Massive weight loss, sun damage, and the natural aging process can do a number on your skin. At R Shaheen Vascular in Mountain View, CA, Dr. Raymond M. Shaheen, M.D. is proud to offer Ultherapy treatment, a revolutionary skin tightening treatment. This state-of-the-art ultrasound-based treatment will quickly and effectively lift your skin, making you look years younger.
What Is Ultherapy and How Long Does It Last?
Ultherapy treatment is an ultrasound-based anti-aging treatment that is most commonly used to tighten loose, sagging skin on the forehead, chin, and neck. However, it can also be used to lift loose, sagging chest skin. Since this innovative treatment increases the amount of collagen produced in the treatment areas, results typically last for roughly 24 months.
What You Need to Know About This Treatment
One of the reasons this treatment is so effective is that we can see the deep layers of your skin tissue during your treatment session. This is thanks to the ultrasound technology used. The ability to see beneath the surface of your skin allows us to focus more energy on the areas that need the most help.
Another reason this treatment is so effective is that the soundwave-based energy heats the foundational layer of your skin. This induces a significant amount of extra collagen production. Since you’re encouraging your skin to produce extra collagen, your results will look completely natural.
Achieving Durable Results
While this treatment typically provides results that last for 24 months, the longevity of your results will depend on lifestyle choices, such as how well you care for your skin. Some of the most effective steps you can take to extend the longevity of your results include wearing sunscreen regularly, eating nutritiously, staying hydrated, and minimizing the time you spend in the sun between 10 and 4.
How Should I Prepare for My Treatment Session?
Preparing for this treatment is incredibly easy. You don’t need to change too much of your routines, such as your workout schedule and dietary choices. However, you should stop taking NSAIDs and other blood-thinning pharmaceuticals for two weeks before your session. On the morning of your session, you should not apply cosmetics to the treatment areas. Moreover, you should dress in loose, comfortable clothing on the day of your appointment.
Is This Treatment Relaxing?
Yes, Ultherapy treatment is a non-invasive, relaxing skin tightening treatment.
A Short Process
This treatment process can last up to 90 minutes if you are targeting your face, neck, and chest for skin tightening. However, most people only need sessions that last for 30 to 90 minutes.
We can advise you on how long you should expect your treatment to take once we have evaluated your current aesthetic and understand your cosmetic goals. However, this treatment is much more convenient than getting a brow lift, neck lift, or similar invasive skin tightening procedure.
Starting Your Session
Sometimes, a mild sedative is administered to calm any nerves you have about your treatment. However, this is very rarely necessary. Before your treatment begins, we will clean the areas targeted for treatment and apply ultrasound gel to the areas.
Then, the Ultherapy device will be applied to the gel, emitting sound energy and warming your skin all the way down to the foundational layers. Be advised, this warmth will not burn your skin. In fact, people often liken the sensation to that of a hot stone massage. You will feel no pain during your treatment session, and you are welcome to take a nap or read a book.
What Should I Expect After My Treatment Session?
There are no severe restrictions following this non-invasive treatment. You won’t need to take any time off from work to recover from this treatment, you won’t need to miss out on intense exercise, and you will still be able to complete most of your usual routine. Here’s a closer look at what to expect after your treatment.
Leaving Our Office
You must arrange for someone to drive you home if you opt for a sedative before your session. If you do not opt for a calming medication before your treatment, you are free to drive back to work or take the day off and run errands or relax as you see fit.
Caring for Your Skin
You should not apply cosmetics, such as foundation or blush, to the areas targeted for treatment after your appointment is over. However, you may apply makeup and other cosmetics to the treatment areas the morning after your session.
Selecting Your Skincare Products
There are several skincare products that can extend the longevity of your results. For example, moisturizers will enhance your results and help you look years younger for as long as possible. Selecting skincare products that contain vitamin C and retinol will also extend the longevity of your results.
Additionally, it is highly advisable to use gentle cleansers that are free from irritating ingredients when you are washing the areas targeted for treatment. Finally, you should dry your skin gently by patting it with a soft towel rather than rubbing it dry roughly.
How Many Treatment Sessions Will I Need?
Most people only need one treatment session to achieve their desired aesthetic. However, if you have extremely inelastic skin, you may need two sessions to achieve the youthful aesthetic you desire. During your initial consultation, we will assess the severity of your skin inelasticity and advise you on whether you will need one or two treatment sessions.
How Quickly Do the Results Become Apparent?
The extra production of collagen starts before you leave our office. However, it can take between two and three months to see the final results of your treatment. During the first couple of months following your treatment, your skin will slowly lift and start to look younger and healthier.
How Can I See My Final Results Sooner?
You can see your final results sooner by making lifestyle choices that are conducive to collagen production. Here are some of the simplest, most effective steps you can take.
Eat Plenty of Vitamin C
We’ve already mentioned looking for skincare products that contain vitamin C, but it is also important to get your RDA of vitamin C through your diet every day. Foods that are high in vitamin C include cruciferous vegetables, citrus fruits, and berries.
Consuming enough vitamin C every day will ensure your results become apparent as quickly as possible because it is a very important building block of collagen production. Without enough vitamin C, you won’t get as much out of your treatment as you should.
Eat Plenty of Protein
Ensuring you’re eating enough protein every day will also ensure you will get as much out of your treatment as possible. For your skin to produce collagen, it needs amino acids, another essential building block of protein. Great sources of protein to incorporate into your diet include lean seafood, lean cuts of poultry and beef, dairy, and legumes.
Drink Plenty of Water
Your skin also needs a lot of water to produce collagen as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, most Americans suffer from some degree of chronic dehydration. To ensure you remain hydrated, make a point to drink at least eight ounces of water or tea every hour for at least eight hours per day. If your urine is still dark, try drinking more hydrating fluids or eat foods that are rich in water, like berries or broth-based soups.
Wear Sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen will also hasten the revelation of your final results. UV damage from both the sun and tanning beds doesn’t just damage your existing collagen. It also impedes your skin’s ability to produce new collagen. If you wear sunscreen with a high sun protection factor, you will protect your skin and maintain its ability to produce collagen efficiently.
Stop Smoking
You should also stop smoking if you want to see your final results as quickly as possible. Like UV damage, smoking both damages your existing collagen and slows your skin’s collagen production process significantly. If you don’t want to stop smoking, you will see your results marginally faster if you cut back on your nicotine consumption for a couple of months.
Rejuvenate Your Skin Quickly and Painlessly
Your self-confidence can be affected when your face and neck skin start to sag. Ultherapy treatment can lift and tighten loose, sagging skin to help you look years younger for roughly two years. To find out if this ultrasound-based anti-aging treatment is right for you, schedule an evaluation at R Shaheen Vascular in Mountain View, CA.
