Is there anyone who doesn’t want a more contoured face or a fool-proof skin tightening choice these days?
And yet, not everyone is queueing up to get their skin sliced open or needles stuck into their face. As the debate heats up among those of us who are looking for a non-surgical facelift, HiFu vs. Ultherapy are among the hottest buzzwords that keep popping up.
This begs the question of which is better, but the truth is that HiFu and Ultherapy both tap into ultrasound technology. There are some differences, however, which may affect your decision when it comes to making the choice of how you want to achieve the look you want.
In this article, we’ll take a look at just what Ultherapy and HiFu are, and the differences between them as well. After all, this is your face and skin we are talking about here, so making a meticulous, careful, and well-informed decision is the wise thing to do.
What is Ultherapy?
The US FDA has approved the use of Ultherapy as a non-surgical treatment that uses ultrasound to counteract gravity’s effects on the skin. It slowly lifts the facial skin, neck, décolletage, and neck to help smoothen out lines and wrinkles.
Ultrasound imaging enables specialists to see the tissue layers being worked on during the procedure to make sure the energy reaches the target areas. During the procedure, an aesthetic doctor uses an applicator to deliver targeted ultrasound energy at just the right temperature to stimulate collagen and elastic tissue regeneration in muscles as well as skin.
What is Hifu?
HiFu is short for High-intensity focused ultrasound, which was developed as a non-surgical procedure for treating facial wrinkles and laxity. This has proven effective in improving the appearance of the skin on the jawline, cheek and around the mouth.
During a HiFu treatment, HiFu energy is integrated with a cold laser to promote bio-stimulation up to 5mm deep into the skin. It uses a large hand-held device that helps to remodel and breakdown fat without damaging the skin’s outer layer or nearby tissue.
It is recommended for patients from 25 to 60 years old, whether to fix the signs of skin aging, or to prevent wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes, lips, jawline, and mouth. It is also ideal for patients who would like to firm up their double chins.
The Choice is Up to You
After visible results and effectiveness, pain and discomfort are significant considerations when it comes to treatment options. Those of us with low pain thresholds might be glad to know that HiFu is virtually painless because the ultrasound energy is diffused into fractions and only affects highly targeted, exact areas at a time. It is the first procedure to be able to do so, eliminating the need for numbing creams or painkillers.
HiFu might produce a slightly painful sensation for some. Still, this discomfort is a lot less than that caused by Ultherapy, which is acknowledged as the more painful treatment of the two. Some patients who go in for Ultherapy need to take painkillers or have a local anaesthetic prior to the procedure. This is because Ultherapy goes underneath the skin’s surface and deeper into the muscle tissues.
Those folks, however, who believe that “beauty knows no pain”, might be satisfied to know that Ultherapy produces more noticeable results after just one or two treatments and that follow-up visits may be limited to only once a year. HiFu, on the other hand, can have you back at your aesthetic clinic as often as once a month for maintenance.
