Ultherapy vs HIFU (High-intensity focused ultrasound) | ChoicyBeauty- a beauty training academic

The often-terrifying spectre of aging is one that haunts us all. It starts out with a few wrinkles, before devolving into a jumble of age spots and saggy skin that`s enough to send you reeling. You can dread it, or even try to flee, but any attempt to avoid it only prolongs the inevitable. If this sounds like a terribly bleak prognosis, fret not-for the solution to all of your troubles may be just around the corner.

With a variety of new and targeted treatments like Ultherapy®, which is a type of HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound) device, the process of aging has never met more formidable foes.

So, Ultherapy® is essentially the same as HIFU? Yes, and No! Ultherapy® is a brand that is recognised globally in the aesthetic world for more than a decade and more than 1 million cases has been performed worldwide so far. Ultherapy® is a medical device and that is approved by FDA, the United States` Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) for lifting and tightening skin. It is a non-surgical lifting treatment meant for browlift, lower face and submental (jawline), neck and décolletage (upper chest).

What is Ultherapy® or HIFU treatment (High-intensity focused ultrasound)?

If given a choice, most of us would prefer to conquer aging with treatments that are as natural as possible. Ultherapy® or generic HIFU treatments are non-surgical treatments with low or no downtime, comparing to other minimally invasive treatments such as threadlifts, toxins, fillers that involves injecting or inserting products into the skin to reverse aging. Ultherapy® is a treatment that works by delivering energy into different layer of skin to stimulate new collagen and elastin and lead to skin lifting and tightening over 2-3 months. The process is gradual, natural and subtle. Nobody can tell what you have done, you just look different in a good way. For ultherapy or a medical grade HIFU device, the lifting effect may sustain between 12 -18 months. However, if the energy or shots delivered to the skin is insufficient, multiple sessions of HIFU is required to achieve significant results.

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How Ultherapy® or HIFU works and the reliability of it?

Essentially (High-intensity focused ultrasound) is a form of ultrasound energy that is being delivered through the skin in a form of lines with small pockets of energy without injuring the superficial skin. These tiny pockets of heat will heat up the deeper skin tissue up to 60-70C in a controlled and precise manner. The heated skin tissue will then undergo repair and rebuild, leading to more new collagen and elastin production that eventually tighten and lift sagging skin.

For safety profile comparing generic HIFU and Ultherapy®, Ultherapy® device will have an upper hand thanks to the DeepSEE technology – a unique visual aid (ultrasound window), whereby doctors are able to visualise the layer of skin that we are delivering the energy while avoiding important structure such as blood vessels, bones or even nerves. Hence, Ultherapy® is a safer and more reliable device for both practitioners and patients comparing to generic HIFU devices. Whereas for HIFU, the practioners or beauticians will have to treat the affected area blindly by delivering intense and focused ultrasound into the skin layer without any visual guidance. The risks of injuring the important structures or heating up the wrong layer of skin tissue is higher.

For both Ultherapy® and HIFU treatments, energy pockets are generated in a form of lines and commonly the heat will be delivered to the depths ranging from 1.5–4.5 millimetres for the face and neck treatment. At 3.0mm, the energy delivered to the subcutaneous tissues will activate dormant cells and stimulate collagen production. At 4.5mm, the heat energy from the laser is used to contract the Superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System (SMAS), the same layer of skin that surgeons operate on during a real surgical facelift. By delivering the heat at these two layers of the skin, collagen will reproduce within the dermal layer and cause skin tightening effect over the course of 2-3 months.

So which procedure is right for me?

Ultimately, your choice of procedure should depend on reliability and safety of the device that you choose to believe in? Which one fits into your budget? And how many times of treatment are you willing to go through to achieve the desirable effect? Most importantly, approach a doctor that you are comfortable with, someone that is experienced in performing Ultherapy or HIFU, and understand well of what you are signing up for.

Ultherapy has the best safety profile with FDA approval to treat skin lifting. Treatment is performed under ultrasound guidance. One single treatment is sufficient to sustain results up to 18 months. However, it is slightly more expensive in comparison to generic HIFU.

For generic HIFU treatment, it is depending on which device that you are going after. Treatment cost will usually be cheaper for each treatment. Multiple treatments may be required to achieve drastic and sustainable results.

I believe these are the factors that are worth pondering before you make a decision to pick the RIGHT choice.