Harnessing the power and precision of microfocused ultrasound technology, Ultherapy is pushing the boundaries of what fully noninvasive skin tightening treatments can do.
Whether you’re looking to supplement or avoid a facelift with a more discrete and affordable option, the team at Ingrid E. Trenkle, MD, of the Redlands, CA area is here to walk you through the Ultherapy treatment process, including answering any questions you may have.
But first of all, how does Ultherapy actually reverse signs of aging? How long do results last between treatments? Read on to learn how this revolutionary technology works.
How Ultherapy Works
The basic gist is this: Ultherapy is an advanced nonsurgical treatment that uses carefully concentrated ultrasound energy to encourage collagen activity.
Collagen is a structural protein that gives our skin its taut, smooth appearance. As a person ages into their late 20s and early 30s, their natural collagen production begins to drop off, which is when visible skin issues begin to surface. Declining collagen levels, in fact, are associated with many common skin problems, including dryness, wrinkles, sagging and more.
Specifically, the process by which Ultherapy stimulates collagen activity for anti-aging purposes is three-fold: denaturation, healing, and new collagen growth.
Breaking Down Collagen
The sound waves emitted by the Ultherapy handpiece penetrate the skin to create thousands of tiny pockets of heat in the underlying tissue called “thermal coagulation points.”
In the same way that frying up an egg denatures the protein (sorry to break it to you, but Rocky was right), heating collagen to 60 degrees Celsius or higher destroys this vital protein’s structure.
As the chemical bonds within collagen fibers begin to break apart, the fibers will contract, pulling the skin tighter and creating an instant tightening effect. But this initial effect isn’t how Ultherapy creates long-lasting results. Encouraging new collagen to “move in” and firm up the damaged tissues over time is what makes this treatment effective for longer periods of time.
Stimulating Collagen Regrowth
In response to the destruction of collagen caused by Ultherapy, the body mounts its defense by working to repair the injured tissue.
Like workers using scaffolding and steel beams to reinforce a damaged building, new collagen is created and laid down within the tissue, making it both tighter and more flexible than it was before.
We’ll spare you the 3000-level microbiology lecture, but in essence, the body’s complex healing process uses inflammation and new collagen creation to rejuvenate treated areas.
Long-Term Healing Process
After new collagen is laid down as part of the body’s response to Ultherapy, the collagen “matures” over a period of roughly 10 weeks, meaning you can expect your results to not only last, but gradually improve over this time period.
Kind of like a plant’s root system reaching further into the soil over time, the process of collagen maturation strengthens and supports the tissue as the fibers form a scaffold-like structure.
Paired with the near-instantaneous tightening effect from step one (see above), this allows for both early and sustainable results.
The Many Age-Defying Benefits of Ultherapy
Ultherapy has proven its mettle as a collagen stimulator. But how exactly does collagen address signs of aging in the first place? Another way of asking this is, what concerns can Ultherapy help to resolve?
Because collagen’s role in skin health is multifaceted (elasticity, firmness, hydration, etc.), it can address an equally diverse range of issues, including sagging skin in multiple areas, jowling, fine lines, crow’s feet, and more.
Skin Elasticity
Even if there isn’t much excess tissue in the area, low skin elasticity can still lead to wrinkles and sagging. This issue is common not only to the face, but many areas throughout the body.
Collagen has been clearly demonstrated to improve skin elasticity by helping skin cells stick to each other. Improved skin elasticity means fewer wrinkles and a smoother texture.
Skin Hydration
Another important component to healthy skin that goes hand in hand with elasticity is hydration. A growing volume of clinical trials and studies have confirmed a clear link between collagen and the skin’s moisture content.
The exact mechanisms involved are still being explored, but by enhancing hydration in the skin, collagen helps to prevent and even reverse the many issues associated with dry skin, including:
- Flaking or peeling
- Roughness
- Wrinkles
- Uneven skin tone
- Irritability and/or redness
Encouraging New Cell Growth
Finally, collagen also contributes to the process of new skin cell growth, which in turn accelerates the replacement of dead skin cells.
Dead skin cells around the face can cause concerns like discoloration, acne, clogged pores, and other not-so-fun issues. Maintaining optimal collagen levels is an excellent way to keep these issues at bay.