In a study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (May 2016), Leslie Baumann, MD, and Brian Zelickson, MD, investigated whether application of microfocused ultrasound with high-resolution ultrasound visualization (MFU-V) at two focal depths would produce clinical results superior to treatment at a single focal depth. They used the Ulthera device, which administers MFU-V to produce noninvasive lifting and tightening of lax skin on the face and neck.
Adult subjects (n = 71) with skin laxity in the lower face and neck were enrolled; 64 met all entrance criteria and received treatment. On the basis of physical and anatomical characteristics, patients were assigned to one of three treatment groups to undergo treatment on the submental, submandibular, lower neck and platysmal areas with MFU-V at single or dual depths. Investigator assessment and subject self-assessment demonstrated improved aesthetic changes at 60, 90 and 180 days after treatment. Overall, subjects that received MFU-V at two focal depths to the entire treatment area achieved slightly greater aesthetic improvement than subjects receiving MFU-V at single focal depths. There were no unexpected adverse events.
Dr. Baumann and Dr. Zelickson concluded that “Applying treatment with MFU-V at two focal depths may provide improved aesthetic results in some subjects.”
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