HIFU skin tightening in East Finchley
A gradual lift and firming for mild to moderate laxity, with an honest word about who it will not help.
HIFU stands for high intensity focused ultrasound: on the Ultra 4D Platinum, focused ultrasound is delivered through the skin without cutting or breaking the surface, and your body lays down new collagen over the following weeks. The result is a gradual lift and firming of the brow, cheeks, jawline, under the chin and neck, or a body area such as the abdomen, arms or thighs.
It suits you if your skin has started to loosen but still has some bounce: a softening jawline, early heaviness under the chin, a brow that sits a little lower than it did. Most people who do well are in their thirties and forties with mild to moderate laxity. If you want a surgical result, or your skin is very loose or your face very lean, we will say so at your free consultation and talk about what would suit you instead. Wondering how it feels? Read does HIFU hurt.
What happens at your appointment
What results to expect and how long they last
Who it suits and who it does not
Every appointment starts with a consultation. We look at how much loose skin there is and how much lift is realistic, go through your health and medicines, and take photographs for your record. If this is your first time with us, we suggest a few days to think before you book treatment; returning clients can go ahead the same day. On the day, the skin is cleaned, marked up and covered in ultrasound gel, and each zone is treated in turn. You feel heat and a prickling or deep ache as the treatment goes in, sharpest over bone and along the jaw, and we adjust it to what you can comfortably take. Most people manage without numbing cream; a simple painkiller before you arrive is fine. A full face takes about 60 minutes, face and neck about 90. We finish with sunscreen and you can go back to your day. We keep well away from the eyes, the front of the neck and the chest over the heart.
Some people see an early change in the first few weeks, partly from swelling. The lift itself builds as new collagen forms: most people notice the difference at 8 to 12 weeks, and it can keep improving to 6 months. Some people see little change. Results vary and cannot be guaranteed. We see you at 2 weeks to check you are settling and at 12 weeks with photographs to compare.
In the published study we rely on, improvement from one session was still present at 6 months and some people still had part of it at a year (Park and colleagues, Annals of Dermatology, 2015). Your own ageing decides how long it shows, and top-ups every 6 to 12 months are usual if you want to keep it. Many people need one session. Where there is more loose skin we offer a course of up to three, about 3 months apart, and we decide at your 12-week review whether a second session will help. We do not re-treat an area too soon, which protects the fat under your skin.
HIFU suits mild to moderate laxity on skin that still has some elasticity. It is a good fit if you want a subtle change without surgery, or you already have filler or skin boosters and want firmness as well as volume. It is not for you if your skin is very loose, very thin or heavily sun-damaged with little recoil, because there is not enough healthy tissue to tighten. If your face is slim with little fat in the cheeks, we treat the cheeks lightly or not at all, because HIFU can thin the cheek fat and leave a hollow.
We do not treat anyone under 18, anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, or anyone with a pacemaker, metal or an electronic implant in the area. Liver, kidney, heart or lung conditions, a bleeding disorder or blood thinners, and recent surgery in the area mean we cannot treat. Recent filler, the prescription treatment for expression lines, IPL or laser in the same area mean we wait. Darker skin types can be treated, but darkening of the skin a few months later has been reported, so we talk this through first.
The honest limit
HIFU is a lift and firming, not a facelift. It will not move heavy, loose skin back to where it was, and it will not replace lost volume: that is a job for filler, a collagen stimulator or a surgical opinion. If your skin is very loose or your face is very lean, we are likely to say no. Some people see little change, and nobody can promise you a result in advance.
Free consultation, or message us on WhatsApp: 077 21 400 600.
The clinic is at 260 East End Road in East Finchley, three minutes on foot from East Finchley station on the Northern line. Most of our HIFU clients come from Hampstead, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Highgate, Muswell Hill and Golders Green, with others from Finchley, Whetstone, Crouch End and Barnet. See every area we serve.
Prices
Prices are per session. A course of up to three is decided at your 12-week review.
Risks
Redness for a few hours, swelling for up to 3 days, soreness for a day or two and tenderness to touch for up to 2 weeks are common, as are raised lines where the treatment went in and mild bruising.
Less common are tingling, numbness or a temporary weak patch of muscle from an irritated nerve, which settled within 2 to 6 weeks in the clinical studies, though effects lasting months have been reported. Rarer are burns and scarring, loss of fat leaving a hollow, lumps under the skin, and skin darkening in darker skin types. We go through all of this before you sign.
Common questions
Does HIFU hurt?
You feel heat and a prickling or deep ache as the treatment goes in, sharpest over bone and along the jaw. It lasts only while each zone is being treated, and we ease off if you ask. Most people manage without numbing cream. A simple painkiller an hour before is fine.
Is there any downtime after HIFU?
Usually you can go back to your day, but expect redness for a few hours, swelling for up to 3 days and tenderness along the jaw for up to 2 weeks. For the first few days you avoid heat, sun and hard exercise. For 2 weeks you avoid scrubs, peels and other treatments to the area.
How many HIFU sessions do I need?
Many people need one. Where there is more loose skin, up to three sessions about 3 months apart may help. We sell the course as "up to three" and decide at your 12-week review, not at the till. If someone offers you a course of six, ask why.
How long does HIFU last?
It varies. Most people still have the improvement at 6 months, and some still have part of it at a year. Top-ups every 6 to 12 months are usual if you want to keep it.
Does HIFU work on a double chin?
It can tighten the skin under the chin and reduce a small amount of fat there. A heavy double chin, or loose skin that hangs, needs a different conversation. We tell you which you have at the consultation.
Can I have HIFU with filler or skin boosters?
Yes, with spacing. We do not treat over filler until it has fully gone, which is usually a minimum of 4 months. We leave 4 weeks after the prescription treatment for expression lines in the same area, and at least 2 weeks either side of IPL or laser.
Is HIFU suitable for darker skin?
Often, yes. Ultrasound is not absorbed by pigment in the way light is. But darkening of the skin around three months after treatment has been reported more often in darker skin, so we discuss it and record your skin type before we start.
This page is general information, not medical advice. What suits you depends on your own skin, health and history, which we go through at a free consultation before anything is booked.
Know what you want? Book HIFU now. Not sure? Book a free consultation.