Medical facelift using focused ultrasound (HIFU)

A facelift is a technique used to treat sagging skin by tightening the skin to restore sagging volumes. In particular, it tones the oval of the face, restoring a younger, more toned and smoother appearance. The medical facelift is performed without a scalpel, without surgery, and without general anesthesia. The HIFU facelift uses safe medical waves, ultrasound, to heat the dermis and remodel it in depth.

What are the objectives of HIFU?

HIFU is high-intensity focused ultrasound, which carries energy that transforms into heat on contact with the targeted tissue. HIFU technology targets different skin depths (1.5mm to 13mm) to deliver heat to the dermis or fatty hypodermis. This localized heat destroys tissue either completely (fat melting) or partially (dermal retraction and regenerative remodeling).

How does HIFU medical facelift work?

High-intensity energy is delivered in the form of lines, themselves made up of several points through the different layers of the skin. These points, delivered at a very high temperature, generate neo-collagenase, i.e. new collagen production. As a result, the patient's skin gains in tone and firmness.
HIFU by DUAL HI is therefore a non-surgical, non-invasive slimming and firming technique, with a dual action depending on the targeted tissues:

• fat destruction
• skin rejuvenation with lifting and tightening effects.

The medical facelift effect actually combines a dual action:

• an immediate tightening effect , as collagen fibers coagulate and shrink under the effect of heat;
• a delayed regenerating effect, as heat activates stem cells, releasing growth factors that, in just a few weeks, produce young, active fibroblasts capable of remodeling firmer, smoother, more plump skin.

Contraindications for HIFU are limited, such as patients at risk of bleeding, pregnant women, local skin lesions...

The face

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive solution for lifting and firming the face without surgery. By targeting different skin layers, including the SMAS layer (the one treated in surgical facelifts), HIFU stimulates natural collagen regeneration. They are particularly effective on :

• The oval of the face (redefining contours)
• Double chin (reduction of excess fat and sagging)
• Cheeks (firming and densification)
• Drooping eyelids ("open look" effect)
• Neck (smoothing and toning)
• Forehead and eyebrows ("brow lift" effect)

Results are gradual and natural, with a visible tightening effect in the first few weeks, without scarring or social exclusion.

The body

HIFU is also highly effective for treating certain areas of the body prone to sagging skin or localized fatty deposits. They enable deep skin tightening and improve skin texture. The most commonly treated areas are :

• Belly (post-partum firming or after weight loss)
• Arms (firmness of inner surface)
• Thighs (toning and wrinkle reduction)
• Buttocks (lifting effect)
• Hips and love handles (fat reduction)
• Knees and tops of knees (crumpled skin)

This treatment is ideal for patients seeking a tightening effect without surgery, with immediate return to activity.

During the initial consultation, Dr. Christelle Santini, cosmetic surgeon in Paris, will discuss with the patient the area(s) he or she would like to treat. These areas are examined by Dr. Christelle Santini, who carefully establishes the indications for the HIFU medical facelift. In particular, she ensures that the sagging skin is moderate, and not associated with excess skin. If there is too much skin, or if the skin has lost its elasticity, the only solution is often surgery.

A protocol of 1 to 3 sessions is proposed to the patient, depending on the area, and a customized estimate is drawn up. It is possible to combine the firming action on the dermis with the slimming action on fatty tissue.

HIFU sessions take place at the doctor's office, rue de la Pompe (75116 Paris), on an outpatient basis.

During the session, Dr Christelle Santini will apply a contact gel (an ultrasound gel) to the cleansed skin, so that the ultrasound can penetrate the skin as deeply as possible and deliver all the energy required.

Typically, your doctor will mark out with a white pencil the areas where he or she will pass the device's handpiece several times. Dr. Santini's art lies in pinpointing the loosest areas, and firming the tissues while respecting the natural tension lines to obtain an optimal result that enhances your features and expressions.

The focused ultrasound device sends impacts to different depths of the skin, perfectly calibrated and monitored in real time.

There's no risk to the skin, and it's totally safe.

The session is virtually painless, and the patient may feel a sensation of warmth in the treated area, as well as a slight tingling sensation.

A session for small areas of the face can last 10 minutes. For the whole face, it can take up to 40 minutes.
A session for the body can last between 30 and 60 minutes.

After a HIFU session, there is no need to avoid social contact. Patients can resume their activities as soon as the session is over. The skin is just a little pinkish, but visibly more relaxed and firmer.

Some of the effects can be seen immediately, while others are delayed.

• For volume

Fat cells are permanently destroyed in depths ranging from 6.5mm to 13mm (depending on indications). This destruction is immediate (apoptosis), but the fat is gradually eliminated by natural means, so that visible slimming effects are achieved after 3 months, and are optimal after 6 months. In this way, HIPU technology can reshape the oval of the face by slimming the chin.

• For sagging skin

The "Lifting" effect, achieved by firing at depths ranging from 1.5mm to 4.5mm, can be perceived immediately, but with a slight effect (tensor effect due to collagen coagulation). The result is optimal after 2/3 months, the time it takes for the stimulated young fibroblasts to react and remodel the skin using cutaneous stem cells. The result is stable for an average of 2 years.

• No work stoppage required.
• Return home after the session without anesthesia.
• Possible dual effect on slimming and tightening.

What to do before a HIFU medical facelift?

• A consultation with aesthetic medicine
• We provide a quote and take photographs.
• No congested face on the day of the medical facelift.

How is a facelift performed without HIFU surgery?

• No anaesthetic required
• 10 min to 40 m for this surgery-free facelift.
• Return home after the HIFU session without social eviction.

What are the after-effects of a HIFU facelift?

• Immediate light tensor effect
• Optimal firming effect on the oval of the face around 2/3 months
• Slimming effect after 2 to 6 months.
• Lasting effect approx. 2 years.