By: Halcyon Med Spa
No matter how many facials we get, nor how many scientifically-proven topical products one uses, our skin will eventually begin to sag. The skin’s taut, elastic quality we enjoyed in our youth will begin to relax. This is due to intrinsic aging, a natural process that takes place regardless of intervention or environment. It’s characterized by thinning skin, deeper wrinkles and uneven tone. Extrinsic aging is the more manageable counterpart, which we can influence by using SPF, getting adequate sleep and adhering to a healthful diet
Collagen Declines Gradually
To look at the skin of a 28 year-old man or woman, you’ll generally see good surface tension, even tone and very little wrinkling. But what you can’t see is that by age 28, collagen and elastin production has already started to slow down dramatically. After 20, we produce 1% less collagen each year. So by age 28, that attractive young person has already taken an 8% hit in collagen. Collagen is the protein that keeps skin firm; elastin provides elasticity and “bounce.” Fortunately, it’s a gradual process. We don’t wake up one morning to find that our face has collapsed!
Following a smart prevention strategy is key to slowing down the process. That includes daily SPF and an effective at-home regimen that incorporates retinol and periodic professional treatments.
Non-Surgical Facelift
Traditional Ultherapy is a popular treatment that uses ultrasound energy at depths of 1.5mm, 3.0mm or even 4.5mm below skin’s surface to stimulate collagen and elastin production. The imaging component allows practitioners to visualize the layers of your tissue and target treatment deep in the fascia layer which lifts the treated area, and again at 1.5mm to target the dermis, to tighten.
Typically our Ultherapy patients are men and women in their late 30s, 40s and beyond who have visibly sagging skin. They can see facial skin beginning to relax and they want to do something. Of course, this is still relatively young, and most people in this category don’t want or need surgical intervention. This dual depth treatment of Traditional Ultherapy is the tool we use to get the lifted, tightened effect of a non-surgical facelift. Results from deep targeting will be evident at about the 3-6 month mark.
Major Glow Before Events
Ultherapy Glow is a way to delay the onset of that visibly loose skin and enjoy a major glow before big events. Unlike the deeper targeting, Glow is a protocol developed to amplify collagen and elastin production within the skin itself, strengthening it against surface concerns like fine line formation and wrinkling, mitigating the effects of natural collagen decline. As you heal, dormant collagen production is revived and tightening begins to occur at the level you targeted.
Named for the initial effect, it imparts a distinct “glow” that lasts for several weeks. But the real benefits are seen in time. Just like the traditional, deeper version, Glow is triggering increased collagen and elastin production in your skin. However, because we’re targeting the more superficial dermis, results are evident much sooner, at the 2-4 week mark.
Do More, More Often
Another great thing about Glow is that you can do more, more often. For those of us who are taking an active role in delaying visible aging, Ultherapy Glow could be an important element of our prevention strategy. Most people will want to repeat treatment every six months. But a more aggressive program could start with treatment once a month for the first three months, followed by once every 6-12 months.
Why the repetition? No question, you’ll get benefits from one treatment, in fact, a single session is a fantastic boost before a wedding or major event. But if you’re looking to shore up collagen reserves, the positive changes from Ultherapy Glow will improve steadily with greater frequency of treatment.
Just as aging happens due to many factors, successful prevention can be achieved with multiple approaches. This new Ultherapy protocol gives us even more options to trigger cellular improvement and postpone aging with a gradual process that bolsters short-term and long-term support for the skin.
