Today, patients seek efficient and non-invasive solutions to rejuvenate,
beautify and prevent aging.
By Dr Sophie Couvet
A medical lift with micro-focused ultrasounds is a recognised and approved treatment technique that is becoming ever more attractive and which responds to the recent demands for a natural look, skin stimulation and intrinsic skin regeneration.
A well-established safety profile, proven efficacy and reproducibility
It is essential that we put medicine back into the heart of aesthetics procedures and couple efficacy with safety. All learned societies in cardiology, rheumatology, gynaecology et al recommend using an ultrasound scanner to guide procedures, whether we are using a medical device or performing injections. Clinical studies in sports medicine and traumatology have shown 35% increased efficiency when the medical gesture is guided with the use of an ultrasound scanner. As a graduate of sports medicine and ultrasound scanning, I particularly appreciate the increased precision and safety offered by this technology. One of the reasons I wanted to work with Ultherapy PRIME® is that it is the only device with an integrated ultrasound scanner, the DEEPSEE®, whose image quality offers high precision during treatment. It helps us to stay in the right plane and correctly target the SMAS, which gives optimal results in a single session. What I also find reassuring are the 90+ clinical publications, some of which were carried out by independent laboratories, demonstrating its high safety profile. This goes hand in hand with fibroblast stimulation thanks to the integrated temperature monitor, which emits an even and constant temperature. According to a meta-analysis, Ultherapy PRIME® is the only device with such high consistency in reproducing results, all patient profiles combined. This means that all skin types can be treated. Nevertheless, for very thin or dark skins, as well as those prone to melasma, I adapt the intensity of the 1.5mm transducer by slightly reducing the joules in order to avoid excessively stimulating the melanocytes and preserve the evenness of the complexion.
The new frontiers of “un-aging”
I always start by treating the area with the 4.5mm or 3mm transducer, depending on the depth of the SMAS, the main target of the micro-focused ultrasounds. The heat emitted by the ultrasounds brings about thermo-coagulation which causes an immediate retraction, or an intra-lift, in the SMAS. Patients often say they can feel their face being lifted or “being pulled upwards”. I then treat nearer the surface with the 1.5mm or 3mm transducer, depending on the skin’s thickness. The 3mm transducer can target the deep muscle as well as the dermis in thicker skin, for example in men, who really like this procedure. I have noticed that the effects often last longer than the 18 months indicated. With this device, we are definitely in the realm of regenerative medicine. We are targeting living tissue with complex mechanisms and we need to leave the fibroblasts enough time to do their job, for new collagen, proteoglycans and endogenous hyaluronic acid to be produced, as well as the components of the extracellular matrix to renew themselves. This is why I often find that the results after 12 or 18 months are better than after 4 months. What is more, some surgeons use it a year after a surgical lift to tighten up the SMAS and firm the skin, thus prolonging the results year after year.
A 3D cutaneous lift
The 3mm transducer is the one I use the most to work on both the SMAS and the dermis. I adjust the probe, the quantity of gel and the pressure to reach my target accurately. The harder I press, the deeper I go, and vice versa. For a Full Face, I work on the jawline and the oval by going up to the lower third of the face, and the submental region by going down to the first third of the neck. In the upper third, the idea is to target the superficial fascia and the frontalis muscle to lift the eyebrow and upper eyelid, which is then smoothed out, making the eye area look more open and rested. I achieve excellent results on heavy eyelids.
When I see my patients after 4 months for a check-up, I see that it is one of the rare devices to have 100% positive results.
Ultherapy PRIME®, with its unique technology and action, is revolutionising regenerative medicine and fulfilling the demands of patients who want mini-invasive yet efficient procedures. This device ties in perfectly with my approach and my regenerative medicine protocols, and it has become an essential tool in my therapeutic arsenal, offering high patient satisfaction and safety.
Dr Sophie Couvet : Interventional, regenerative and reparative medicine. Graduated from the Saint Antoine faculty (Paris XIII) in general medicine. Diploma in sports medicine from the University of Bordeaux Segalen. Diploma in ultrasound scanning and sound wave techniques. Diploma in osteopathy from the Biarritz College of Osteopathy. University diploma in aesthetic medicine from Paris Descartes.
More informations: docteurcouvet.fr
