Sofwave™ Ultrasound Skin Tightening & Lifting

Sofwave is the newest skin tightening and firming procedure. It became available in late 2020, and weve seen it replace Thermage and most Ultherapy treatments at our practice - and at nearly half the cost, its amazing that the results are just as good or better than these older technologies!

The most effective skin tightening treatments are those that target the skin’s deep supporting collagen fiber network to cause tightening up of the existing fibers and growth of new fibers. Sofwave does this really well, as do Ulthera, Thermage, ThermiTight, and PrecisionTX. Sofwave is significantly less expensive and less painful than these other treatments, so many patients choose that route. To a lesser extent, lasers, RF Microneedling, and Exillis Ultra create tightening of the skin, but we wouldn’t class them as being the most effective. Effectiveness is of course dependent upon your skin quality. Bigger results are possible in skin that still has an intact fiber network that can tighten up, as opposed to just being able to grow new collagen in skin that’s severely lax. Severe laxity is indicated by hanging loose skin and very thin skin , especially when there are multiples of small wrinkles or folds in a row (that tends to indicate severe damage to the collagen support below that skin).

You can expect your results to last at least 1-2 years, before your aging process begins to take noticeable effect. Remember, we cant freeze time (yet!), but with Sofwave youll always look better than if you had not done anything at all.

Yes, when comparing Sofwave and Ultherapy treatments at the same depths, they are equally effective. However, Ultherapy does offer 1 deeper treatment function that targets the SMAS at 4mm, which no other treatment currently offers (these deep treatment is also why Ultherapy can be very painful).

The best candidate for Sofwave is someone with mild to moderate skin quality issues, such as fine lines, wrinkles, rough or uneven texture, and sagging.

Sofwave may leave you a little red after treatment, but this redness is simply due to the heat that was placed in your skin (and the inflammatory response weve set off that will lead to your body restoring the collagen in your skin). Some patients report a firm feeling to skin, but no visible swelling. You can easily cover both with makeup right away. You do not need to take time off work, social activities, workouts, or even red carpet appearances. Its truly a no-downtime procedure.

Yes, not only have clinical studies shown Sofwave to be effective at firming and tightening the skin, our before & after gallery shows how weve already helped many patients attain their ideal results for face lifting without surgery!

This has to do with the fees manufacturers of these treatments charge to the doctors who perform them. Each time we use our Ulthera device (or Thermage or ThermiTight), our practice has to purchase a consumable from the manufacturer. Sometimes thats a handpiece, but sometimes its simply loading a code into the machine proving we paid to perform that procedure. And Sofwaves fee-per-use is simply a lot less expensive than their competitors. So we can pass that savings on to our patients.

Sofwave and other treatments that stimulate collagen to remodel and rebuild from beneath the skin will tighten and firm the skin naturally by stimulating the skin to repair itself and act like more youthful skin.

Sofwave directs 7 high-frequency ultrasound beams through the skin to converge in a 3D grid at a depth of 1.5mm below the surface of the skin, creating a series of hot spots of targeted treatment. By not heating the surface of the skin, and not treating the entire tissue plane at 1.5mm depth, Sofwave is able to produce great results without downtime.

With Sofwave, you’re building new collagen and elastin and that process starts to peak around 4-6 weeks and continues to develop for about 3-6 months, whether you’re talking about a laser, radiofrequency, or ultrasound like Sofwave. Most patients will start to see some results around one month after treatment, though these will be small changes compared to the end result (around 12-24 weeks out).

This has to do with fees manufacturers charge to the doctors who perform them. Each time we use our Ulthera device (or Thermage or ThermiTight), our practice purchases a consumable from the manufacturer. Sometimes that’s a handpiece, or a tip but sometimes it’s simply loading a code into the machine for that one procedure. Sofwave’s fee-per-use is simply less expensive than their competitors and we can pass those savings on to our patients. Sofwave also targets multiple points with each pulse (8 to be exact), whereas Ulthera only targets 1 spot with each pulse – and that’s what makes Sofwave so much faster. There’s also a price to consider – Ulthera is more expensive (usually about 30-50% more expensive) so if you don’t need Ulthera, you’ll have a faster, more comfortable treatment at a lower price with Sofwave. If you’d like more details, check out our blog post comparing and contrasting Ulthera and Sofwave in detail.

The cost of Sofwave therapy depends on a variety of factors including your treatment needs and the number of sessions needed to achieve your intended results. During your free cosmetic consultation, our providers will give you a full cost estimate.

Sofwave is unique in that it can produce results with a single treatment. However, FDA studies have proven that many patients benefit from a second “booster” treatment 4-8 weeks after the first to further enhance results. Sofwave tends to last for 1-2 years, and our cosmetic physicians can give you a full schedule of when to return to maintain your results.

Sofwave is well tolerated. The treatment is provided after the application of topical anesthesia and no injectipons are required. You can relax and unwind in our comfortable suite during treatment and immediately return to your planned activities.

Sofwave has been cleared by the FDA and has since become one of our preferred skin tightening treatments. It has been thoroughly vetted by our knowledgeable cosmetic physicians who have decades of combined experience in practicing cosmetic medicine.

Sofwave and Morpheus8 are two completely different technologies. Morpheus8 is an RF microneedling device that can stimulate collagen by generating wounds in the skin and administering radiofrequency energy. Because of this, Morpheus8 tends to come with a slight recovery period while the skin heals. Sofwave does not require any recovery because it does not use any needles or incisions. In our experience, Sofwave is much less painful than Morpheus8 and is more specifically used for skin tightening. At our practice, the Endymed Intensif device, which also uses radiofrequency and microneedles is much better tolerated than Morpheus8.

There is virtually no aftercare needed for Sofwave. You may notice some minimal pinkness in the skin, but it can be covered with makeup immediately after treatment. We recommend wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF30 daily post treatment.

No. Sofwave is very safe and side effects are incredibly rare.

Because Sofwave is color blind, it can be used on any skin type, and even if the skin has some residual tan.

Sofwave can reduce wrinkles by rebuilding the supportive matrix of collagen under the skin. Sofwave tends to work for wrinkles that are caused by repetitive movements (or the same ones often treated with Botox) as well as static wrinkles, those present at rest. Sofwave can produce subtle, natural-looking wrinkle reduction versus the transformative results of a surgical facelift.

There’s no healing required after Sofwave. After treatment, the skin begins to remodel and rebuild collagen at a deep level over the course of the next several weeks. The surface of the skin remains untouched throughout Sofwave treatments.

Yes. It is common to improve a patient’s facial contours with dermal fillers before tightening the skin over these new youthful curves. It also can be performed in combination with laser resurfacing or IPL to target sun related brown spots. We call this approach, “Tighten and brighten”

Though these are both effective technologies, because Sofwave concentrates its energy more superficially than Ulthera, it is more comfortable. Its ability to limit its energy delivery to the dermis of the skin is the key to its predicatable great outcomes as that is target for laxity of the skin.

Sofwave may feel like a comfortable massage. There’s no anesthetic needed, meaning you can enjoy a relaxing and low-hassle session at our comfortable treatment suite.

Sofwave can be an effective option for jowls depending on factors like severity of your laxity. Jowls that have begun to sag too much may be better suited to another option. This may include dermal fillers, dissolving the fat of the jowls with Kybella or a face lift. Our cosmetic physicians will discuss the best option for your needs during a free consultation.

No. For patients with very loose skin and significant jowls, a facelift or necklift is often the treatment of choice. Though sofwave will still improve the skin’s elasticity, it may not be enough to meet a patient’s expectation and a surgical treatment is preferred.