Ultherapy vs HIFU: What’s the Difference?

For those looking to tighten and lift their skin without going under the knife, Ultherapy and HIFU provide a non-invasive solution for facelifting. Both use ultrasound energy delivered into the skin, with the goal of stimulating the production of collagen and elastin, counteracting the effects of gravity on the skin. 

Ultherapy and HIFU can tighten the skin on the face, neck, and upper chest. They can help minimize fine lines and deep wrinkles, lift sagging jowls, and even correct early signs of aging. And while both treatments share a few similarities, they also have key differences. These include the type of technology used and the results they offer.

Continue reading as we explore the differences between Ultherapy and HIFU and which treatment is considered safer and more effective in lifting and tightening the skin.

ULTHERAPY

What is it: Ultherapy is a US FDA-cleared non-invasive procedure that can effectively lift and tighten skin on the face, neck, and decolletage, and improve lines and wrinkles on the upper chest. Also, the device received the European CE mark for non-invasive sculpting and lifting of the upper and lower face, neck, and décolletage.

Ultherapy is a HIFU device, mainly because it uses ultrasound energy delivered into the skin. Ulthera, the system used in Ultherapy, is the only HIFU machine with real-time imaging, and US FDA-approved for skin lifting and tightening. Also, it can only be performed by a licensed physician.

How it works: The treatment uses a system called Ulthera, which bypasses the skin’s surface. This delivers time-tested micro-focused ultrasound energy into the skin’s deeper layers. It then triggers a natural response, stimulating the production of new and fresh collagen. This enables your skin to achieve a natural lift over time.

Results: You may be able to see some immediate improvements after the treatment, but significant results appear over two to three months. Further improvements can be seen six months after your Ultherapy treatment.

Take note: While the majority only need one treatment of Ultherapy, some may benefit from more than a single session. This will depend on the degree of skin laxity and your own response to the procedure. Annual or touch-up treatments are also recommended to maintain youthful results or as a way of putting more collagen in your collagen bank. 

What makes it different: One thing that separates Ultherapy from HIFU is that it uses real-time imaging or visualization. Earlier in 2014, it received its third US FDA approval that enabled providers to visualize dermal and subdermal tissue layers. This allows doctors to see the layers they are targeting and effectively deposit ultrasound into problem areas.

Also, Ultherapy has been around longer, with more than 50 clinical studies and 90 peer-reviewed papers to back its efficiency. 

Find out what you can expect before, during, and after your Ultherapy treatment. 

HIFU

What is it: HIFU stands for high-intensity focused ultrasound. It was mainly used for medical purposes but was then used for aesthetic purposes in 2008. And just like Ultherapy, HIFU can also be used for stimulating collagen, improving lines and wrinkles on the upper chest, and lifting the skin.

While there are several brands of HIFU devices in the market, not all of them are medical-grade standards. Many spas and salons also offer generic HIFU devices, so there’s no way of knowing if these are safe or effective. HIFU treatments, furthermore, are not regulated, which means that they can be performed by either doctors or beauticians. 

How it works: HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to target skin layers just below the surface. This heats the tissues, causing the cells to experience cellular damage. This effect, however, stimulates the cells to produce more collagen, resulting in tighter skin with fewer wrinkles. 

Results: You may see some improvements right after the treatment, but significant results show after three months. There are, however, cases where the HIFU treatment can be too shallow or too deep, resulting in less desired outcomes. For generic or knock-off devices, the procedure can also be too painful or neocollagenesis (the process of building collagen) may not happen. 

Take note: One thing you should know about HIFU is that it is a blind treatment. Unlike Ultherapy, it provides no real-time imaging or visualization, which could mean decreased safety and inconsistent results. As the layer being treated is not seen, there is the risk of heating or damaging important structures (bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels). This could result in burns, as well as less effective and much painful treatment. 

ULTHERAPY	HIFU
Patent-protected; US FDA-tested and approved	There can be generic devices or knock-offs
Only performed by licensed and certified doctors	Can be performed by either physicians or beauticians
Consistent heating and treatment of tissue at three layers (1.5mm, 3.0 mm, and 4.5 mm depth)	Inconsistent heating; can be too shallow or too deep and neocollagenesis may not occur
Uses real-time imaging (DeepSEE™ technology) to see the layers being targeted and deliver the ultrasound energy to the right layer	No real-time imaging; there’s a risk of hitting or damaging important structures, such as the bones, nerves, muscles, and blood vessels
Proven safety profile, with numerous clinical trials and over 1.75 million treatments performed worldwide	Insufficient data; few peer-reviewed papers
A single session can help improve mild facial laxity and sagging	Multiple treatments are needed to improve laxity and sagging

Hyper-Personal Skin Lifting at Cutis

The makers of Ultherapy understand that every skin is different. This is why they offer a Hyper-Personal Lift, which is a one-on-one approach to non-invasive skin lifting. This individualized treatment plan involves three steps: See, Plan, Treat, also known as the SPT Protocol: 

• See – real-time visualization of the skin’s anatomy and structure. This helps providers create a customized treatment plan that is all about you
• Plan  – uses the collected data to assess skin composition and tailor the right treatment technique. The real-time imaging data is used to identify collagen-rich tissues to personalize a skin-lifting treatment solution for you.
• Treat – delivers micro-focused ultrasound energy to areas where it will be most beneficial. With Ultherapy generating thermal effects on the right areas,  the process of collagen is jump started, resulting in a non-invasive lifting and tightening of the skin.

This is why if you’re looking for a personalized skin lifting that is tailored to your skin’s needs and goals, Ultherapy is worth considering. With real-time imaging and SPT Protocol, you can be assured that your doctor is seeing where they are treating and depositing the ultrasound energy at the right depth and areas. This makes a big difference in both the safety and efficacy of the treatment. 

We are also pleased to announce that our clinic has received the Highest Ultherapy Achiever Award 2021 for Singapore at the 6th Golden Record Awards. We have also been awarded 2nd Runner Up for Highest Achievement Ultherapy Transducers Asia Pacific Category B. 

The Golden Record Awards, given by Merz Aesthetics (makers of Ultherapy), aims to honor outstanding and top-performing Ultherapy partner clinics globally. These recent recognitions show our commitment to proven, safe, and effective treatments and delivering quality aesthetic services with a patient-centered approach.

Schedule a consultation today

If you’re looking for a non-invasive way to lift and tighten your skin, don’t hesitate to consider Ultherapy. Contact Cutis Medical Laser Clinics in Singapore today and book a consultation with our aesthetic doctor to learn more about the treatment or to find out if it is right for you.