Why it’s high time for a HIFU
Want Jennifer Aniston’s jawline? There’s a procedure for that (no downtime needed)
IT was when someone took a photo of me from the side that I saw it — slack flesh creeping from under my chin sneakily towards my neck. Yikes! Could this be — I had to steady myself at the thought — the beginning of a jowl? You know, that pendulous facial matter that gifted to you in your 40s, as your entire self starts to melt south?
Up until now, my cosmetic tweakments centred around the upper portion of my face (Botox and Profhilo) but now other measures were called for to retrieve some lost definition in my jawline. After all, nobody likes a wattle — except perhaps turkeys.
My beauty icon is the everyouthful (without looking too done) Jennifer Aniston. I’ve wondered for years how she’s maintained that strong jaw — and as it happens, it’s thanks to a non-invasive procedure called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), which can also plump cheeks and target drooping skin around the eyes too.
In fact, a HIFU treatment can reverse up to a decade of aging over six months post procedure. Dr George Nema, consultant aesthetic surgeon and owner of Sculpture Clinic in Dublin’s Sandycove, performs the treatment and says that not only will it lift and firm the skin, it will keep surgical facelifts at bay too.
‘It will lift the face 5 per cent each time,’ he told me, as he prepared me for my own HIFU. ‘And if it’s performed twice a year, you shouldn’t need a surgical facelift.’ This is all very positive, and I’m eager to get going. However, while one session of HIFU is about an eighth of the cost of a surgical facelift — €900 a go — the price is still substantial, so it’s something that you’ll want to see results with. Because the treatment works sub-dermally, there’s no downtime, apart from perhaps a slight tingling and redness, as Dr Nema explains.
‘Your jaw and neck will feel and look firm for about a day after the procedure, before it reverts back,’ he explains. ‘It takes six weeks to see the true effect of HIFU.’
It works like this: ultrasound waves pass through the epidermis and the dermis to deliver heat energy at specific depths beneath the skin. HIFU energy targets superficial layers to achieve skin tightening, while deeper waves reach the skin’s layer of muscle and connective tissue rich with collagen. Collagen is a natural protein that makes skin look youthful by keeping it plumped and firmed.
When heat energy is delivered to this layer, collagen is produced and the muscles are tightened. This lifts and rejuvenates sagging skin gradually over six months. As it’s non-invasive, there’s no downtime, but it’s not a painless procedure. As the skin is being suctioned by the hand-held device, it feels uncomfortable and hot, but it’s tolerable and quick. There are varying levels of intensity so you can keep it as low as you need. HIFU can also be used to target fine lines and wrinkles, although my focus area was around the jaw and neck. All in all, it took about an hour and 15 minutes, including consultation. Afterwards, I felt a little tingling but nothing more dramatic than that. It’s suitable for women from their thirties to maintain the firmness of their skin and those in their forties and beyond use to lift and contour areas that have lost tautness and volume due to aging, says Dr Nema. ‘The goal of facial aesthetics is not to alter a patients appearance, but to help them look like a fresher version of themselves with lasting results,’ he says. Hear, hear. Anti-ageing skincare can only do so much. So if you want to supercharge your beauty regime without going under the knife, this one’s for you. After six weeks, the results are notable. I look more rested and youthful, with a noticeably firmer jawline. So much so that I’m not afraid of those sneaky side angle photos any more — I’ll definitely be back.