Hong Kong — Researchers here say transcutaneous focused ultrasound may be a safe, noninvasive skin-tightening procedure for Asians, HealthDay News reports.
Scientists from the University of Hong Kong investigated the safety of transcutaneous focused ultrasound devices for the treatment of facial skin laxity in 49 Chinese patients. The participants — 45 women and four men, with an average age of 53.3 years — each received one to three full-face treatments over a total of 68 sessions. Three transducers of different frequency and focal depths were used to deliver a single pass of microthermal coagulation zones without the use of topical anesthetics.
Standardized photographs taken at baseline and at each follow-up were reviewed by two independent physicians, and subjective pain and tolerability assessments were recorded using patient questionnaires. Adverse effects were evaluated up to six months after treatment.
Investigators identified transient erythema and edema in the majority of the patients, with focal bruising in up to 25 percent of treatment sessions. At one month post-treatment, two cases were identified with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation on the forehead. One patient experienced focal twitching over the lower eyelid, which was found to be clinically consistent with hemifacial spasm but unrelated to the ultrasound device. Severe pain was reported in 54.4 percent of the treatment sessions.
“Transcutaneous intense focused ultrasound appeared to be safe for noninvasive facial skin tightening in Asians,” the authors wrote. The study was published in the July issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
