Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Facial Treatment
The skin on your face is less firm than it used to be, and you want to understand what a non-surgical treatment can change. High-intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU, can tighten mildly sagging skin, with a gradual and modest effect. The confirmed treatment available at CARE MD in Sainte-Thérèse is skin tightening under the chin, following an assessment. This treatment is not offered to reduce fat.
At a glance
Five things to know before deciding- What it is: sound waves concentrated beneath the skin, which heat it and can prompt it to produce collagen. It is not a laser.
- What it changes: gradual and modest tightening when the skin is mildly sagging. The treatment offered here targets the skin; it is not offered to reduce fat under the chin and does not replace a surgical facelift.
- Treatment area: CARE MD, in Sainte-Thérèse, offers this treatment under the chin.
- Result and duration: the effect builds up over several months; both the result and how long it lasts vary from person to person.
- Risks and assessment: pain, redness and swelling, but also blisters, burns and nerve damage. An assessment comes before the treatment and can lead to a decision not to treat.
What Does Focused Ultrasound Do?
Ultrasound waves are sound waves that are too high-pitched to be heard. They are acoustic waves, not light: focused ultrasound is therefore not a laser. During the treatment, an applicator concentrates these waves beneath the skin, where they produce heat. This heat alters collagen, the protein that gives skin its firmness, and the body then makes new collagen. This slow renewal can tighten the skin; it does not guarantee a result.
What Can It Tighten, and for Whom?
It targets mildly sagging skin. Tightening is most likely to be useful in this situation; when the skin is very loose, it may not be enough. The treatment offered here aims to tighten the skin; it is not offered to reduce fat under the chin. It does not change the shape of the chin bone or jawbone, does not relax the muscle bands in the neck and does not reproduce a surgical facelift.
When the volume under the chin comes mainly from fat, tightening the skin does not address the same concern: the options for double chin treatment depend on what is creating this volume. Skin, bone, muscle and volume also help define the jawline: tightening the skin does not change a jawline whose shape is mainly determined by bone or muscle.
During the assessment, the doctor can conclude that this treatment does not suit you, or does not suit you yet. The degree of sagging is not enough to decide: your goal and your medical history also matter.
Which Areas Does CARE MD Treat?
Under the chin, CARE MD offers focused ultrasound with the goal of tightening the skin, with no promise of reducing fat. During the assessment, the doctor distinguishes sagging skin from volume under the chin and checks whether tightening can address what bothers you.
What Happens During a Session?
Everything starts with the assessment: the doctor examines the skin under the chin and asks you what you want to change. The precautions and comfort measures are explained to you before the session. During the treatment, a gel ensures contact between the skin and the applicator; this contact is important for limiting the risk of burns. The applicator then transmits the ultrasound through the skin. How long it takes depends on the extent of the treatment; you are told before it begins.
The treatment is performed by an esthetician or a nurse; Dr. Karen Dzolang is the healthcare professional responsible for the treatment. The profiles of our professionals let you identify the members of the CARE MD team; before the session, ask who will perform your treatment.
What Does It Feel Like, and What After-Effects Should You Expect?
You may feel heat or pain during the treatment; comfort measures are discussed before the session. Pain does not prove that the treatment is precise or effective. Afterwards, temporary redness and swelling can appear. The treatment involves no incision, but these reactions can be visible at a work meeting or an event in the days that follow. Take this into account when choosing the date: returning to work depends on your reactions and your activities.
What Are the Risks, and Who Is the Treatment Not Suitable For?
Aesthetic ultrasound can cause pain, redness, swelling, blisters, burns and nerve damage. Redness or swelling can be temporary, but the risks are not limited to these reactions. The assessment is an opportunity to review how these risks apply to you.
Mention any wound or open lesion, any damaged skin, any infection, any active implant such as a pacemaker or defibrillator, and any metal under the skin in the area, whether from an implant or an injury. Also mention whether you are pregnant, as well as your medications, your medical history and the treatments you have already had under the chin. The doctor checks whether the treatment is compatible with your situation and which precautions apply to the device and the area. Do not change how you take any medication on your own.
When Can You Judge the Result, and How Many Sessions Should You Expect?
Collagen renews slowly: tightening cannot be judged right after the session. Generally, after an ultrasound treatment, modest tightening appears within two to six months. Both the result and how long it lasts vary from person to person; if the skin is very loose, the change may not be enough.
At the follow-up, the doctor compares firmness and contour with how they were before the treatment, once the change has had time to occur. Additional sessions can help some people; whether to have them is decided based on the change achieved, what remains to be improved and side effects, not on a maintenance schedule. No number of sessions guarantees a result. The effect is not permanent: the skin continues to age.
Why an Assessment Comes Before the Treatment, and How to Prepare for It
The doctor checks whether the sagging under the chin is limited enough for tightening to be worthwhile, whether the treatment matches your goal and whether the treatment is compatible with your medical history. The assessment can lead to another approach or to no treatment. Filling out the form or coming in for a consultation does not guarantee a treatment or a result.
To prepare for it, note what bothers you: sagging skin under the chin, volume or contour. Also make a list of your medications, your medical history and the treatments you have already had in this area. Bring your questions about limitations, risks, follow-up, cost and how to reach CARE MD after the session.
Ask Us About Focused Ultrasound
Write to us about your concern: the area involved, your questions, your medical history.
This treatment can be considered only after the doctor confirms, during an assessment, that it is appropriate for the person's concern, goals and health.
Contraindications and precautions vary depending on the treatment, medical history, medications and the area to be treated. They must be checked before any procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the possible side effects of focused ultrasound?
Pain, redness and swelling are possible, as are blisters, burns and nerve damage. Redness or swelling can be temporary, but the risks are not limited to these. Before the session, mention any wound or infection, whether you are pregnant, and any active implant or metal in the area, as well as your medications and the treatments you have already had. The doctor checks whether the treatment is compatible with your situation and which precautions apply to the device.
Sources2 references
How many sessions are needed, and when do you see a result?
No number of sessions guarantees an improvement. After an ultrasound treatment, modest tightening generally appears within two to six months, the time it takes for collagen to renew. An additional session can help some people; whether to have one is decided based on the change achieved, what remains to be improved and side effects, not on mandatory maintenance. Both the result and how long it lasts vary from person to person, and the effect is not permanent.
Sources1 reference
Who is a good candidate for focused ultrasound?
Someone whose skin is mildly sagging and whose expectations remain realistic: the intended effect is gradual and modest. When sagging is significant, the treatment may not be enough. The treatment offered at CARE MD aims to tighten the skin under the chin, not to reduce fat; it does not change the shape of the bone or the muscle bands. During the assessment, the doctor also reviews your medical history and can decide not to treat.
Sources1 reference
Do at-home ultrasound devices give the same result?
The word "ultrasound" alone does not tell you what result to expect from an at-home device or whether it is safe. The energy heats the tissues, and the general risks of aesthetic ultrasound include burns; contact between the applicator and the skin is important for limiting this risk. That is not enough to know the effects of a specific device. If you are considering using one, bring the device's name and your questions to the assessment to discuss your skin and the precautions specific to that device.
Sources2 references
What is the difference between focused ultrasound and radiofrequency?
Both heat the tissues, but not with the same energy: radiofrequency uses an electric current, ultrasound uses sound waves. To choose between them, the doctor examines how much your skin is sagging, what you want to change and the risks specific to each treatment. This difference in energy is not enough to determine what suits you. CARE MD offers focused ultrasound under the chin.
Sources2 references
How much does a focused ultrasound session cost?
The cost depends on the extent of the treatment. The Global Aesthetic consultation is an opportunity to clarify what is recommended for your situation and what it includes. Ask for the total cost before deciding, including any additional sessions.
Sources3 references+
- Many ways to firm sagging skin — American Academy of Dermatology (opens in a new tab)
- Non-Invasive Body Contouring Technologies (Ultrasound section) — FDA (opens in a new tab)
- Evaluation of Micro-Focused Ultrasound for Lifting and Tightening Neck Laxity (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2016) (opens in a new tab)
Focused Ultrasound: Limitations and Precautions
This treatment has limitations and risks to discuss before the session. A doctor must examine your skin and review your medical history to determine whether it suits you.
Limitations and precautions
Mention your medical history, your medications, your implants and the treatments you have already had in this area.
Mention any wound or open lesion, any damaged skin, any infection, any implanted pacemaker or defibrillator, and any metal under the skin in the area. The doctor checks whether the treatment is compatible with your situation, the device and the area.
Mention whether you are pregnant, as well as all your medications. Do not change how you take any medication on your own.
Ask about the precautions specific to the device, who will perform the treatment and how to reach CARE MD after the session.
Neither firmer skin nor how long the result lasts is guaranteed.
The treatment offered here targets the skin; it is not offered to reduce fat under the chin. It does not correct bone, volume or muscle bands, and significant sagging may be beyond what it can achieve.
Pain, redness, swelling, blisters, burns and nerve damage are possible. The assessment is an opportunity to review how these risks apply to you.
CARE MD offers this treatment under the chin; during the assessment, the doctor checks whether tightening meets your goal.
