AUSTIN -- Doctors who specialize in cosmetic medicine have a new tool to help people turn back the clock. It uses a technology pregnant women are familiar with.
When it’s used to see a baby inside the womb, it’s called a sonogram. When it’s used to create the appearance of youth, it’s called focused ultrasound.
Austin plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel Leeman is one of the first doctors in South Texas to use this newly-approved device to tighten up sagging skin.
“This is the first FDA-approved device that we have on the market that basically uses the sound waves to help build, tighten, lift and stimulate your body to make collagen production,” Leeman explained.
It’s sound waves doing the work instead of a scalpel or lasers. The energy penetrating the surface creates tiny pockets of heat, which in turn, spur the body’s healing response. More collagen means tighter, younger-looking skin.
Before and after photographs show eyelids raised, jaw lines more defined and the neck area tightened.
Jennifer Bollier wanted to target two problem areas. “The jowls, the neck,” she said.
The Ulthera facelift, as it’s called, takes about an hour. The doctor carefully places about 4,000 tiny pockets of energy that begin their tightening process immediately, though the full impact won’t be seen for two to three months. The effect can last five to ten years.
The prime candidate for the ultrasound facelift is between 35 and 55, old enough to have sagging skin, but young enough for the body’s healing process to create noticeable chances.
Patients describe the sensation of the treatment as a warm prickling feeling.
At a cost of $4500, it isn’t cheap. But many patients are attracted by the lack of a scalpel or laser, and the fact that the approach harnesses the body’s own healing power to affect change. Plus, there’s no down time after the procedure.
Bollier said she’s hoping “to feel better about myself. When I look in the mirror to hopefully say ‘hey, I like this.’”
“This is a revolutionary device in my opinion,” Leeman said. “And that’s why we’re so excited.”
