A.R.T Derma-Aesthetics / 아트 비절개 바로가능한 비수술적 치료들
V LIFT with Deep Focused Ultrasound
The Atlas Korean ART™ Derma-Aesthetics suite of Services comprises Proprietary, Innovative and Synergistic techniques to optimize results. The frontier of Medical Aesthetics.
Procedures
ART V LIFT with Deep Focused Ultrasound 브이 리프팅
One of the commonest concern that all of us will face is the inevitable process of facial ageing. Some people call it photo-ageing because sun is one of the biggest contributor towards ageing, which also complicates matters because sun itself brings its set of problems example pigmentation.
Therefore, a face that shows signs of ageing - especially in a tropical country like Singapore - would often times also show signs of sun damage : pigmentation, sun spots, Melasma. (Click to pigmentation for more details).
However in this section we will focus on the topic of ageing due to the process of laxity and gravitational downward pull of our facial structures.
What are the common clinical presentations of signs of ageing?
- Droopy eyelids
- Eye bags
- Prominent “laugh lines’ (we call them Nasolabial folds or NLF)
- Prominent Marionette lines (some people call it adorably “whiskers”) - these lines are next to your lower lips
- Prominent Jowls - these are the lower areas of your cheeks, and they contribute to an “oval” face because the contour of the jaw is lost when soft tissues in this region moves downwards
- “Double chin” or Under chin
- Neck lines and laxity (skin looseness)
What is a good method to treat facial ageing?
There are a large variety of treatment options and it can all seem very confusing and overwhelming. But I like to use this philosophy when I chat with my patients.
Imagine there is a crack in the wall (= ageing so your skin starts to show wrinkles, sagging etc)
What would you prefer to do? There are probably 2 main options:
- Plaster over the cracks with something so that it immediately disappears
- Work on repairing the cracks
Option 1: you will get instant gratification. Lines disappear and you immediate look younger. However, the crack remains and when the plaster “melts” in future, the crack will reappear (because it didn’t disappear in the first place). Worse still if the causes of the crack is not addressed, the crack may even appear larger!
Option 2: you will get some instant gratification (not as dramatic as option1). But the crack is being repaired over weeks and months, and with repeated treatments , these cracks might even almost disappear or become aesthetically much more pleasing than before.
Welcome to ART V Lift - our “pride and joy” in for age reversal and age protection.
ART V lift uses deep ultrasound technology that works in 2 main ways:
- Strengthening of our deep muscle layers to provide support and lift (Think of it as working out in the gym and building some muscles - stronger muscles , stronger support… face gets the lift it needs)
- Collagen stimulation in the dermis layers - this contributes to skin tightening effect and works in synergy with the strengthening of muscles, thereby enhancing the lifting effect.
Pearl of mini-wisdom: Lifting and Tightening are not exactly the same.
Some devices are great at tightening skin (example Radio-Frequency based heat-driven devices, certain lasers) but they do not help lifting per se. Why is that so? Because deep ultrasound is perhaps one of the only technology that can reach the deep muscle layers, strengthen them, and let it heave your skin upwards.
Therefore, do look for devices that have deep ultrasound properties (nowadays people call it HIFU which stands for High Intensity Frequency Ultrasound of which some brands are more established or popular than others). However, fret not too much over the exact brand per se. It is the way the device is used that probably matters most. (Like they always say : its the Chef that whips up an awesome dish of Tze Char ; not the wok or the cooking oil.)
General treatment guidelines and principles:
Before and on treatment day :
- Rest, relax
- Drink more water
- Take some “before photos” in case you wanna compare and see “after” treatment (we will take them too for yours and our reference, and also for thorough documentation of your progress)
- Come early and on time (a relaxed visit always make treatment very enjoyable and pleasant!
Treatment itself:
- We will do a deep cleanse to remove makeup, skin care and any impurities on your skin
- Topical anaesthesia will be applied for 20minutes
- Treatment will then commence and it typically takes about 30minutes to complete a full session that covers the Face, Eyes and Neck.
After treatment:
- There is no down time though some patients do feel mild soreness (just like if you went to a gym to work out) - this lasts for 1-3 days and is very bearable. Almost all patients are not bothered or troubled by it.
- Continue with your skin care routine
- We may recommend additional hydrating or anti-oxidating therapies to complement the deep ultrasound session
- Otherwise, you can continue with your daily activities as usual.
What would you expect to see?
Deep ultrasound is quite “magical” as most patients will notice improvements in overall face shape. Eyes might become “larger” as the muscles above the eye brows now lift the upper eye lid a bit more, laugh lines becomes less obvious, and the shape of the face becomes more…. V ! Yes your journey to V shape face has just begun!
How often would you need to do this treatment?
We will discuss and it depends on your expectations and severity of the facial ageing process. It can be done 1-2 times a year as a general guide.