HIFU Treatment Singapore – What You Need To Know

1. What is Hifu – At A Glance

HIFU stands for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound. The technology uses ultrasound waves to penetrate deep below the surface of the skin to stimulate and tighten collagen fibres. This helps to lift and tighten skin in a controlled manner without causing damage to the skin. Examples of machines using HIFU technology include Liftera.

2. What can HIFU treat?

HIFU can be used to treat:

• Sagging skin along the jaw and jowls to give a sharper and more defined jawline and v-shaped face
• To help melt facial fats to enhance lifting and jowl reduction
• Lifting cheeks, eye brows and eye lids
• Smoothing of skin and reduction of wrinkles
• Tighten lax skin around the neck, abdomen and decolletage.

3. How does HIFU work?

HIFU works by targeting sagging skin by going right down to where it matters: the superficial muscular aponeurotic system (SMAS) layer, which is also the exact same layer that is pulled, lifted, and tucked in a surgical facelift. Focused ultrasound energy is used to heat specific areas of the SMAS to shorten and tighten collagen fibres in the skin and in the deeper layers of the face and neck to achieve lifting and tightening.

4. What are some of the benefits of HIFU

• Minimal to no downtime
• Non-invasive
• Minimal pain
• Safe for all skin types
• Natural looking results

5. How many sessions do I need?

This depends on the machine and varies between patients depending on the lifting and tightening desired. In general, Ultherapy is performed once a year while Liftera Vision is repeated every 2-4 months.

6. What is the difference between Liftera-Hifu & Ultherapy

Liftera-HIFU is a non-invasive lifting and contouring treatment for the face, neck area and body. It uses the original theory of Thermal Diffusion Treatment (TDT ™) Technology and can get various types of heat energy into the skin more effectively, and it is effective for strengthening of the skin and body such as face lifting, skin tightening, body shaping and line correction. Due to the TDT, it has high accuracy and stability in heat delivery and is significantly less painful and more comfortable.

Ultherapy on the other hand is a medical grade MFU(microfocused ultrasound) that allows direct visualization of the tissues that is treated so doctors can precisely target the areas to be tightened. Due to the ability to visualize the layers being treated, doctors can tailor the treatment with accurate precision. It uses ultrasound energy to that is sharply focused, leaving surrounding areas unaffected, thus avoiding problems such as unintended fat loss. As with HIFU, Ultherapy also uses ultrasonic energy to heat up tissues and muscles in the deep layers of the skin to stimulate the production of collagen. This leads to skin regeneration called neocollagenesis. It triggers the body’s natural healing process which causes us to use our own collagen to rebuild the skin’s framework.

7. What is the difference between Liftera-Hifu & Thermage

Thermage on the other hand uses radiofrequency energy instead of ultrasound energy. The radiofrequency energy is transmitted to the skin and subcutaneous tissues and gets converted to heat energy at a specific temperature. The heat, similar to HIFU, stimulates the existing collagen fibres to remodel for tightening of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. New collagen fibre formation is also stimulated for additional tightening and lifting effects. Thermage uses bulk heating effect and compared to HIFU, HIFU has a slight advantage in terms of the control over depth of penetration. However, Thermage can be done on the eyelids, face, decolletage. It is also useful for crepey skin on the abdomen and thighs, wherein HIFU may be limited.

8. Is there any downtime

HIFU is also colloquially known as the “lunchtime facelift. There is typically minimal to no downtime, and patients typically experience only mild redness which is self-limiting and usually lasts only a few hours.

9. What are the side effects?

HIFU may cause:

• Blotching of skin
• Numbing of skin
• Slight discomfort or pain
• Swelling over treated areas
• Mild redness and inflammation

These side effects are natural as the skin adjusts after the procedure. They are typically temporary and will usually resolve within 2 weeks without permanent complications.