Wisdom and experience aren’t the only things that come with time—outward signs of aging on our skin, faces and bodies catch up with all of us at some point. We don’t have to suffer through the signs of aging that affect how we feel about ourselves and our place in the world. If you notice your skin isn’t as tight or smooth in places as it used to be, you have more choices than surgery or just grinning and bearing it. Call Allure Enhancement Center in Lafayette, LA to discuss Ultherapy treatment.
What is Ultherapy Treatment?
This is a non-surgical, non-invasive treatment, cleared by the FDA, that uses ultrasound therapy to dramatically improve the appearance of the chin, neck, brows, and chest. Ultrasound energy is directed, at the appropriate temperature, to deep layers of the skin to promote the body’s production of collagen. Collagen is the structural protein that gives youthful skin its smooth, supple and taut appearance.
Unlike surgery and other invasive measures that need to cut or pierce the surface of the skin, Ultherapy uses its energy to bypass the surface, leaving it unharmed, while stimulating collagen production deep within the lower layers of skin. Because this treatment uses ultrasound imaging, it allows your practitioner to see the layers of the tissue they want to target and focus the energy on the exact location that will get the best results.
Micro-focused ultrasound stimulates your collagen production so your skin will lift and tighten. Unlike a facelift that might deliver drastic or jarring results, your results with Ultherapy will be gradual and natural-looking, with zero downtime.
Why Choose Ultherapy?
It’s important to partner with a skilled provider who will take the time to listen to your areas of concern and the results you’d like to see. When you consider other treatments and procedures, there are several factors to contemplate.
Invasiveness
Many people who experience skin laxity, sagging and wrinkles aren’t yet ready for surgical intervention. While no therapy can duplicate the results of a facelift, that surgery requires preparation, significant after-care, and downtime. While surgery is generally safe, it carries with it certain risks not inherent in a non-invasive therapy.
For those clients who have already gotten a facelift, this therapy can help them maintain their results. This therapy completely bypasses the surface of the skin, not requiring a scalpel or needle to get results. This eliminates the risk of surface tissue damage and scarring.
Effectiveness
Unlike other treatments, Ultherapy can reach the very foundation of the skin. Other treatments can only reach shallow layers of the skin, providing superficial results that rarely address skin laxity in any significant way.
Safety
Ultrasound technology has been used in medicine for more than half a century. It has a proven track record of safety and has been cleared by the FDA to provide lifting on the chin, neck, and brow. It’s also been cleared to improve lines and wrinkles on the chest or decolletage.
What to Expect?
When you decide this is the treatment you want to achieve your desired results, there is no preparation necessary. You can enjoy your normal work, social and exercise routines right before and immediately after your session. You’ll be asked to leave the area to be treated makeup-free, but even that isn’t necessary if it’s too inconvenient, as your provider will clean the area to remove any excess oil or debris.
An ultrasound gel will be applied and the ultrasound device placed on the treatment area. Your provider will use ultrasound imaging to correctly direct the energy to tissue depths that will provide the best results. Depending on the area to be treated, sessions will last between 30 and 90 minutes.
After your session, you can resume your normal routine with no restrictions. Some clients will schedule their appointments during their workday and go back to work immediately after treatment. You can reapply makeup to the area before heading out.
Results
Because your body’s healing process is kick-started at a deep level, results come on gradually. Clients love this attribute of Ultherapy because it makes them look naturally youthful and not as though they’ve just had “work” done. Results slowly appear over three to four and even up to six months after treatment. When results peak, a firmer profile and appearance are achieved as collagen levels are successfully increased.
How much collagen is produced is based on the individual, and everyone’s levels are different. This also determines how long the results last. This treatment won’t stop your aging process, so many clients choose to have follow-up sessions one to two years down the road.
Most clients only require one treatment, though some will opt for another to get more dramatic results depending on their level of skin laxity and areas being treated. Not only is this a fantastic treatment for clients not wanting to have surgery, but it works well for people who want to extend the results of previous facelifts.
Complementary Anti-Aging Treatments
Your practitioner may recommend other treatments, based on your areas of concern, to maximize your overall results and help you accomplish all your esthetic goals.
Injectables
One of the best treatments to achieve immediate results for moderate-to-severe lines and folds is an injectable. There are two major types: Botulinum toxins and dermal fillers.
Botulinum Toxins
While the name can be off-putting, this is the most performed cosmetic treatment in the world. The most recognizable of this family is BOTOX. Botulinum toxins are neuromodulators, meaning they block impulses from the nerves so they don’t reach the muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles.
As we age, the expressions we’ve made our whole lives create wrinkles over the muscles we have used to make those expressions. When injected into the targeted muscles, they relax. As the muscles in your face relax, the skin and wrinkles over them smooth. Most clients see results about a week after treatment, and those results can last up to four months. If the client has a routine of follow-up appointments, their results can be consistently maintained.
If you’ve noticed lines because of smiling, frowning and other facial expressions, talk to your practitioner about botulinum toxins. These injectables can address:
- Frown lines
- Bunny lines on the side of the nose
- Forehead wrinkles
- Crow’s feet
Dermal Fillers
Another popular treatment, this family of injectables offers instant filling of folds and lines on your face and can also address lost volume in your mid-face region. As we age and lose some of our facial structure, our skin falls to fill in the new hollow areas, causing wrinkles, folds, and fallen cheek and temporal areas.
Most fillers are made with a form of hyaluronic acid: a sugar our bodies produce to keep our skin hydrated. As these smooth gels are injected into lines and folds, they instantly plump those areas, resulting in a more youthful smoothness and lifted appearance. Other fillers can restore defined cheekbones and even proportions that have become hollow over time. They restore plumpness to the face, creating a younger profile and overall youthful appearance.
There are many dermal fillers to choose from and only your practitioner can help you decide which specific one is right for you, your areas of concern, and your desired outcomes. Results can last up to two years and are easily maintained through a consistent schedule of follow-up appointments. This family of injectables can address a myriad of concerns like:
- Nasolabial folds
- Marionette lines
- Vertical lip lines
- Thinning lips
- Lost volume in cheeks, cheekbones, and temples
- Chin lines
- Acne scars
- Nose wrinkles
Skin Resurfacing
One of the major causes of a dull and aged appearance is the dead skin cells and debris on the top layers of skin. There are treatments to help your skin regenerate cells by producing more collagen. When that happens, lines are filled in, pigmentation corrected, and the appearance of acne and acne scars diminished.
Microneedling With or Without PRP
Microneedling, or collagen induction therapy, is well established in the esthetic world for successfully resurfacing the skin. A handheld device is passed over the skin, and its hair-thin needles created micro-perforations.
These small pinpricks are micro-channels into deeper layers of the skin. Our bodies see these as small injuries it needs to heal. Collagen production is increased, and new, healthier, and more youthful cells replace the current layers of skin.
PRP
PRP, or platelet rich plasma, can be added to this treatment to enhance results and further increase the effectiveness of this therapy. This powerful serum is derived from a sample of your blood that has been separated in a centrifuge. The plasma is what your body first sends to repair injuries on the skin. When the PRP is applied to the face after microneedling, it signals your body to increase its healing process and produce even more collagen.
These treatments are a fast, easy and comfortable way for you to achieve natural-looking results with no downtime. Microneedling and PRP can address:
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Hyperpigmentation
- Acne scarring
- A dull complexion
Chemical Peels
Another popular skin resurfacing option is a chemical peel. These treatments are applied to the skin and gently exfoliate the top layer or layers of skin, depending on the peel chosen. As the dead and dull skin cells slough off, younger-looking, more radiant skin is revealed. Clients can choose from three types of chemical peels:
- Superficial—a mild peel for minor skin discoloration and uneven texture
- Medium—a stronger peel that penetrates deeper layers to address age spots, fine lines, and moderate skin discoloration
- Deep—the strongest peel for the most dramatic results, this treats shallow scars, moderate lines, and defined age spots
Results can be immediate and only get better as a few weeks go by and your body creates more collagen. Clients can enjoy younger-looking, glowing and vibrant skin. While some clients may achieve the look they want after just one treatment, others may choose to have multiple peels done to maximize their results.
Other Treatments
Your provider will discuss all the options available to you and help you pick the one just right for your concerns. Other treatments to discuss with your skincare specialist are:
- Dermaplaning
- Specialized facials
- HydraFacial
- Dermalinfusion
- Kybella
- Sclerotherapy
- Laser services
- Fat treatments
- Permanent hair removal
Schedule a Consultation
The first step to a more youthful, vibrant and confident you is to schedule a consultation with an expert skincare professional. Call Allure Enhancement Center in Lafayette, LA to ensure you’re in the right hands and will achieve the best results. Our qualified and compassionate staff wants to enhance your natural beauty and appearance, not change it. We know you want to look and feel your best, no matter what your age, and we are committed to helping you achieve just that.