One of the first visual signs of aging is loose skin that droops, creases, and wrinkles. A surgical fix for this problem is skin ablation and repositioning, or to be more specific, a facelift, brow lift, or neck lift. Many adults don’t like the idea of having their skin lifted via surgery, but they also know that alternative skin rejuvenation treatments usually don’t produce the desired results. There is one non-surgical lift procedure, however, that indeed smooths the skin and creates a more taut and supple skin surface. It’s called Ultherapy®, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular skin tightening procedures out there.

You’re probably familiar with the use of sound energy to create images of the interior of an object. Ultrasound has been in use for decades, and the absorption and reflection of focused sound energy produces crisp, vivid images of the interior of the human body. Doctors use ultrasound to help them locate cysts, tumors, damage to ligaments and tendons, and organ decay. This same sound energy can be used to stimulate new skin tissue growth. We encourage you to learn more information about Ultherapy® and see how it can take years off your appearance.

Skin Lift Without Surgery

A facelift doesn’t lift the face. It does smooth the skin via repositioning. This type of procedure also works to smooth the skin on the forehead, neck, and other areas of the body. However, surgery is always a bit risky, and many individuals don’t really experience the outcome they hoped for.

Ultherapy® is a non-surgical alternative. Focused sound energy is absorbed by the dermal and subdermal tissues, and this energy transfer results in a stimulation process. The body goes into overdrive producing new skin cells, and just as important, the body also produces new collagen, elastin, and other proteins.

A single treatment is often sufficient to kickstart the skin rejuvenation process. The results aren’t immediate, but over a period of multiple months following the treatment, most of our clients enjoy smoother, tighter skin and better overall surface contours.

Ultherapy® is an ideal solution for loose, sagging skin that is showing more and more wrinkles. It’s not a substitute for skin ablation surgery, but most individuals are quite happy with the results. Besides, a facelift, neck lift, or brow lift may be in the individual’s future, but for now, non-surgical skin tightening is a favorable alternative.

Treatable Areas

The face gets the most attention because how an individual looks is important to them and the facial features generally draw the most attention. Wrinkling on the cheeks, drooping skin along and below the jawline, and nasolabial folds are the major culprits. Horizontal banding on the neck, the appearance of a turkey wattle, and even banding on the forehead can be treated with this form of ultrasound energy transfer.

Large folds on the chest may require a different treatment, but Ultherapy® can help smooth the skin and create better overall texture. During a consultation, we will describe the treatment in further detail and offer suggestions based on our examination of the client’s skin condition.

In some cases, we will not recommend this treatment because we are informed of an existing skin condition that the individual is already being treated for. This isn’t because ultrasound can cause unwanted side effects, but the client’s regular physician may want to wait until the current treatment is completed before anything else is done to affect the skin tissues.

Ultrasound Energy

Ultrasound is focused sound energy in a given frequency range. Different frequencies get absorbed at different efficiency levels. The difference in density from one tissue to another also determines the frequency range selected when ultrasound imaging is performed.

We also choose a frequency mix when performing Ultherapy®. We calibrate the device based on skin tone, skin thickness, and the area being treated. Some areas may have a lot of muscle and bone directly below the skin, and this affects the absorption of the sound energy.

When the device is properly calibrated and delivers microfocused energy through the skin layers, the tissues absorb this energy, and the energy becomes partly heat energy and partly motion energy. This is what stimulates the body to produce collagen and other proteins. The reason this happens is because the body is sensing injury or disrupted normal activity even though an injury hasn’t occurred. This stimulation effect means rapid tissue replacement and an immediate collagen remodeling process. This process continues for many weeks following the treatment.

How It Works

This is actually a very gentle form of skin remodeling, and there’s no real discomfort experienced by the client. We design a treatment plan based on the results of our examination during the initial consultation. During the actual treatment, the device is placed on the skin surface, and tightly focused sound energy is emitted. It’s focused on a small region of skin and subdermal tissues. It doesn’t affect a large area but instead just a few square centimeters of surface. After the energy absorption is completed, which usually takes less than a minute, the device is moved to the next area of concern.

The client will be able to tell that the affected tissues are heating up just a bit. Some individuals experience a sense of numbness for an hour or so following the treatment, but this goes away quickly and doesn’t cause any real discomfort. A large area of the surface such as the entire face can be treated, or a smaller region can be treated. It all depends on the unique case.

Immediately affected is the foundation layer, the layer that binds the skin to the subdermal tissues. This layer gets the attention first because the majority of the energy was focused here. The subcutaneous layers strengthen over time, and new collagen is produced in this area. Slowly but surely, the remodeling continues upward to the dermis and the epidermis. Within a month or so, the individual typically notices that the skin is more supple, has a taut feel, and is more evenly toned.

There’s no set downtime after the treatment. The individual can resume normal activities at once. There’s also no follow-up treatment needed unless we choose to break the overall treatment into different sessions that are spaced a set amount of time apart.

The results are designed to be long-lasting. Once the collagen remodeling is complete, the skin looks as though it has indeed been raised via a skin-lifting surgical procedure. But the results look natural. Some of our clients choose to have this treatment repeated every year or so to maintain a healthy look to the skin surface.

Another benefit of collagen remodeling is better skin texture. Wrinkles, especially non-set dynamic wrinkles, are far less noticeable after the treatment. The skin is healthier because of the additional proteins it now contains, and this means less prominent blemishes and scarring.

Things to Consider

Ultherapy® isn’t a miracle fix for all skin problems. It’s not a weight loss program, and it won’t get rid of cellulite. It can’t melt away fat or disperse it. Therefore, all who consider this treatment should keep in mind that large folds caused by fat buildup cannot be smoothed away via the use of sound energy.

However, if skin tightening is the primary goal, this is perhaps the simplest yet most effective non-surgical treatment. It will indeed tighten the skin on the face, neck, and other areas. In some cases, we may recommend combining this treatment with the use of dermal fillers or other solutions in order to produce or maintain the desired results.

The only real way to determine if this treatment can benefit you is through a consultation at our office. It’s during this time that we can discuss the possibility of combination treatments.

The Ultherapy® Advantage

Most individuals want the simplest solution to their skin problems. That’s understandable, but of course, it’s not always possible. What makes Ultherapy® such a popular treatment for sagging, wrinkled, loose skin is the ease with which the procedure is performed. There are no chemicals, no skin ablation, no skin repositioning, and no abrasive resurfacing. The side effects are therefore practically non-existent.

Needling the skin can induce collagen production, but this type of treatment doesn’t work for everyone. Deep chemical peels can bring about unwanted problems with skin tone for certain people. Facelifts and neck lifts don’t always produce the desired look, but what one gets is permanent whether it’s desired or not. Ultherapy® doesn’t come with these condition possibilities. It’s suitable for all skin tones, and the skin thickness doesn’t matter either.

We have complete control over the amount of energy produced by the ultrasound device, and we know just how long to subject an area of tissue to the sound energy. This makes it easy for us to give the client realistic outcome predictions. Of course, everyone is different, and their body reacts to the absorption of sound energy in a certain way, but the boundary conditions are rather tight, making it simple for us to design a customized procedure for each client.

Get Smoother, Tighter Skin Without Surgery

Enjoy a more youthful appearance, fewer wrinkles, and better facial contours without going under the knife. Reach out to our team at Tula Wellness & Aesthetics to learn more about Ultherapy® and what it can do to help turn back the aging clock on your skin. Reap some of the benefits of a surgical lift without having to undergo surgery at all. This may be just the treatment you have been looking for to achieve your goals for your appearance.

Tula Wellness & Aesthetics is conveniently located in Tucson, AZ. Contact our office today to set up a consultation and get started!