Ultherapy: Say Good Bye to Sagging Skin!
By Dr. Shehla Ebrahim, MD

Few things are as inevitable as gravity’s toll on your skin. One day, all of a sudden, reality stares you square in the face. You might initially think it’s because you did not sleep well the previous night, but eventually you admit that an afternoon nap is not going to solve this issue. It’s a bona fide eyebrow droop!

Non-surgical methods to treat laxity of the face and neck are among the most sought-after solutions in aesthetic medicine. Many technologies to tighten the skin have been introduced in the past, and a variety claim to achieve skin tightening. Yet none have been shown to be consistent and reproducible, and many patients leave dissatisfied. Enter Ultherapy: a novel technology and a quantum leap from other non-surgical, energy-based devices used to tighten and lift the skin. This technology combines ultrasound imaging with acoustic energy to visualize tissue under the skin followed by the precise delivery of energy to the desired depth.

Ultherapy: A Non-surgical Breakthrough

As we get older, our faces sag and wrinkles appear due to gravity and sun. Until recently, the main approach to the improvement of skin laxity was a facelift – an effective but invasive procedure associated with downtime plus a risk of scarring and side effects. Ultherapy using ultrasound is a novel device that delivers energy that tightens the skin without cutting. No scalpels, no needles, no cutting. Ultherapy, however, is a not a facelift and does not give the same results as a facelift. A facelift stops the clock. Ultherapy slow down the aging process by creating new structural collagen. As a standalone treatment, Ultherapy may be optimal for surgical candidates who are unwilling or unable to undergo surgery or for those candidates who wish to postpone surgery.

The beauty of Ultherapy is that there is no downtime. There is no swelling, bruising or crusting and patients can return to work the same day. It’s aptly called the ‘Lunchtime lift’. Ultherapy uses ultrasound heat to set collagen production into overdrive deep below the skin’s surface. As it kicks in, the brow firms, the jaw line becomes well defined and the neck lifts. It’s a lunchtime lift without any surgery. Even more alluring is the Ultherapy provides an immediate smoothing effect. And since the collagen continues to grow, results actually improve over the course of a few months. More than 90 percent of patients notice improvement in tone, texture and some tightening within a few weeks, and are even more excited with the results after three to six months, when the deep wrinkles become fine lines and eyes appear more open.

The duration of response after a single treatment is estimated to last about 1.5 years. The ideal candidate is someone between 35 and 60 with early signs of laxity. These patients see results within three to six months with a single treatment. Patients over the age of 60 may require a second treatment in six months. Many patients are looking to stay competitive in the workforce, which they believe is tied to their appearance. Whether improving their appearance to look more vibrant or for the associated confidence boost, people perceive this to be important and they come into my office looking for help.

Stand Firm in the Face of Gravity

Ultherapy has been extensively publicized in the media as a safe and effective procedure for lifting and tightening of the skin. You may have seen Ultherapy through Dr. Oz, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar or other fashion magazines. Once it was featured on the larger talk shows, the flood-gates opened and our phones were ringing off the hook. Be aware that every procedure has risks and side effects if not done properly. With Ultherapy, the heat from the procedure could make you wince, and transient numbness along the jaw line is possible, though temporary. It is therefore, important to locate an experienced physician to perform the procedure.

Ultherapy offers a distinct advantage over other non-surgical alternatives. Most non-surgical, energy-based devices currently on the market treat only the skin’s surface.

Ultherapy goes deeper, providing a different dimension to rejuvenation; depositing energy at very precise depths because it sees and treats at the same time. Treatments can also be individualized according to each patient’s concern. Because the effects occur below the surface, treating specific facial areas individually is certainly possible with Ultherapy. However, most patients select full-face treatments as the best option for a more uniform result.

Metvix® comes in a cream containing methyl aminolevulinate, which is specifically absorbed into the altered skin cells of these lesions.  Metvix® causes porphyrins to accumulate and be absorbed selectively by the AK and BCC lesions. These porphyrins are light sensitive, so when the Metvix is illuminated and activated by the Red light source, it causes a chemical reaction in the skin cells that destroys the lesion.

If you have actinic keratoses or basal cell carcinomas, call Afterglow for your complimentary consultation with Dr. Ebrahim.

If you want skin that is smooth and lustrous, do the math and call Afterglow to learn how our lasers can  help you.

The principal behind this therapy is simple:  when applied to the skin, under a local or topical anaesthetic, channels are created deep into the dermis of the skin.

These channels cause keratinocytes and fibroblasts to produce numerous growth factors which induce the growth of collagen – with no damage to the epidermis!

Dermal Rolling is used to soften fine lines, tighten skin, restore elasticity plus reduce the appearance of scarring, pigmentation marks and stretch marks.

The procedure is safe, entirely natural with a short healing period of approximately 5 days.  No sun sensitivity is induced and it can be used on laser resurfaced skin.  Another advantage to this treatment is the areas it can be used on:  face, neck and body!

So get Rolling and call Afterglow for your complimentary consultation.

In her article she sights three books on the topic:

Erotic Capital:  The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom  by Catherine Hakim, Basic Books, 2011

Beauty Pays:  Why Attractive People are More Successful, by Daniel S. Hamermesh, Princeton University Press, 2011

La Seduction:  How the French Play the Game of Life, by Elaine Sciolino, Times Books, 2011.

Although not a new idea, it’s interesting that it now has a name!

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