HIFU facelift ultrasound

HIFU Lifting Ultrasound – Synonyms & Principle

synonyms: High intensity focusing ultrasound, HIFU lifting, HIFU facelift, HIFU facelift

principle: Building up young collagen and tightening existing collagen fibers to tighten a region in precisely defined tissue depths using special ultrasound

is often combined with…

• Needling/Radiofrequency
  
• hyaluronic acid
• blood plasma

efficiency

The effectiveness is in the mm range or single-digit % range. The effect affects the more superficial layers of the skin and, as experience shows, ensures a smoother and more uniform skin surface (compared to e.g. HIFU = high intensity focused ultrasound - here the effect goes deeper into the tissue)

treatment duration

A medical needling/radiofrequency treatment lasts on average 30-60 minutes

repetition of the treatment

A repetition is possible and very often useful in order to increase the effectiveness.

A repetition can be useful at intervals of about 2 weeks with repetitions up to 5-6x.

Application in which body region

• Face – especially cheek/chin line, forehead/brow, region around the mouth
• upper arms
• Thigh

alternatives

• Facelift/neck lift – significantly more effective
• biostimulating hyaluronic acid
• Needling/Radiofrequency

Should I have a HIFU treatment do it at all? – Sometimes it is better not to do something at all. However, the risk of HIFU treatment is very limited

Good advice highlights all the advantages and disadvantages of a treatment – and thus helps you make the right decision.

possible effect

The effect of a treatment with high-intensity focused ultrasound is limited and can never be predicted. The treatment stimulates collagen formation - the extent of this varies from tissue to tissue. In any case, one should not believe that this treatment can actually have the same effect as a facelift. The effect is in the range of a few millimeters - if at all. What is demonstrable is the formation of young collagen, which tightens the tissue to a certain degree. During a facelift, 1-2-3cm of excess skin is often removed - and is definitely gone - and is therefore a guaranteed effect.

If the excess skin and the tissue sagging are not yet so severe, the effect of HIFU is of course relatively stronger than with a large excess skin or slight tissue sagging (in this case, the decision for surgery will not be made so quickly - even if an early operation can certainly be justified in terms of prophylaxis).

pulling/pain

The HIFU treatment can be gradually reduced until the treatment is comfortable to bear. Patients describe the feeling as very fine needle pricks.

In the first few days after treatment, patients describe the feeling in the treated area as a slight to strong pulling sensation. In rare cases, the description goes as far as "like after a boxing match." In any case, you can feel the effect that begins to develop in the first few weeks after treatment. It may be useful to take a mild painkiller before and the day after treatment.

downtime

So far, my patients have never had any downtime after surgery. The day after the treatment, there is usually slight redness/irritation in the treated area, but this can easily be covered with a little makeup.

So if you don't want surgery, HIFU (or similar methods) is an alternative that, in principle, tries to copy the effect of a facelift, but is significantly less effective than surgery. However, the effort, risk, downtime and costs are of course absolutely not comparable to a facelift.

The other alternative to tightening the cheek area is volume. However, the effect of volume is also limited. And I definitely do not recommend overdoing it with volume. These are very often negative examples.

There are faces that literally “cry out” for volume and moisture – here hyaluronic acid (in various forms and firmnesses) will be the better first choice alternative to a facelift.

For faces that are rounder, HIFU (or medical needling, or similar) will be the first choice of conservative treatments.

What should you have heard/read before a HIFU treatment?

HIFU wants to copy a facelift in terms of effect – but the effect is far from comparable – but of course not everyone always plans a facelift to improve the cheek region – and then HIFU is a sensible alternative

Prejudices

HIFU (or similar devices) have made facelifts unnecessary

facts

The number of facelifts is still high - a facelift is the most effective method for tightening the cheek area (and also the brow and neck area). It also ensures maximum naturalness with the maximum possible effect.

With HIFU, however, we offer a very effective method to produce young collagen in the facial area (or on the upper arms or thighs, etc.) and thereby tighten the region (to a certain extent).

most common possible side effects/complications

• irritation/redness
• pulling/pain

details Information on possible complications can be found in the information documents

You should avoid…

• too high expectations – especially in comparison with the possibilities of surgery

anesthesia

not necessary

the treatment

possibly take a mild painkiller one hour before treatment

the treatment

• In the first few days/weeks after the treatment, the skin is a little more sensitive – avoid long and strong exposure to the sun and remember to use sun protection!
• possibly take a mild painkiller in the first few days

our preferred technique/recommendation

• The most sensible treatment is in the area cheek/chin lines/chin
• useful can be the combination with Medical Needling and Radio Frequency (improves superficial and makes the skin surface more uniform) or hyaluronic acid (here always HIFU or radio frequency before and hyaluronic acid afterwards – otherwise the hyaluronic acid can be dissolved prematurely and has no chance to stabilize in the first few weeks after the hyaluronic acid treatment)

Cost

Guideline values (depending on the size of the region and total energy emitted)

750 HIFU lifting cheek/chin line

1200 HIFU lifting whole face

1600 HIFU lifting face/neck/décolleté

400 HIFU-Lifting Neck

500-600 HIFU lifting double chin + neck

500 HIFU lifting forehead + wrinkle

500 HIFU lifting forehead + eye area

800 HIFU lifting mouth area + cheeks (sagging cheeks)

950 HIFU lifting mouth area + cheeks (sagging cheeks) + double chin + neck

350 HIFU lifting nasolabial fold

350 HIFU lifting upper lip area (accordion lines)

350 HIFU-Lifting frown lines

500-600 HIFU-lifting cheeks

reasonable budget

Basically, you always determine the price or your budget yourself, depending on the amount of total energy and the size of the region to be treated.

A final cost estimate is only possible and meaningful after a detailed on-site inspection and clarification of individual wishes.

downtime

usually no

Important to know…

• In my opinion, HIFU is most useful in the cheek/chin line/chin/neck/brow area – i.e. exactly the regions where one would otherwise try to put the tissue back into position with surgery
• HIFU makes significantly less sense in areas where there are other methods that are also less complex but very effective (such as frown lines – where Botox, perhaps in combination with hyaluronic acid, can be used, which usually have an 80-100% effect) – HIFU is simply not the right method or tool in these cases.

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You can also find valuable information at HIFU