments and how to take care of your skin, contact us at Skincare Butik and schedule a free skin consultation with one of our expert estheticians.

 
Credits: Eminence Organics, WebMD, Raja Medical Oxylight Ionix