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www.thevillagenews.co.za
22 July 2020
MY WELLNESS
Lift and shape your sagging jawline side effects or adverse reactions. Even though some inflammation or skin redness is common during the treatment, it is unlikely to last for more than 2 – 3 hours.
By Lindi Prinsloo Refine Anti-Ageing & Laser Clinic
T
here are plenty of things to celebrate about getting older, but for most of us, the sagging and slackening of our skin over time is an unwelcome surprise. A jawline that’s losing definition can show your age like nothing else.
HIFU, which was primarily developed as a treatment for tumours, is now recognised as one of the best skin-care solutions available on the market. It not only rejuvenates the skin but also tightens sagging skin and leaves you looking more radiant and youthful. In short, it is the perfect solution to premature ageing. (It is important to note that HIFU is an ideal option for patients with mild to moderate skin sagging and that face lift surgery would still be the best option for cases where skin sagging is more severe.)
Let’s be honest, it’s not like we need another body part to fret about, but once you’ve noticed the accumulation of soft flesh around the outer edges of your mouth, slowly spilling down your neck, there’s no coming back from the sense of impending doom. There are many causes of skin sagging. Culprit number one is skin laxity, which can be a result of genetics, inflammatory skin conditions such as acne or rosacea that cause your skin to age faster, or damage caused by smoking or sun exposure. If your skin is lax, the deeper anatomical structures of your face simply won’t be held in place. The second offender is one that gets us all eventually: gravity. As we age, our facial fat pads migrate downwards, causing heaviness and loss of definition in the lower third of the face. This leads to the dreaded jowls. So what is the latest buzz in high-tech tightening treatments? HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is the new cosmetic treatment specially designed as an alternative to face-lift surgery. Though not much time has passed since the emergence of HIFU, it has gained immense popularity across the globe. This is without a doubt due to the fact that besides being a non-invasive and painless pro-
BEFORE cedure, HIFU is an affordable option compared to the hefty fee of face-lift surgery. HIFU is leading the way in this new wave of beauty technology for lifted cheekbones, jawline definition and smoother, tighter skin (you may have admired the results on Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian – both of whom are reported to be fans). It utilises ultrasound to heat up the inner layer of the skin, penetrating deep into the SMAS (the muscle that surgeons tighten when doing face-lift surgery). When thermal energy strikes the affected tissue and heats it up, collagen production is increased. This stimulation of the growth of new collagen over time strengthens and tones the skin from within to make it look smoother and brighter on the outside. Unlike other skin-ageing treatments, HIFU is a fairly safe treatment
AFTER since it only targets the affected skin area without causing any harm to the surrounding tissues. Just like a surgical face lift, HIFU targets the dermis and SMAS – the difference being that the former does not leave any scars or unwanted marks on the skin. HIFU therapy for lifting of the face can also be used to tighten any sagging skin in areas such as the neck, jawline, eyelids and cheeks. As it is a non-surgical treatment, the procedure will be almost painless. While some patients may experience slight discomfort, this is no cause for worry since, once the procedure is over, there will no longer be any residual pain and discomfort. This treatment has been approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in the US and you can rest assured that there will be no remaining
If you notice wrinkles and other skin-ageing symptoms or are stressed out due to premature skin sagging, do consult a professional to get your skin back to normal with the help of HIFU treatment. At Refine, we still believe that combination therapies are the way to go! Using Dermal Fillers to replace volume in the cheeks can optimise the results that you will get with the all-new HIFU treatment. For many of our patients, we start their treatment with HIFU and once the skin is taut, the filler takes their treatment even further. The result: A winning combo! Along with the reopening of our clinic comes the good news that the all-new HIFU is now available at Refine! We bought our new “baby” just before lockdown and used this time to attend Zoom training sessions and webinars. Speak to one of our professionals today for your free consultation. As a launch special, Refine is offering a 20% discount on your first treatment until the end of August.
