There is no doubt that a traditional facelift is the most effective way to tighten the soft tissues of the face and produce a dramatic result. Many patients choose this option in an effort to achieve a long-term solution to their facial aging. Despite this, there are still a number of patients who simply do not want to go under the knife, or want to avoid a facelift for a few years. From fractionated laser resurfacing to volumizing fillers, many patients can now achieve near-surgical results without ever entering an operating room. And while the advent of fractional lasers has revolutionized treatment of aging and sun damaged skin, new alternative options have emerged that seek to limit downtime without sacrificing results.
Like lasers, radiofrequency treatments (also known as RF) are heat-based treatments that seek to denature (i.e. break apart) collagen in order to stimulate collagen remodeling and new collagen formation. But unlike resurfacing lasers, RF devices are safe for all skin types and lead to very little downtime. The safety of these RF devices has made their popularity soar with devices such as eMatrix, Pelleve, and the new Elos Plus. RF is not restricted to just the face, as the Velashape II uses RF and infrared light to tighten the skin of the body. And finally, focused ultrasound has also been used to tighten the skin. Known as Ulthera, ultrasound is used to heat the deep skin layers to tighten the skin of the face and neck. It will be exciting to see how these treatments evolve, and if other new heat-based treatments emerge.
thecosmeticadvisor 
January 21, 2013
The Advisor