Skin laxity is part of ageing and can be aggravated by weight loss, especially in the post menopause group. Dermal fillers as above can be great for this but also several devices are particularly useful in the middle age group and in those who may not want fillers. Ultraformer 2 is one of the latest highly focused ultrasound devices (HFU OR MFU – microfocused ultrasound). This device uses focused sound waves rather than light to stimulate collagen so does not require eye shields. It can be done in an hour or so, usually doesn’t require anaesthetic cream and there is virtually no down time, just a bit red for a couple of hours. Halfway through a comparison between treated and untreated sides can give you an indication of expected improvement, which will continue for about 3 months.
Sometimes some deep bruising can be felt for a couple of weeks.
For energy -based treatments to help with loss of volume and laxity, radiofrequency needling, in our case the Genius, is the latest in this type of treatment. Using ultrafine insulated needles, this combines the benefits of micro-needling with radiofrequency energy to go into the skin to produce heat and stimulate collagen. The Genius has a sophisticated handpiece which can give immediate feedback to the operator about energy delivered and depth required for each patient. Local anaesthetic is essential and although this procedure does produce a reaction on the skin – redness, some acne and discolouration/bruising for some weeks, it can be covered with makeup to decrease downtime. The effects of this are slower to see and usually 2-3 treatments are done over several months with improvement continuing after that.
