What is HIFU?

1. What is HIFU？

HIFU, High-intensity focused ultrasound, is a new type of non-surgical, non-invasive method that uses ultrasound technology and the body’s own natural healing process to tighten and tone wobbly skin on your face. The use of high-intensity focused ultrasound waves enables the technology to get to a specific point below the surface of the skin where it reaches the SMAS layer (muscle layer). Working deep below the surface it stimulates the growth of collagen without harming the outer layer of skin. This results in long-lasting firming, and tightening of the skin, after just one treatment.

2. HIFU Features

HIFU is able to improve wrinkles, sagging, or loose skin problems. Some common features include:

 - Uses concentrated heat to accurately treat the SMAS layer, the middle layer of skin.

 - Reduces sagging and wrinkles.

 - Stimulates collagen.

 - Causes no trauma to the outer skin layers.

3. How Does it Improve Skin Problems?

Prior to learning about the benefits of HIFU devices on the skin, it is important to understand the aging cycle of the skin.

When the skin begins to age, hyaluronic acid is lost.

This reduces the moisture in the skin, resulting in a decrease of fibroblasts. 

As a result, the amount of collagen and elastin in the skin is reduced. 

Because of that, various factors can age the skin. For example, UV light causes the skin to age, you begin to lose pigmentation, and wrinkles or sagging begins to appear. 

When the skin ages, the biggest change occurs in the superficial tendon system, known as the dermis. Degeneration of the dermis is what causes most of the skin aging. The HIFU device targets the dermis layer, preventing further aging from occurring and reducing problems such as wrinkling and sagging. 

4. How Does HIFU Compare to RF Devices?

HIFU and RF devices are the two most popular beauty devices in the market. Here are some different characteristics of the two:

1. The HIFU and RF devices use different technologies to heat up the deep skin tissues. HIFU delivers more precise and more intense fractional ultrasound energy while RF is based on a bulk heating strategy.

2. HIFU goes much deeper into and beyond the dermis, being able to reach the SMAS layer. RF, on the other hand, will not go as deep as HIFU. It focuses on epidermal layers and does not go beyond the deep dermis.

3. HIFU is generally performed as a single treatment RF may require several sessions. The exact frequency of either of those treatments will depend on the type of device used and your skin conditions such as its current elasticity or your genetic heritage.

4. The use of ultrasound energy in cosmetic procedures is a relatively new practice. So in terms of aesthetic facial rejuvenation, RF has been around much longer.