High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a cosmetic treatment for skin tightening that aesthetic practitioners consider to be a non-invasive and painless replacement for facelifts. It uses ultrasound energy to encourage the production of collagen, which results in firmer skin. Several small clinical trials have found HIFU to be safe and effective for facial lifting and refining wrinkles. Patients were able to see results in a few months after treatment, without the risks associated with surgery.
The procedure helps in facial rejuvenation, lifting, tightening and body contouring. However, the FDA has yet to approve HIFU for these purposes, considering them ‘off-label’ uses.
HIFU facial
All of the HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to target the layers of skin just below the surface.
The ultrasound energy causes the tissue to heat up rapidly.
Once the cells in the targeted area reach a certain temperature, they experience cellular damage. The damage actually stimulates the cells to produce more collagen-a protein that provides structure to the skin.
The increase in collagen results in tighter, firmer skin with fewer wrinkles. The high frequency ultrasound beams focus on a specific tissue site below the skin’s surface, causing no damage to the upper layers of the skin and adjacent tissue.
Aesthetic benefits
HIFU is the only non-invasive procedure that specifically targets the deep foundation below the skin, without cutting or disrupting the skin surface for your body’s own collagen production.
As there is no downtime, the patient is free to go home and resume normal daily activities right away after the procedure. High-intensity focused ultrasound is considered a safe, effective and non-invasive procedure for tightening the facial skin.
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