by Christine Heathman, CME, LMT

Throughout the centuries, individuals have rebelled against the negative effects of facial aging and searched for solutions to reverse the process. Up until the last decade, the primary weapon of choice has been invasive cosmetic-surgery procedures. However, many of these invasive facial-rejuvenation procedures declined significantly from 2000, while demand for alternative facial anti-aging solutions has been on the rise. One effective and gentle alternative to facial-rejuvenation surgery is ultrasound treatment.

The goal of any age-management procedure, invasive or non-invasive, is to achieve clinical success by reducing wrinkles, increasing firmness via collagen stimulation, smooth the skin, encourage muscle tone, alleviate pigmentation morbidity and elevate hydration. Noninvasive ultrasonic facial rejuvenation accomplishes this without the health risk, morbidity, pain, bruising and recovery period. Ultrasound also helps to slow down the aging process of skin—one element cosmetic surgery cannot do.

Non-invasive facial-rejuvenation ultrasound treatments make sound financial and skin sense for today’s progressive spa. In addition to providing a strong competitive edge for the business, ultrasound is so gentle and safe it does not require a pretreatment waiting period that, in turn, allows the esthetician to respond faster to the needs of the client.

Incorporating ultrasound into a spa’s skincare program will boost the efficacy of all treatments, reduce treatment time and generate additional income. Ultrasound provides a quick return on investment. On average, a spa treating 20 clients a week can increase the bottom line $96,000 annually.

Ultrasound is a clinically proven, cutting-edge technology that utilizes low-frequency sound waves beyond 20 kilohertz in a 3-stage system for safer mechanical peeling, molecular penetration and healing micro-amp therapy to combat aging skin and reduce wrinkles.

Additional benefits of ultrasound include results for the age-related conditions of rosacea and hyperpigmentation. Unlike cosmetic surgery where emphasis is placed on proper patient selection, all aging skin types and colors benefit greatly with ultrasound treatments without the risk.

Cavitation is the peeling and first phase of this 45-minute ultrasound treatment. The concept of “low energy, no injury” is the mission of this state-of-the-art skin-treatment tool that uses water instead of irritating crystals or harsh chemicals for controlled cellular desquamation.

The first stage of this treatment requires specially formulated water misted over the facial area. A Dermablade™ then is placed against the skin and the machine is set to 99 percent micro-amp. The skincare therapist then performs consistent, multiple passes in a moderately rapid succession that are void of any pressure. The sonic energy and the water will do the work.

As this gentle vibration frequency “spins” the water molecules across the skin’s epidermal stratum corneum, vibrations of sonic waves at approximately 28,000 times per second produce a cavitation, or rapid peeling reaction.

This vibration phenomenon loosens the upper portion of the non-nucleated stratum corneum and whirls away dead skin cells and debris in a non-invasive application—reducing the stratum corneum up to 35.15 percent with the first pass.

After the appropriate number of passes on the skin via the cavitation phase, a 30-percent to 50-percent lactic gel solution is applied and then removed.

Lactic acid is still the most flexible of all peeling solutions because it is more compatible with skin’s natural substances.

Lactic acid contains NMF, a natural moisturizing factor, known to hold onto water at skin’s surface by binding hydration in place and assisting skin proteins to better absorb moisture. NMF consists primarily of amino acids.

The second phase of the ultrasound treatment initiates sonophoresis. Ultrasonic sonophoresis frequencies assist in transferring high-molecular-weight substances such as antioxidants through skin. This low frequency enables dissolved gases in liquid regions between skin cells to bubble up and start to move. This action clears toxins caused by free-radical activity and other inflammatory skinaging components.

The major benefit to sonophoresis is that it allows skin to maintain permeability up to four hours and, because the toxins are cleared, congested pathways in skin allow specific ingredients, or molecules, to pass into the stratum corneum environment as an invited guest. One very important guest is amino-acid peptide complex, a recommended next step.

Amino-acid peptide complex will enhance the procedure as these molecules further reach the furrows, folds and wrinkles of the aging face. This complex inhibits the influencing factors and restrains the formation of membrane proteins that mediate the release of neurotransmitters. These molecules target these changes by inhibiting the release of catecholamine neurotransmitters that induce formation of wrinkles and lines.

A decrease in neurotransmitters results in more relaxed muscles and less wrinkle formation, causing an overall smoothing of the face. Peptide proteins, when used in high concentration, can on their own reduce wrinkles up to 68 percent and increase moisture 70 percent and firmness 50 percent.

Microamp is the third phase of this noninvasive facial ultrasonic rejuvenation and arguably the most important because it assists the injured cell to recover from aging injuries.

Research has found that a central factor in aging is the decay of the mitochondria, the biological engine of a cell that converts carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy.

Aging mitochondria are less efficient at converting fuel to energy and consequently they produce more toxic oxidants that are responsible for inflammation linked to the aging process. Healthy mitochondria in cells slow down the course of cellular aging.

The microamp phase of ultrasound assists in the replenishment of the cellular ATP via the mitochondria to overcome the cell impedance barrier by re-establishing homeostasis. Microamp therapy permits the transport of nutrients back into the damaged cell and removal of waste products from the damaged cell. The increase of ATP production also provides the energy that tissues require to build new proteins and collagen.

All visible clinical results are the effect of histological changes within the cell to produce the end product of smoother, fresher, younger-acting skin.

Seeing The Benefits

Non-invasive facial-rejuvenation ultrasound treatment is only one of the many alternatives to cosmetic surgery. Ultrasound is the “sound wave” of the anti-aging movement’s future. Regardless of whether this modality is used alone or with other noninvasive options such as LED, facial toning, etc., it can only enhance every procedure. Ultrasound is the bridge to cross from cosmetic surgery into the future of alternative age management.

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