Lisa Vuich, MD

Thanks for your question. The answer is yes, Sofwave could theoretically be combined with another energy based treatment in the same day but I would not recommend combining it with CO2 laser unless they are being performed on different regions of the face. Laser skin resurfacing such as with CO2 is more for surface smoothing- it really does NOT tighten the skin much at all. I would worry that the combination of Sofwave and CO2 laser in the same region in the same visit would be too much stress for the tissues and thus invite a higher risk of complications. The primary time we would combine Morpheus8 with Sofwave would be, for example, if we wanted to achieve some fat destruction in areas such as the double chin or the jowls. Sofwave has no impact on fat cells. You'd have to be careful not to treat at the same depth with both devices though, again to avoid increasing the risk of complications. I hope this information is helpful!

Thanks for your question. Morpheus8 is an excellent procedure for non-invasive collagen restoration. it is highly customizable, allowing the provider to select multiple treatment depths and energy settings which can vary region to region on the face based on the goal and the thickness of the skin. It can also be used to selectively destroy fat cells IF desired- such as in the jowl region or double chin zone. Be very selective though regarding whom you have perform this service as it is highly 'operator dependent'- meaning that a very 'light' treatment can be delivered, or a heavy treatment, or everything in between. The settings used are going to be according to the experience, expertise and comfort level of the specific provider. Ask to see before and after images of clients treated by that provider, taking note of how many sessions they had and whether they had any other treatments done in the same time period. The amount of downtime will also vary depending on the treatment delivered- a lighter end treatment will likely produce not much more than a light sunburn-like redness for a few days, whereas a heavier treatment will be more likely to result in more noticeable and prolonged redness as well as swelling in certain regions. It can be used to treat delicate regions such as under the brow and under the eyebrow, for smoothing and tightening. As the skin gets healthier and thicker, under eye darkness tends to improve as well. A series of 3 sessions spaced 4 or more weeks apart is recommended for most clients (or more if the collagen loss is more advanced than yours), followed by 1 to 2 per year as a maintenance. I hope this is helpful to you.

Thanks for your question. Sofwave utilizes microfocused energy to deliver heat into the dermis at a depth of about 1.5 mm, which stimulates the formation of collagen and elastin in the dermis. It is very effective for smoothing and tightening the skin. Results develop over the course of 6 months but start to become evident at even the 1 month mark. SkinVive is injectable microdroplet hyaluronic acid. It helps the skin trap moisture, but will not lift or tighten the skin. The SkinVive 'effect' per se would not be expected to be impacted by a Sofwave treatment. If anything, the Sofwave treatment itself also promotes increased hyaluronic acid content in the skin. For the best improvement in the submental (under chin) and neck, you should have a treatment that also includes the lower face so that you get the most "shrink wrapping" effect for the jawline. It's worth noting also that the heat resistance of other types of dermal filler (Juvederm, Restylane, RHA, etc...) is quite high AND these fillers are generally placed at a depth that is deep to where the Sofwave energy is being delivered- so, don't be concerned that Sofwave will dissolve your previously placed dermal filler.

Thanks for your question. We had a decade of experience with Ultherapy before upgrading our technology to Sofwave. Sofwave represents an advancement in the micro-focused ultrasound energy delivery. We have performed Sofwave since September 2023 and have found the results to be more consistent AND more impressive than what we had achieved with the older Ultherapy technology. We have performed many hundreds of treatments and have had no adverse effects as well. Most clients do the "Full Face and Neck" option. A standard treatment is 2 passes but a more advanced protocol treatment would be 3 to 4 passes. Discuss with your provider the number of passes they will be providing as this can affect results. I tend to do the full 4 passes on anyone over the age of 45. Depending on your age and degree of skin laxity, it may take either one or two sessions to get the result desired. Thereafter, a maintenance treatment every 1 to 2 years (depending on age) is a great way to further enhance your result as this will replace much of the collagen and elastin you had lost during that time due to the aging process.

Thanks for your question. Skin tightening is best achieved with the application of heat in one form or another, +/- additional mechanisms such as RF micro-needling with heat. There are many devices which deliver heat to the dermis, which acts as a microinjury, thus stimulating the body's healing cascade. The body response is then the development of new collagen and elastin- which produces smoothing and tightening. Great examples of this are Sofwave (micro-focused ultrasound energy) and Morpheus8 (RF micro-needling). To get a greater degree of tightening you need to deliver heat also to the layer under the skin- the fatty layer where we have the "fibro-septal network". Therapeutic heat delivered here provides an even greater degree of tightening and longer lasting results, but there is some downtime and you need to use a probe moving under neath the skin (inserted just through needle pokes, so still non-surgical and we refer to it as "minimally invasive"). A great example of this is the FaceTite procedure. And sometimes we do combinations, such as FaceTite + Morpheus8 to deliver the maximum result possible in a single procedure. That combination is called "EmbraceRF". FaceTite and EmbraceRF require that you wear a compression garment post procedure for 3 days, then at bedtime only for about a week. In the future to prevent recurrence you would simply do maintenance procedures. For example, a Sofwave treatment every 1-2 years is a great "no downtime" option. I hope that helps!